#traditional irish samhain lanterns were carved out of turnips

[trueloveandotherscificoncepts]

my son

[biggest-gaudiest-patronuses]

Jack-o'-lanterns have such a grab bag of lore, i love it

Fire, of course, has a long history of offering protection from evil forces. During the Celtic festival of Samhain (from which many Halloween traditions originate), the veil between worlds was considered thin, and ritual bonfires reminded the spooks to stay on their side of the lane.

Many a lantern has protected the lonely traveler on a dark moonless night. But lanterns can be dangerous too—especially the supernatural ones. in certain folklore 'jack-o'-lantern' was another name for will-o'-the-wisps, atmospheric ghost lights (or as legend has it, lost souls) that appear above bogs and lure unwise wanderers into sinkholes.

Then there's the 18th cent Irish folktale of Stingy Jack, a mischievous fellow who tricked the Devil twice, exacting a promise that hell would never claim his soul. So Jack goes on his cheerful way, and dies (as humans are prone to do), and ends up at the pearly gates. Now Heaven, it turns out, doesn't want a damn thing to do with him. So Jack jaunts on down and goes knocking on the gates of hell—only to have Satan slam the door in his face! How this leads to Stingy Jack being doomed to wander the earth carrying a hollowed out rutabaga lit by an ember of the flames of hell, I couldn't tell you. But that is how the story goes.

Whether the legend of Stingy Jack inspired or fueled or was created-by the gourd-carving practice, by the 19th cent, Irish, Scottish, and Welsh alike were annually carving jack-o'-lanterns out of turnips & rutabaga & beets & potatoes, and lighting them up to ward off Jack and other wandering spirits. Immigrants carried the tradition to North America, where pumpkins were indigenous and much easier to carve.

And so the modern Jack-o'-Lantern was born!

Not that gourd lanterns were anything new. Metalwork was expensive, after all, and gourds worked as-well-as and better-than-most crops when it came to carving a poor farmer's lantern.

As for carving human faces into vegetables, that supposedly goes back thousands of years in certain Celtic cultures. It may even have evolved from head veneration, or been used to represent the severed skulls of enemies defeated in battle. Or maybe not! Like many human traditions, jack-o'-lanterns evolved over multiple eras and cultures and regions, in some ways we can trace and others we can only guess at. But at the end of the day, it makes a damn good story, and a spooky way to celebrate—which is as good a reason as any (and a better reason than most!) to keep a tradition going.

In conclusion: happy spooky season, and remind me to tell yall about plastered human skulls one of these days 🎃

srcs 1, 2, 3

[vertigovineyard]

Samhain: Agere edition!!

For those of you that don’t know Samhain (pronounced “sow-win”) is a pagan religious festival taking place October 31st-November 1st. This Celtic tradition acted as a celebration to welcome in the harvest and “the dark half of the year”. This time of year is significant because many believe that the veil between the spiritual and physical world is thinning and therefore creating more paranormal or supernatural occurrences.

Originally fire was used as a community after harvest for the participants to take home and light the hearth. It was also belief that celts would dress as the “monsters” of their time in an attempt to prevent fairies from kidnapping them when the veil was thinned. During the Middle Ages people turned towards more personal fires and used carved turnips known as jack-o-lanterns which Irish tradition later switched out with pumpkins.

“Dumb Supper” was another practice during in which a feast would be set up for the ancestors the celts were expecting to cross from the other side and then be used by the physical people after the spiritual had their fill.

(Under the cut is my personal experience and practices)

Samhain is one of my favorite sabbaths to celebrate because it is during the time of year at which I feel most connected with my spirituality. I love to combine agere with these types of things as a way to bring together two different parts of myself that I chose.

List of things I do from Mabon(autumn equinox) to October 30th:

- Color magick: rearrange my wardrobe and current makeup styles to simpler and muted pieces as a way to slow down and focus on nature and the items I use

- Watch moon phases: keep an eye out for the phases of the moon during this time of year, this is because I feel more connected to the moon specifically and begin to write letters to her(the moon) as a way to manifest her energy and change with the seasons. This also allows for more rituals to be done during this time including lots of energy cleaning (I stay inside most days and I don’t want things to feel stagnant)

- Journal: journal all dreams, signs, numbers, or deck spreads that you happen to come across and stick with you. Intuition is very important during this step but don’t be scared and overthink things. Trust yourself so the self trusts you.

- Shopping!!: This one may not be seen as magickal as the others but for me it plays a big part in setting my energy for my space and my mental. This includes things like candles, blankets, books, incense, certain herbs, and even a new deck. I’ve also found that I tend to buy new jewelry before every season that sets myself up for the energy required to be attached spiritually so that may be a good subtle way to achieve this connection if you’re still in the broom closet.

During Samhain Activities:

- first things first is have my costume ready. I prefer to go by a more closet cosplay like take on my outfits so I can wear them for the entire day without any strange looks or restrictions. This is just a way for me to enjoy myself and also view it as a way of protection.

- Act as usual: seriously, I don’t spend all day thinking about the sabbath. I know a lot of witches may have a full day to celebrate but unfortunately I know a few who definitely don’t and I don’t want it to seem like you have to be dedicating all your time to it to be celebrating correctly. Spend time with your friends. Listen to loud rave music. Do whatever makes you feel most comfortable during this time and be grateful that you made it to this part of the year. This is usually the time where my age regression joins the most: I spend most of the day coloring spooky Sanrio Sheets, watching kids Halloween episodes, and eating whatever I want. Many people view being a witch as being strict with sabbaths and having a certain aesthetic when doing so, I don’t follow this belief and I just allow my kid-self to have the Halloween he’s used to as a way to have nostalgia and think of the good times the year has offered me before this moment.

-Dumb Supper: My favorite was of celebrating is having a dumb supper, which can be even more special as a kitchen or hearth witch. I do this at my working altar currently because I'm still in the broom closet but I still set up a simple dinner, light my ancestor candles, and do a few readings to listen to their advice. I am usually regressed during this because to me it feels like the one time of year I get to sit at the adult table and ask them questions and listen to their stories about their lives and all the things they learned they want to pass on to me.

-Lighting: I always use candles on this night and other light up items such as star projections to bring a child-like thing into the night of Samhain.

-Journaling: after doing all of this I sit in bed and read through my journal from the month before and make any editions or notes, also documenting all that happened that night

I write this post to explain the origin, traditions, and personal practice of Samhain and I hope many of you can learn that it’s ok to incorporate age regression into spiritual or “adult” practices <3 Happy Samhain and Halloween everyone!! (Feel free to add on or tell me your costumes through reblogs or comments!!)

[sixminutestoriesblog]

pumpkins

Halloween just wouldn't be Halloween without large pumpkins grimacing and grinning at us from steps and railings, glowing from within with a ghastly light as the night falls thick around the neighborhood. The pumpkin jack o' lantern has become almost synonymous with Halloween, from the grinning pumpkin head worn by Ichabod Crane's Headless Horseman to Pillsbury's ready to bake tubes of colored pumpkin faced cookie dough. The pumpkin isn't just for jack o' lanterns either! The second the weather gets the first sharp bite of autumn to it out comes the pumpkin spice everything! Pumpkin coffee, pumpkin bread, pumpkin pie - its not even just for food. Pumpkin candles and tiny decorative pumpkins everywhere! If there is one overwhelming symbol of autumn, at least in most of the Western world, surely it must be the pumpkin. In fact, the pumpkin is so overwhelmingly 'autumn' themed that both Halloween and US Thanksgiving claim it as a vital part of the party.

So would it surprise you to learn that the pumpkin we recognize these days is a North American plant and its autumnal rein of power is fairly new?

Would it surprise you to learn that the jack o' lantern once looked very different than it does today?

(not if you spend time in certain circles of tumblr but we're going to dip in anyway)

Once upon a time, so the Irish story goes, there was a very lazy man called Stingy Jack. If he had only been lazy, this story would be shorter but he was also desperately clever. There are quite a few versions of the story but the basic of it follows a familiar route. Man has done something that either puts him in a spot of trouble with his neighbors or else is just feeling so lazy that he can't even fulfill one of his wants. Either way, the Devil sees an opportunity and shows up, offering to help Jack with his problem. Jack, like most folklore heroes, agrees. The Devil then turns himself into a silver coin, or climbs an apple tree or something of the kind, fulfilling his part of the bargain. Jack, however, has the power of God and anime crosses on his side and proceeds to use them to trap the Devil in his shapeshifted form or up a tree. Jack keeps him there until the Devil agrees to never bother Jack again. The Devil agrees, life goes on for Jack as per normal and one day he dies. He's been a shifty, stingy Jack so Heaven won't take him but now, pride still bruised or promise still in place, neither will Hell. All Jack gets from behind the closed fiery gates is a single thrown coal and the order to 'get lost'. And so, rejected by the afterlife yet still very much dead, Jack must wander the Earth forever, the single glowing coal the only light to guide him where he's put it in a carved vegetable to help light his way. Traditionally, people put out jack o' lanterns each Halloween or Samhain or All Saints/Soul's Day to both ward off evil spirits and to help guide the friendly dead, like wandering Jack, home.

Thing was, this story is older than the European discovery of the New World. Jack and his will o' wisp lantern, and the subsequent 'lanterns' left out by others later on, was a carved turnip.

Yep. That would scare me away too if I saw it left outside someone's house. Anyway, the carved turnip, or other useful tuber, stayed the go-to vegetable when it came to carved jack o' lanterns lighting up the late October nights until the mid 1800s when the Irish Famine drove many to immigrate to the United States. Traditions are adaptable and who would bother with a turnip when there were great, round, bright and easily hollowed out pumpkins right there? In no time at all, the idea of pumpkin jack o' lanterns had spread across the US and bam! A new king of autumnal vegetables was born.

Except the pumpkin is a fruit. A berry in fact.

Yeah, I had to wiki that one too.

The jack o' lantern isn't the only superstition around pumpkins.

In Appalachian tradition, if a cow eats pumpkin seeds it will stop giving milk. Pumpkin seeds are also used to get rid of tape worms in a process that involves fasting, milk and castor oil.

Pumpkins should always be planted on Good Friday for the best results.

Pumpkins are seen as signs of fertility, prosperity and abundance.

and finally, eating a pumpkin stalk will make you foolish (because eating it in the first place wasn't already proof)

[trilliansthoughts]

Samhain

October 31st is the start of the Celtic festival of Samhain (sow-inn) since the Celtic day begins and ends at sunset, not midnight. Samhain is one of the most significant festivals in the Pagan calendar as it marks the beginning of the Celtic New Year. Samhain is also the Irish word for the month of November. Hallowe’en derives from the Christian term All Hallows Eve (saints evening), which was eventually contracted from (All) Hallow(s) E(v)en to Hallowe’en. 

Our Neolithic ancestors believed that a thinning of the veil with the afterlife occurred at both Samhain and Beltane and the traditions of Hallowe’en originated around 4000 BCE. Many Neolithic passage tombs in Ireland are aligned with sunrise on Samhain and are seen as portals to the Otherworld. Druids light fires and burn animal bones as sacrifices to the Celtic deities. The burning of bones is the origin of the word ‘bonfire’. Costumes are worn as disguises to repel spirits wandering the Earth and putting out food and treats to pacify spirits led to the modern-day tradition of trick or treating.  

As costumes became more elaborate over the centuries, they began to represent occult beings such as werewolves, witches, vampires, and zombies. Many films, TV series, and books in popular culture that feature such beings often take place at Samhain or incorporate the traditions of Hallowe’en. Seeing a spider on Hallowe’en means the spirit of a loved one is watching over you and a person born on October 31st can allegedly see and talk to spirits.  

‘Bobbing’ for apples originated from a Roman tradition celebrating Pomona, the goddess of fruit and trees. Single women carved the peel from an apple in one long single cut and threw it over their shoulders where it formed the initial of their future husband. Hanging wet sheets in front of the fire or staring into a mirror at midnight was thought to reveal the face of your future husband or wife.   

Barm brack is a yeast bread with added sultanas and raisins that is eaten during Hallowe’en. The brack contains items for a fortune-telling game: the pea, the person would not marry that year; the bean, a future without money; the stick, an unhappy marriage or continual disputes; a piece of cloth, bad luck or poverty; a coin, good fortune or riches; the ring, wed within the year. Nowadays, barm bracks only contain a ring to avoid disappointing people with bad news.  

Irish immigrants brought the traditions of Hallowe’en to all parts of the world, where many local variations emerged and were themselves brought back to Ireland by returning emigrants. The tradition of carving pumpkins into Jack-o'-Lanterns originated in Ireland. The practice was inspired by the Irish legend of Stingy Jack who tricked the Devil and was forced to roam the Earth with a carved-out turnip as a lantern. In Ireland, it was traditional to carve a turnip or potato, whereas in the New World, pumpkins became the vegetable of choice. As these were easier to carve, they soon replaced the traditional turnip in Ireland. 

While Beltane is a festival for the living, Samhain is essentially a festival for the dead. Hallow is another word for ‘saint’ and Christianity celebrates All Hallows Day on November 1st, in honour of all church saints, and All Souls Day on November 2nd, to commemorate loved ones who have passed from this mortal realm. In Mexico, Día de los Muertos on November 1st is one of the most globally recognized festivals that celebrates The Day of the Dead. Happy Hallowe’en, everyone! 

[wuh2k]

Annual lesson on the origins of Halloween.

Practiced by the Celts (Keltoi) in Ireland as long as 2,000-2,500yrs ago Samhain /sow-wawn/was a pagan festival to mark the official beginning of Winter on the Celtic calendar.

The Celts believed that the barriers between the lands of the living and dead would come down on this night, allowing the spirits of the dead to roam the lands of the living again.

The Celts (like many pagan cultures) didn’t have the bestest opinion of the afterlife though. They believed the spirits were lonely there and so, on Samhain, would look to take the living back with them for company. Almost all modern Halloween traditions come from their methods of avoiding this supernatural abduction.

1. Bonfires

A tradition still practiced in Ireland for Halloween. Pretty self-explanatory…big fire scare off ghosts

🤷‍♂️

2. Trick or Treat

Another idea that was pretty common in pagan societies.

Don’t want lonely spirits of the dead coming in your home for some kidnapping? Put your best food and drink out front so they’re satisfied and leave you alone.

How this developed into the modern practice of children going door-to-door is hotly debated.

3. Costumes

How do you keep yourself from being whisked away by lonely ghosts?

CAMOUFLAGE!!!

What self-respecting spirit of the dead wants to bring another spirit of the dead back to the afterlife with them? That place is already full of them.

4. Jack O’Lanterns

This is the one we didn’t get from the Celts. It comes from an Irish folk-tale which tells the story of Jack, who makes a deal with the devil, then tricks the devil to escape being taken to hell.

Devil doesn’t like this and curses Jack to wander the dark roads and back ways, far from civilisation for eternity, with only an ember of hellfire to light his way. Jack placed the ember in a carved out turnip (see pic above) which was a common poor man’s lantern in Ireland in the past and so he became Jack O’Lantern.

When the Irish emigrated to the US they brought these traditions with them, but there were no turnips so they used pumpkins instead.

[elisdodo]

Things You Might Not Know About Halloween

Amidst the myriad oddities of Halloween, how much do you truly know about this spooktacular holiday? I wager there's something in the following tidbits that might surprise you.

1. History of Halloween: The history of Halloween can be traced back over 2,000 years to the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain. Samhain marked the end of the harvest season and the beginning of winter. It was a time when the boundaries between the living and the dead were believed to blur. People lit bonfires and wore costumes to ward off wandering spirits. Over time, these traditions merged with the Christian holiday of All Saints' Day (also known as All Hallows' Day), and the night before it became known as All Hallows' Eve, or Halloween.

2. Halloween vs. Day of the Dead: While Halloween and Mexico's Day of the Dead share some similarities, they are distinct celebrations. Day of the Dead, or "Día de los Muertos," is a Mexican holiday focused on honoring deceased loved ones. It is known for its colorful sugar skulls, altars, and marigold flowers. Halloween, in contrast, emphasizes costumes, candy, and spooky themes.

3. Origin of Jack-o'-Lanterns: The tradition of carving jack-o'-lanterns originates from an Irish myth about "Stingy Jack." According to the story, Jack was a deceitful man who tricked the devil. After his death, he was neither allowed into Heaven nor Hell and was left to roam the Earth with only a burning coal inside a hollowed-out turnip to light his way. When Irish immigrants brought this tale to America, they found that pumpkins, more abundant than turnips, made excellent lanterns.

4. Unlucky Date: Some people believe that Halloween is an unlucky date, often due to its associations with the supernatural, witches, and dark magic. As a result, they may avoid scheduling significant events, like weddings or major meetings, on Halloween. This superstition varies by culture and personal beliefs.

5. Confectionery Delight: Halloween is a candy lover's dream. It's estimated that Americans spend billions of dollars on candy during the Halloween season. Stores and households are stocked with various sweet treats to give out to trick-or-treaters.

6. Halloween Costumes: Halloween costumes offer people a chance to become someone or something else for a day. From classic monsters like vampires and werewolves to beloved movie characters and superheroes, there's no shortage of imaginative outfits to choose from. People of all ages participate in this tradition, from kids to adults.

7. Global Celebration: While Halloween has its roots in Western culture, it has spread worldwide. Many English-speaking countries, including the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, observe Halloween. It's also gaining popularity in other parts of the world as a fun and spooky celebration.

8. Superstitious Beliefs: Halloween is often associated with superstitions. Many cultures believe that during this time, the boundary between the world of the living and the world of spirits is thinner, making it easier for ghosts, witches, and supernatural beings to roam the Earth. Wearing costumes and masks is thought to confuse and ward off malevolent spirits.

9. The Great Pumpkin: In 2018, a farmer in New Hampshire, USA, grew a record-breaking pumpkin that weighed 2,528 pounds. Giant pumpkins like this one are a common sight at fall festivals and contests, with participants vying to grow the largest and heaviest pumpkins.

10. Trick-or-Treating: Trick-or-treating is a cherished Halloween tradition, especially among children. Dressed in costumes, kids visit homes in their neighborhoods, ringing doorbells and saying "Trick or treat!" Homeowners typically give out candy or other treats. The "trick" part of the phrase implies that if no treat is provided, a prank or harmless mischief might befall the household.

There are many things that you may overlook without a thorough understanding, just as you might not know much about us. To make it even more memorable, consider screening classic Halloween movies like "Hocus Pocus," "The Nightmare Before Christmas," and "Beetlejuice." Now, imagine a unique twist on Halloween celebrations with "Spooky Drive-Ins." Families can create their very own drive-in movie experience using wireless carplay adapters like CARLUEX. Park the car in the driveway, project eerie Halloween-themed movies or shows, and enjoy a night of treats and spooky entertainment right from the comfort of your vehicle.

[unknownworlds4]

Halloween: A Holiday Rooted in Tradition

Halloween is by far one of the most popular holidays celebrated in the United States. It's marked by dressing in costumes, trick-or-treating, haunted attractions, pumpkin carving, many other fun activities that range from scary to whimsical. But what is Halloween? Where did it originate? Why do we celebrate it the way we do? The origins of Halloween date back many thousands of years.

The celebration of Halloween, or All Hallow's Eve, dates back thousands of years to the ancient Gaelic festival of Samhain (pronounced Sow-in). The Celtic people, who inhabited the Isle of Ireland, Great Britain, and Northern France, celebrated the new year on November 1, which marked the end of the harvest season and the beginning of winter. The Celts believed that on this day, the boundary between the worlds of the living and the dead was thinnest, which allowed spirits to cross over into our world and allowed divination to become easier. To commemorate the event, the Celtic people would build large bonfires, and the bones of animals kept for slaughter were thrown into the flames as a sacrifice. People would wear costumes or carve masks out of gourds, such as turnips, in order to trick the spirits into believing that they were ghosts as well.

The practice of carving vegetables also originated in Ireland. According to Gaelic mythology, there was a man named Stingy Jack, who had a reputation for being a drunkard and a cheat. One night while drinking at a pub, he encountered the devil himself and Jack offered to share a drink with him. Afterwards, Jack admitted he had no money and convinced the Devil to turn himself into a coin in order to pay. The devil did so, and Jack placed the coin into his pocket along with a silver crucifix, which prevented the devil from changing forms. Jack promised to let him go so long as the Devil left Jack alone for one year. Once one year was up, Jack tricked the Devil again by asking him to climb a tree from a piece of fruit and carved a cross into the bark, so the Devil couldn't climb down. Jack let him go on the condition that he wouldn't claim Jacks soul once he died. Jack eventually died and he wasn't allowed into Heaven and, keeping to his word, the Devil wouldn't let him enter Hell. So, Jack was cursed to wonder the Earth for eternity, with nothing but a lit coal inside a hollowed-out Turnip to light his way. He was called 'Jack of the Lantern' or Jack O'Lantern. The Ancient Irish would carve out turnips and other vegetables with scary faces to frighten away wandering, evil spirits. Irish immigrants arriving in North America began to use pumpkins because they were easier to carve.

By 43 A.D., the Roman Empire conquered the vast majority of Celtic territory, where they would rule for over 400 years. The Romans introduced two holidays of Roman origin and combined them with Celtic celebrations. The first was Feralia, which was a day in late October meant to celebrate the dead. The second was a festival that honored Pomona, the Goddess of trees and fruit, which occurred in November. The symbol of Pomona is the apple. Some believe that this is where the tradition of apple bobbing came from.

On May 13, 609 A.D., Pope Boniface IV dedicated the Pantheon of Rome in honor of all Christian Martyrs, establishing the feast of All Martyrs Day. It's believed the church sought to supplant the Roman festival of Lemuria, a festival in which malevolent spirits were exercise from homes, with a Christian holiday. Pope Gregory III expanded this festival to include all Saints as well and moved the celebration to November 1, as the Church sought to replace the Celtic traditions of Samhain with a church sanctioned holiday. The day was called All-hollowmas (from Middle English 'Alholowmesse' meaning 'All Saints' Day') and thus the day before began to be called All Hollow's Eve. In 1000 A.D., the Church established November 2 as All Soul's Day, a day to remember the dead. All three became the festival of AllHollowtide.

During the celebration of All Saints Day and All Souls Day, poor people in England and Ireland would go from door to door of the wealthy and ask for small cakes called Soul Cakes in exchange for a prayer for the givers deceased family members. Children soon took up this practice. They would sing songs or perform small acts in exchange for small gifts of food, ale, or money.

In the 19th century, millions of Irish immigrated to the United States. They brought with them, the Catholic faith and the celebrations of Halloween. These celebrations were limited, as the United States was a majority Protestant country. However, the immigrants celebrated however they could, and a popular way was pulling pranks or 'tricks'. This usually amounted to nothing more than pulling the wheels off wagons, placing livestock on barn roofs, uprooting vegetables from gardens, and tipping over outhouses. However, these 'pranks' got more violent round the 1930's, with acts of violence becoming commonplace. In theory, tricks could be prevented by giving small treats to the neighborhood children.

By the mid-20th century, Halloween became a community centered holiday with haunted attractions, ghost stories, parties, and trick-or-treating becoming immensely popular. This leads us to the classic Halloween celebrations we know today. Today, Halloween is one of the most celebrated holidays in United States.

[mistysworldboutique]

This is my face when someone tells me that it's too early to think about Halloween.😡 I never stop thinking about Halloween!⁣My Shop Manager doesn't either, because we have lots of vintage Halloween images for sale on magnets, postcards, etc. Just like the big retailers, Halloween is one of our busiest times. Use the code LISA2024 or 15% off. ⁣https://mistysworldboutique.etsy.com

⁣Halloween wasn't always called such. It originated a few thousand years ago with the ancient Celts who celebrated their New Year at the end of the harvest season. It was a time when preparations needed to be made for winter, and they celebrated with a festival called Samhain.⁣⁣

The only problem was that they believed the onset of cold and dark made it easier for spirits to cross into the world of the living.👻 You could never tell what kind of mood a dead spirit might be in, and they kind of wanted to avoid them. So when they had to go out, they'd wear masks to confuse the spirits.👺 I guess it's like Americans who go out in public drinking liquor from plain brown bags to confuse policemen.

⁣⁣In the year 837, Pope Gregory III decided that November 1 would be celebrated by the Church as All Saints Day, and the evening before would be All Hallows Evening. Although not the official reason, some say he chose that day to try to stop the old pagan celebrations. If so, it didn't work. The name Hallow Even (Hallowe'en) caught on, probably because it's easier to pronounce than Samhain, but the traditions persisted. ⁣⁣

Sometime during Irish history, a legend developed about some guy named Jack who played a few tricks on the devil.👹 He cheated the devil out of claiming his soul, but since he'd hung around with the devil, he was banned from heaven too when he died. Heaven was running full background checks long before the internet. ⁣⁣

So Jack was doomed to wander the roads of earth with a glowing coal inside a turnip to light his way. The Irish made their own hollowed out, lighted turnips for their windows, to keep the spirit of Jack away. These were called Jack-o-lanterns.

⁣⁣When the Irish started migrating to North America in large numbers, they found there pumpkins, which were much easier to carve than little turnips🎃. And imagine the story, "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" if the Headless Horseman had thrown a turnip at Ichabod Crane .

[scarletravenswood]

🎃 Sustainable Autumn Decor 🎃

Pumpkin Haul

Ok, I may have gone a bit overboard this year but when it comes to pumpkins I just can’t help myself.  I love the colors, the textures, and the general cozy feeling you get when you’re surrounded by pumpkins.  For those of you who don’t know I’m an October baby and this time of year has always been my favorite.  I have a ton of fond memories picking out pumpkins and carving them each year on my birthday.

One of my favorite things to do around this time of year is to decorate my home and make it feel extra autumnal.  Though I’m really trying to work on being more sustainable this year, especially when it comes to the holidays.  It’s really easy to get caught up in all the fun and cheap autumn and Halloween decor they sell at craft stores like Hobby Lobby and Michaels.  I’m trying to make a commitment to stay away from that stuff as I really want my home to reflect the autumn harvest and be more in line with how our Pagan ancestors would celebrate this time of year.  So for me that means decorating with natural materials such as corn, apples, and of course pumpkins.   Pumpkins are a really important part of Pagan harvest celebrations.  Especially here in America where Samhain is celebrated by pagans & witches across the country and Samhain’s more consumerist cousin, Halloween, is of course celebrated by most Americans. Pumpkins are a plant that is harvested in autumn making it a great symbol for harvest celebrations, though when it comes to the tradition of carving pumpkins we have the Irish to thank for that.  The tradition of carving jack-o-lanterns comes from an Irish myth about a figure named Stingy Jack.  Jack made a deal with the Devil and was forced to roam the land for eternity after he died.  The Irish would carve demonic faces, known as jack-o-lanterns, to scare away this wandering spirit.  Interestingly, the Irish would carve these faces onto turnips as pumpkins were not really native to the region.  When Irish immigrants came to America they brought the tradition of carving Jack-o-lanterns with them and started using pumpkins instead. So, I hope you enjoyed this short post and I’d love to hear about how you plan on decorating your home for Samhain/Halloween. 🎃

[northcoastapothecary]

SPOOKY SAMHAIN FACTS TO KEEP YOU UP AT NIGHT

The popularity of Halloween has intensified increasingly over the past several years. It has become a multi-million dollar industry that includes candy, movies, haunted attractions, and costumes, but only a handful of people truly understand the ancient origin of Halloween.

Samhain (pronounced sow-in) is one of the four most important Celtic festivals, which lines up on October 31st. Celtic days commence at sundown, very similar to Jewish traditions. On October 31st, Samhain starts at dusk and ends on November 1st at sundown. Samhain marks the moment that darkness overtakes the light.

During Samhain and Beltane both, it was thought that the barrier between the world of the living and realm of the spirits was most fragile. It was believed that this weakened barrier allowed the dead to cross over effortlessly and take over the world of the living for some time. Large meals were prepared by the Celts, who kept their doors ajar and left empty seats at the dining table for dead family members to visit and communicate with their families.

Costumes

The purpose of wearing costumes, which was also titled mumming or guising, was thought to help blend in with the spirits of the dead. People believed that by wearing costumes, spirits would be fooled into thinking you were among them, therefore, providing one protection from evil spirits

Treats

For the ancient Celts, the security and preservation of their livestock were of utmost significance throughout the tough winter months. People wore costumes and went door to door singing, believing that bribing with treats would please the evil spirits, therefore keeping them from killing one's livestock.

Black Cats

The emblem of this obsidian feline bearing ill-fortune originated from the traditional idea that witches had the power to shape-shift, and it was assumed that the conversion of the people was to a black cat. The mysticism linked with this contributed to the symbolism of Halloween.

Jack-O-Lanterns

Probably one of the most identifiable symbols of the season is a jack-o-lanterns that have roots connected to Ireland and several parts of Europe. Although today pumpkins are used to carve spooky faces into, other gourdes and turnips had been used by people in the past.

One specific Irish tale tells the story of a blacksmith named Stingy Jack, who tricks Satan into scaling an apple tree. Once the Devil has hit the apex, Stingy Jack positions and carves crosses onto the tree, capturing Satan at the apex, Jack will free Satan only on the condition that he'd never take away his soul. Because of his mortal crimes, Jack wasn't able to enter heaven, and because of the deal he made with the Devil, he could not enter hell either.

As mentioned previously, Halloween has become an enormous industry, but even beyond that, there is much to consider other than candy bars, tombstones and spider webs placed out on the front lawn. Across the globe people from the neopagan and Wiccan beliefs still respect the characteristics of Halloween's Celtic history in their celebrations and rituals. Let's remember the layers of traditions and history this Halloween while carving out pumpkins and trick-or-treating door to door.

[thenightling]

The tale of Jack O’lantern

This Halloween I saw an annoying meme circulating with a very inaccurate version of the Jack O’lantern legend.   What I am about to write here is a rough retelling of the legend as best as I know it from a combination of oral tradition and The Encyclopedia of Ghosts and Spirits (Second edition).

The story begins with Jack.  Jack was a man of dubious morals who liked to gamble.  One day he happened upon some demons (in some versions he meets The Devil himself) who challenges him to a card game.  Jack agrees to play but stipulates that if he wins, his soul must never go to Hell, no matter what evils he might have done on Earth.  The Devil would have no claim on him.  The demons agree to his terms.

Jack wins the card came. In some versions of the story cheated but the demons could not prove he cheated.   Eventually Jack died but as he had not been a very good man in life he was not welcome in Heaven and so he was doomed to wander.

Weary of his own wandering he arrived at the gates of Hell and begged to be allowed in.  The demons laughed and mocked him.  The Devil tossed a Hell-fire ember out to him and told him he could use that to light his way in his eternal wandering.

Jack took the ember and placed it inside a hollowed out turnip to use as his lantern.  So he became known as Jack of the lantern = Jack O’lantern, to which we get the modern Jack-o-lantern. 

Now Jack was a mischievous soul who sometimes caused trouble.  Petty goblin-like mischief.   But he was also a coward even as a ghost.  So people started to carve out turnip lanterns with menacing faces.  And Jack mistook these as other wandering spirits and so he would be scared off.

When Irish Immigrants discovered pumpkins they realized they were easier to carve and considerably larger than most turnips. There was also a sense of magick to the pumpkin as it was a strange and exotic new plant that would appear in such fairy tales as Cinderella and some Nursery Rhymes like Peter Peter Pumpkin Eater.   So the lanterns to ward off old Jack were now pumpkins.

You see a depiction of this in Neil Gaiman’s The Sandman with Merv Pumpkinhead, a character whose head is literally a Jack-o-lantern.  In the issue called The Tempest you see an early version of Merv had a Turnip for a head before it became a pumpkin in the contemporary setting.  

Over time the belief shifted so that these carved-out pumpkins were not just wards against Jack but against other wandering spirits and supernatural entities that meant to do harm.  The ghosts would see these lanterns as proof that people were under the protection of other wandering spirits or the belief and magick inherit in the New World Pumpkin was enough to keep evil out.

Jack-o-lanterns became a protection ward. These protection wards were particularly used on Samhain (modern: Halloween) when the veil between worlds is thinnest and goblins, demons, dark fae and ghosts wander the Earth.   The children’s novel, The House with a clock in its walls features a sorcerer uncle who uses Jack-o-lanterns as protection wards all year long. Other legends and superstitions say that you mustn’t let your Jack-o-lantern blow out before midnight on Halloween night or you will have bad luck all year as the ghosts and wandering spirits will see that as an invitation to haunt you and cause trouble. A variation of this is in the movie Trick ‘r Treat. 

One superstition says to leave the Jack-o-lantern burning all night on Halloween or until it burns out on its own.  If it stays lit until after midnight and especially if it stays lit until or after dawn that is considered very good luck and promises protection against evil spirits and ill-intent all year long.

And there you go. That is the legend of the Jack-o-lantern. 

[thetravelerwrites]

Verith’s First Halloween (Orc) NSFW

Rating: Explicit Relationship: Female Orc x Female Human Additional Tags: Exophilia, Orc, Orc Girlfriend, WLW, Halloween, Trick or Treating, Halloween Party Content Warnings: Pregnancy Mention, Corsets, Sex, Oral Sex, Tribbing, Strap-Ons Words: 4922

A special gift for @aelia-likes-monsters​ for being a wonderful friend, supporter, and bouncer of ideas for me and this blog. She’s the best and I hope this fic brightens her day! This is both a fic for Halloween and Orctober. An orc woman who has always lived in a closed orc community begins dating a human and starts participating in human customs. The first one is Halloween. *Note: "Samhain" is pronounced "Sow-in." Because Irish. Please leave feedback!

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“You’re not making your case very well,” Verith said as tucked the folded sheet down over the corner of the mattress. “I don’t understand this human holiday of yours, I never have.”

“Haven’t you ever celebrated it?” You asked her as you tucked the opposite corner down.

“No, of course not,” She said scornfully. “The gym is closed for human holidays and I stay in the community during most of them. Just watching about it on T.V. was mind-boggling.”

Verith was an orc and had lived in a closed orc stronghold community just outside of Willowridge for her entire life. The stronghold, called Willowshield, did a lot of things the old way, as in they made a lot of their own things themselves. You’d been there a few times with Verith to visit her family and was amazed by the weird mix of modern and medieval. They did have some modern things, like wifi and cell phones, but they had their own grocery, farmer’s market, butcher, home goods store, and even had a real blacksmith, cobbler, and glassblower. But they didn’t have a cafe or a crafts store or a gym, so many of the orcs took jobs in town to enjoy a few outside luxuries that Willowshield didn’t yet have.

Verith worked at the local gym as a personal trainer, and you were immediately attracted to her. However, knowing she lived in Willowshield made you feel hesitant to ask her out, fearing that perhaps she just wasn’t interested in humans. Even still, you took extra classes with her to the point where she suspected you were addicted to exercise, but in reality, you just wanted to spend as much time with her as possible, too chicken-shit to ask her out.

It wasn’t until she got annoyed with you following her like a wounded puppy that you were forced to admit your feelings for her. She was surprised, but open to the idea. It only took one date for you to fall in love with her, and she wasn’t far behind. In fact, it had been her idea to move in together.

You’d expected that she’d want you to live in Willowshield, as some non-orc mates had done, but she actually left the community and moved into your small apartment. She said she wanted to understand more about the human world, having been cut off from it most of her life. She’d lived with you for almost three months by this point, but she still struggled to understand human customs and cultures. The newest struggle was Halloween, which was just three days away.

“So people dress up, eat candy, get drunk, and act like assholes? That’s the premise you’re trying to get me to go along with?”

“Please, I’ve been to orc weddings,” You told her, throwing a decorative pillow at her. “I seem to remember a certain hot personal trainer who got drunk at her brother’s wedding and ended up wearing the ceremonial communal wine chalice on her head.”

“Hey, that is a well-respected tradition, I’ll have you know,” She protested.

“Sure, it is,” You said skeptically.

“Okay, well, explain it to me,” She said as she shook out the quilt. “It’s a holiday about being scared? That’s so unnatural to an orc. Orcs aren’t supposed to get scared; we see fear as weakness. Hell, we growl and make terrifying faces at our children when they’re infants to teach them not to fear anything that looks or sounds frightening. We certainly wouldn’t dedicate a holiday to being afraid.”

“That’s not exactly the point of it,” You told her. “See, it originated back with the celts. The Irish practiced Samhain, which literally means “summer’s end,” and they would have a three day revel to celebrate a successful harvest. It was all about the change of the season and prosperity.”

“So, what the hell happened? How did it turn into a glorification of fear?”

“Because Samhain was seen as the death of the year, as in winter, when things die. People are scared of death, so people began associating it with fear. They also saw it as the day when the veil between the living and the dead thinned and the dead walked the earth to haunt and terrorize the living. There was only two ways to prevent the dead from coming after you and playing tricks on you: one, you could leave gives of food or treats on your doorstep, or two, you disguised yourself as a ghost so they wouldn’t know you were part of the living.”

“I guess that makes sense. So why are there little kids running around dressed like Captain America and Disney princesses begging for sweets? Where did that come from?”

“Well, when the Christians tried to purge pagan holidays by appropriating them, they changed it to ‘All Soul’s Day,’ where children would go from door to door, singing songs or performing for the people inside, and would get small cakes, called souls, as a reward. That’s how trick or treating started. Although, nowadays, All Soul’s Day is observed on November 1st, and people just go to church.”

“How do you know all this?” She asked, flopping down on the newly-made bed, ruffling it a bit. “Do all humans know this?”

“No, no, I dated a witch in college. She was so obsessed with the history of Halloween that she often forgot to enjoy it. She saw it as a holy day and used it for remembrance and contemplation. I just wanted to hand out candy and wear cute costumes.”

She frowned and leaned against the headboard. You snuggled up against her very hard, muscled body and sighed.

“It’s fun, I swear. You get to watch scary movies, dress up, carve jack-o-lanterns, go to parties, give kids candy, go to haunted houses and ghost tours. Ooh! We should totally go to New Orleans one year. They’re ghost tours are second to none. Well, besides Georgia’s plantation ghost tours, I guess.”

“A lot of what you just said made no sense to me,” She grumbled, wrapping her arm around your shoulder.

You kissed her cheek. “Don’t worry. By the time Halloween rolls around, you’ll love it just as much as I do.”

“Promises, promises,” She said in a snarky voice.

The next afternoon, the two of you were at the store, trying to shop for a costume. Verith was being rather pessimistic.

“A lot of these are speciest, you realize that.”

“I’m not going to buy one of those, Vee,” You said, looking through the racks. “What about a slutty nurse?”

“But you are a nurse,” She protested. “Why not just wear your scrubs?”

“Because I don’t wear corsets to work, babe. Don’t you want to see me in a corset?” You asked her cheekily.

She snorted, but didn’t disagree.

“What about you? You need a costume, too.”

“Why?”

“Because, my love, it’s a costume party. That’s what one does.” You take two from the rack, examining them judiciously. “I’ll need two, actually.”

“Why?”

“For the trick or treaters! I’m not going to wear my sexy costume for a bunch of kids, that’s gross.” You held up a costume to her body, and she looked down at you quizzically. “No, that won’t fit,” You grumbled to myself.

“Honey, I highly doubt any of these will fit me,” She replied. “I’m 7’5” and built like a brick shithouse.”

“You need to stop listening to slang at the gym,” You said wryly. “Anyway, I think you may be right. We’ll just have to make something. Ooh! What if you wore your running clothes and we pin a number to your back and you go as a marathon runner.”

“But I am a marathon runner,” She growled.

“Fuckin’… I know that, babe… could you just… work with me here, okay? For fuck’s sake?” You groaned in exasperation, clutching her arms. She sighed and shook her head at you.

You ended up buying the sexy nurse costume for the party and a more demure scary Victorian ghost outfit for the trick or treaters. You figured you’d cobble something together for Verith when you got home.

The next day, you went out to a pumpkin patch to pick out a few so that the two of you could make some jack-o-lanterns.

“So what’s this all about?”

“What?”

“Carving faces into vegetables.”

“Oh, that,” You said, picking up a largish one. “It’s another tradition that originated in Ireland, but they didn’t use pumpkins, because they didn’t have pumpkins in Ireland back then.”

“So what did they use?”

“Turnips and gourds and things.”

“Wha…” Verith’s face pinched in confusion. “Ancient humans were so fucking weird.”

You chuckled. “You’re telling me a pregnant woman eating an entire raw horse’s liver in front of her entire extended family is supposed to be normal?”

“There is absolutely nothing weird about that. Pregnant women need the iron.”

You shook your head. “There are several versions of the story about jack-o-lanterns, mostly about warding of spirits and fairies, but a lot of them are about Stingy Jack.”

“Who?”

“Stingy Jack. He was a miserable old drunk who liked playing tricks on people. One day, he tricked the devil into climbing up an apple tree and then placed crosses around the trunk of the tree so that the devil couldn’t get down. Jack made the devil promise him not to take his soul when he died. The devil agreed, and Jack let him go.

“When Jack died, he went to Heaven and was told that because he was mean and cruel, and had led a miserable, worthless life on earth, he wasn’t allowed in, so he was sent to Hell. The devil kept his promise and wouldn’t allow him in, which meant Jack had nowhere to go and would have to wander Earth forever.

“Jack asked the devil how he could get out of Hell, as there was no light. The devil tossed him an ember and Jack hollowed out a turnip, which was the only thing he had with him and placed the ember in it to light his way. When the Irish immigrated to America, they discovered pumpkins were bigger and easier to hollow out than turnips, so they used them instead. Now it’s all anyone uses.”

“And we’re supposed to carve scary faces in these to ward off bad spirits?”

“Essentially.”

“I doubt spirits would find vegetables very scary.”

“And why is that?

She picked one up and put between her thighs, crushing it as if it were made of light cardboard. Pumpkin guts and juice ran down her bare legs and into her shoes.

You took a very deep breath and said, in as even a tone you could, “I see your point, but as hot as that was, and as much as I enjoyed it, we do have to pay for those.”

“Hmm,” Verith said, her lips pursed. “Can we buy some extra ones so I can crush them with my biceps at home?”

After a contemplative moment, you replied, “I think that would be… yes, please, let’s do that. But only if you do it shirtless.”

“Deal.”

That evening, you had a messy carving lesson that led to a pumpkin pie, toasted pumpkin seeds, a small fight of flung pumpkin guts, and kissing on the couch with a scary movie on T.V. and the snacks you’d made that night.

On Halloween afternoon, you had the genius idea of putting Verith in a slapdash scarecrow outfit to scare the trick or treaters. After she jumped up and roared at the first crop of kids and they ran off screaming, she laughed and admitted, “Okay, that was fun.”

She did it a few more times, but couldn’t bring herself to do it to the family with three small half-rabbit girls, hardly more than toddlers adorably dressed as the three little pigs, and she simply sat on the stoop with you, handing out candy to the kids. The father, a tall rabbit man dressed smartly in a white shirt and black slacks, handed us a treat bag full of cookies cleverly decorated like Day of the Dead sugar skulls before they left, their human mother winking as they walked away.

At about eight o’clock, when the trick or treaters began to dwindle, you left the candy bucket on the front step for anyone who came to help themselves, and they two of you went to get dressed for the party.

You ended up doing the marathon runner for Verith, insisting she wear the sports top with her midriff showing, and she huffed that she didn’t understand why she needed one at all as she laced you into the corset of the nurses outfit. You told her to stop griping and led her out of the house and down the street to the party at your friend’s place.

You were ashamed to know that there were “human only” parties going on in town, one of which your own sister was throwing, but the one you and Verith were going to was an open to all kinds party. Anyone who wanted to have a good time was welcome, regardless of tentacles, teeth, or temperament.

The party was huge, and you immediately sought out your best friend since highschool, Rachel, who owned the house with her girlfriend. She was also an orc, but she hadn’t lived in a community like Verith had; she had grown up on a cattle ranch that her family owned on the edge of town.

Her brother and all four of her sisters were at the party, too: dancing, drinking, and having the time of their lives with their various significant others. These orcs, at least, knew how to celebrate Halloween.

Rachel’s brother, Varik, was back in town visiting his family for the holidays, wearing a doctor’s coat. He had moved to the city a few years ago with his fiance and was the first orc in history to be accepted into an accredited medical university. You had worked with him in the hospital before; he was a really nice guy, and his fiance, Elena, who was currently dressed as a renaissance-era bar wench, was incredibly confident and capable, despite her disabilities. They were a really good fit for each other.

“Hey, you got Verith to come!” Rachel said as she came. “Awesome! Let’s turn this party into a huntcraic.”

“A what now?” You asked.

“It’s an ancient custom of throwing a week-long party after a particularly good hunting season,” Verith explained in an undertone. “We rarely have them anymore.”

“Girl, let’s show these tiny humans how orcs party,” Rachel said, grabbing Verith’s arm, who grabbed you in turn, and dragged her through the horde.

“Varik! Elena!” Rachel called, and the pair turned. “Look who’s here!”

“Hey!” Varik said, swooping down on you for a big hug. He was three sheets to the wind and in a great mood, and Elena looked at him with an exasperated smirk. After handing him off to Verith, you went to give her a hug.

“Hey, girl, good to see you,” You said.

“You, too,” She replied, squeezing your back with her forearms. “Got yourself an orc, too, huh? Aren’t they the best?”

“Definitely,” I replied, watching the three orcs talk to each other. Verith seemed to be more at ease since she arrived now that she was with familiar faces. “Is that his real doctor’s coat?”

She scoffed disgustedly. “He never takes it off. I swear, he’d wear it during sex if I let him.”

The two of you giggled.

“I haven’t met your girlfriend yet,” Elena said.

“Oh, that’s right. Verith!” You called, and her head came up. You beckoned her over. “This is Elena, Varik’s fiance. They’re getting married in the spring next year. Elena, this is Verith, my girlfriend. We’ve been dating for about half a year. She was my personal trainer.”

Elena held out her hand, covered by the long bell sleeve of her gown. Verith took Elena’s hand, and you saw a moment of confusion cross her face, but she said nothing and shook Elena’s hand gently.

“So, Varik likes the city?” You asked Elena.

“He does now, but it took some getting used to,” Elena replied. “He lived in the country for most of his life, so it was a bit of a culture shock for him. He eased into it after a while, and now it’s like he was born there.”

Verith’s face was thoughtful, but she didn’t say anything.

Another familiar face caught your eye: the librarian from your college, Holly, although she hadn’t worked there since last year. She’d also been in your creative writing elective several years ago. She was there in a ghost bride costume with another orc dressed like a mechanic you hadn’t met before. They were both looking a little anxious and out of place.

“Holly!” You called, excusing yourself from Elena and making your way toward Holly.

She looked up and saw you, relieved to see a face she recognized. She grabbed her orc by the arm and led hem over.

“Oh, hey, good to see you again,” Holly said, giving me a side hug.

“Yeah, you too. You sort of disappeared for a while, there,” You told her.

“Getting my life sorted out, is all,” She said, smiling. She gestured at her companion. “This is my boyfriend, Ravadhi.”

You shook his hand. “Haven’t seen you around.”

He shrugged. “I keep to myself, really. Or I did. Holly insists that we’re too isolated. That’s why we’re here, actually. She thinks we need to get out more.”

“I agree. It can help you get out of a rut, for sure.” You pointed at his outfit. “Nice costume.”

He laughed a little self-deprecatingly. “Actually, it’s my uniform from my last job. I just couldn’t find a costume that fit me.”

“Oh, yeah,” You laughed, pointing at Verith in her marathon outfit, who was laughing with Rachel, Varik, and Elena. “We had the same problem.”

“She’s community, right?” Ravadhi asked. “How did you get her to agree to celebrate Halloween? Communities turn their noses up at stuff like this.”

“Believe me, it was like pulling teeth,” You said. “How’s your sis?”

“She’s great,” Holly said brightly. “She’s going trick or treating for the first time in her life, and then spending the night with some friends. Now that she’s allowed to have friends.”

You smiled sadly. It was an open secret how Holly’s father treated her. You were glad that secret was out and over now.

“Well, good for her. And good for you guys, trying to get out more. It’s a chore getting Verith out anywhere besides the gym.”

“Talking about me, are you?” Verith said as she wrapped an arm around you, an open container of vodka in her hand.

“M-hm,” You said, pulling her down for a kiss. “Just talking about what a hermit you are.” You turned back to Holly and Ravadhi, who were grinning. “She loves to tell me the only reason to leave the house is for the gym and Chinese food.”

“And I stand by that,” Verith said, taking a swig from her bottle. Ravadhi nodded and chuckled and Holly shot him a dry look.

“Oh, my gosh!” Rachel called over the noise. “Tuck is about to tie a bottle rocket to one of his tusks, just to see what happens. I’m not going to miss this.” And she dashed outside.

Tuck was a troll married to Rachel’s sister, Keter. You didn’t know him well, but from what you did know, this was not out of character for him.

“That’s another Halloween tradition,” I said wryly as people began flooding out to the backyard. “People doing really stupid shit just for laughs.”

“Now that’s a tradition I can get behind,” Verith said, kneeling down so you could piggyback and carrying you through the crowd.

The party was as epic as you expected it to be, and you and Verith made your way home, only slightly tipsy, at around midnight.

When you got in the door, she grabbed you by your arms and held your back against her front, growling in your ear.

“Someone had a good time,” You smirked, reaching up to snake your arms around her neck.

“Despite myself, yeah,” She mumbled, kissing your neck. You bit your lip and moaned.

“So, did you enjoy your first Halloween?” You asked her as her hands traveled up the sides of your corset and over your breasts in the bodice.

“Don’t know,” She said seductively. “It’s not over yet.”

You turned and jumped up, wrapping your legs around her waist. She held you up and kissed you hard, kicking her way past every obstacle and taking you to the bedroom, where she laid you down on the bed.

You reached back to undo the laces, but she stopped you.

“No,” she said in a low growl. “Leave the corset on.” She bent down to take off your high heels, then kissed up your calves, using her tusks to split the pantyhose upward. You felt a shiver in your back as the cold, dry, sharp bone scraped up your legs. When she reached the apex of your thighs, she ripped off your hose with little effort and snapped your underwear off as well. The muscles of her arms barely twitched.

She flipped up your skirt while kissing your inner thighs and massaging the skin. Her tongue flicked out to press itself to your bud, and you moaned. She licked a long strip from bottom to top and teased you with her nose. You whimpered and wiggled, and she grabbed your hips to keep you still.

She put her whole mouth over your slit and sucked, gently at first but gaining intensity as she continued. You gasped and your legs shook, and you tangled your hair in the long mohawk style cut of her hair that she usually let fall over her left shoulder. She reached up and pulled the cups of the corset down and kneaded your breasts, pinching and rolling your nipples between her fingers.

One hand continued its massaging while the other came back down and stuck two fingers inside you, crooking them and rubbing that delicious place only she had ever been able to find.

You were almost crying over how good it felt. No one you’d ever been with was as good as Verith at finding all your sweet spots. She could have you cumming in less than two minutes, if she really wanted. But she was drawing it out, working up to the bigger event.

She pulled away from you and reared up, pulling off her pants and underwear and throwing one of your legs up across her torso, positioning herself so that her lower lips were touching your own. She began to rock against you slowly, sweetly.

You reached up under the sports top to grip her breasts and she moaned as the place where the two of you were joined got hotter and slicker. Looking down at it, it almost looked ask if they were kissing down there.

“Oh, fuck,” You moaned. “Faster, baby.”

She was more than happy to obey, grinding her clit into yours vigorously. You could feel the orgasm coming up hard and the wall of pleasure crashed into you that you nearly blacked out. He own pace slowed as she also came, shouting and grunting and biting your ankle gently.

As you were trying to catch your breath, she grabbed you and easily flipped you onto your stomach.

“Don’t you get cozy yet,” She said. “I’m not done with you.”

You grinned and looked up, watching her pull her favorite strap-on for your “special” drawer. She took off the rest of her clothes and climbed over you, kissing your shoulders and back, carefully scraping her tusks across your skin, enough to give you chills but not enough to harm.

She pulled your rear up forcefully and positioned herself against your entrance, and then leaned back down on her hands so that she could kiss your mouth as she entered you. You gasped and laughed. She’d chosen the big one.

Without warning, she sat back up and started ramming into you with enough force for it to hurt slightly, but god, it felt so good. You pressed your face into the pillows and screamed as she thrust hard and fast. You could hear the faint buzzing of the rabbit vibrator built into the strap on and knew she was ready to get hers, and all you could do at this point was ride her wave.

“Oh, fuck, yes,” you cried.

She grabbed your hair and yanked you up. “Couldn’t hear you, baby,” She said. “Does it feel good?”

“Fuck, yes,” you whimpered.

“You look so fucking sexy in that tiny little corset. I just want to rip it off with me teeth.”

“Fucking do it,” You snarled at her. You felt her bend over you and grip the corset in her teeth. You heard ripping, and the rather sturdy fabric of the corset was yanked away from your body as if it were made of paper.

You came. You came hard. You came screaming and swearing. You fell to the bed, and she pulled you back up by your hair. Her speed quickened even further until she finally came too, grunting and growling. She collapsed on top of you, and you collapsed back onto the bed, her body pushing you into the mattress.

But she still wasn’t done. With one hand she hooked an arm under your waist and used the other to cover your mouth, thrusting slowly, and then quickly, with the both of you laying flat against the bed. You cries were muffled against her palm, and her heavy breath blew across your shoulder. She bit down in the same place she always did, her mark, the one she’d left on you the first time you made love, and you came together, panting and growling and cursing. Finally, with the strap-on still planted firmly inside you, she became still and quiet.

You both lay there, gasping for breath. After a few moments, she got up and you felt the toy pull out of your body. You lay there on your stomach with your eyes closed and heard her busy herself with something, but you were so exhausted, you didn’t look to see what.

Not until she lifted you into her arms and took you to the bathroom, putting you in the giant tub she had insisted you install and got in after you, arranging you so that your back was against her stomach and your head was leaning against her chest.

“To answer your question,” She said as she stroked the midline of your abdomen up and down. “I had a great Halloween. Thanks to you.”

“See?” You said. “It’s really a fun holiday. I knew you’d like it once you warmed up to it a bit.”

“Yeah,” She said. “Going to the party helped, honestly. When I left Willowshield, I felt really isolated. There aren’t very many orcs in Willowridge, so I felt kind of alone. Seeing the other orcs not participating made me feel less… out of place.”

You turned to look at her with concern. “Is that what all this has been about? Honey, you should have told me that’s what’s been bugging you. What did we have that conversation about communication for if not for situations like this?”

“It’s different for orcs, babe,” She said. “Admitting you’re worried or nervous is the same as admitting that you’re scared, and to orcs, being scared is just about the worst thing you can be.”

“But I don’t think that way. It’s okay to be anxious about new things, Vee, that’s completely normal. Especially if you’ve always done things differently.” You straddled her lap and pulled her face down for a kiss. “Look, I get that you’re supposed to be this big, bad orc paragon to your people, but you don’t have to be that with me. If you’re worried or nervous about something, tell me and I’ll help you. That’s what I’m here for.”

She smiled sheepishly. “Yeah, I know. I love you.”

“I love you, too, Vee.” You took the loofah from the shelf and poured soap onto it. “Now hold still, you’re literally covered in glitter. Did Dinae hug you? She was dressed as the biggest, sparkliest unicorn I’ve ever seen in my life.”

Verith belly laughed, nearly dislodging you from her lap, and let you scrub her down.

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What Is The Meaning of Halloween

Now that October is just around the corner and Halloween is almost here, it’s time to start planning out all of those Halloween treats, crafts and activities!

Whether you’re young or old, Halloween is a holiday that can be fun for all ages. When it comes to dressing up and trick or treating for bags full of candy for the kids and throwing super fun halloween parties for the adults, everyone just can’t wait for the big day to commence! And to start off the season… why not learn a little back story on one of the most celebrated holidays around the world. I mean we celebrate this awesome holiday but where did Halloween and it’s traditions come from?

Whether you’ve always had a curiosity about the origin of Halloween or you’re just a major history buff looking to study something seasonal, at some point many of us ask ourselves that very question.

So to kick off the season and to gather some inspiration for your costume or upcoming party, let’s dive into the history of this fun filled holiday and how it became popular around the world!

So, what is the meaning of Halloween? The meaning of Halloween came from the popular, original term, “All Hallows Eve.” But where did that come from? To answer that question we have to go back to the very first celebration.

Halloween was first celebrated back in the early eighth century as the night before All Saints Day. To break it down, the word Hallows means Saints, hence the All Hallows Eve or as it used to be called All Hallows Even.

The name literally means the night before All Saints Day. In later years the term was shortened from All Hallows Even to Hallowe’en, then as we all know it today, Halloween.

Why is Halloween celebrated on October 31st?

Well back in the eighth century, Pope Gregory IV created a holiday on November 1st called “All Saints Day” to celebrate the new year and, well, the saints! Back then they believed October 31st marked the beginning of the cold winter and the end of the harvest season, making November 1st the beginning of their new year.

They also believed that the day before their new year was the day the boundary between the living and the dead became blurred, which they believed made it easier for the spirits to return. Another belief was that on this day the priests were able to predict the future by speaking to the spirits.

This is where the tradition for fortune telling on Halloween came from. So every year on October 31st they would dress up in costumes and light bonfires at the Celtic Samhain festival to ward off ghosts, tell fortunes of the upcoming winter and to mark the end of the year. Making October 31st the day we celebrate Halloween.

Why do we carve pumpkins?

During these Samhain festivals, not only would they dress up and dance around the bonfire to ward off ghosts, but they would also hollow out gourds, turnips and even potatoes! They would carve spooky faces into them and light a candle inside. Which in turn became Jack-O’-Lanterns.

Jack-O’-Lanterns were invented by the Irish and were so named after an old Irish folk tale called Stingy Jack. A folk tale about a very mischievous guy who was up to no good and played one too many tricks. Until one day it landed him inside of a gourd, which deemed him his name “Jack of the Lantern.” Or otherwise known as, Jack-O’-Lantern.

Carving pumpkins came to be a tradition when the Irish brought the tradition of carving gourds and potatoes to America. The home of the pumpkin! After a while, they discovered that pumpkins made really great Jack-O’-Lanterns and from then on carving pumpkins has become a Halloween tradition that we just couldn’t live without!

Where did trick or treating come from?

The tradition of trick or treating began in the ninth century on November 2nd, which was called All Souls Day, a day for honoring the dead.

On this day children would go door to door in “disguises” asking for Soul Cakes, a type of pastry, in exchange for a prayer for the homeowners’ dead relatives.

However in later years (the early 1930’s to be exact) it is said that before and during this time, Halloween became dangerous as children would vandalize people’s homes and pull pranks on them as well.

So, as a way to hopefully stop the little pranksters from vandalizing their property, homeowners would bribe them with treats and gifts as an ultimatum. Basically, “I’ll give you a treat if you leave my house alone.”

This eventually took and quickly became known as Trick-or-Treat!

Costumes Throughout History

Costumes have been around since the beginning of the holiday. It started with the Samhain festival when people would dress up and dance around the bonfire. As Halloween became a bigger tradition, so did the costumes!

Starting from the 1800’s people would wear homemade witch and ghost costumes. Fast forward a hundred years and paper masks were being mass produced for children to wear on the holiday.

The paper mask costumes were such a big hit that in the 1930s and 40s companies started to make box costumes that went over the body and came with a plastic mask. These costumes are some of the first recorded costumes to have been created off of popular characters from TV shows, radio shows and books.

In the 1950s, much like we know it today, the costumes made were primarily created to match the most popular TV and movie characters of the year. From then on, movies, TV and media paved the way for the costumes that are created today.

And not to mention that the 1978 horror film “Halloween” was the start to the creation of the scary gory costumes we see today!

The way we celebrate Halloween today

Halloween may have started out as a serious holiday to ward off ghosts and commemorate the end of the harvest season, but now Halloween has become a fun filled holiday we all love!

Our transformation into building traditions, dressing up as our favorite characters, planning epic parties, making delicious treats, trick or treating and snuggling up to our favorite Halloween movies is truly a great way to celebrate this special Holiday.

Going through the history of Halloween really shows that most of the traditions we’ve built are pretty much the same as our ancestors but modernized and turned into fun!

As you see, most of the things we have come to know and love about Halloween, such as the dressing up, trick or treating, carving pumpkins and telling scary stories have all come from the original “All Hallows Eve” Samhain festival from way back in the eighth century.

Even looking through the history of costumes and trick or treating, we see that Halloween has just in the past 80 years evolved. I mean some of our ancestors are still alive from that time!

And now that we have shed some light on the history of Halloween, it’s time to take that knowledge and turn it into inspiration for your Halloween crafts and treats!

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Do you Have Samhainopobia?

Do you have a fear of Halloween?  

Then you suffer from Samhainopobia. 

I don't fit in that category! Do you?

Today Halloween is attracting adults in a masquerade type atmosphere, much like Mardi Gras. Their costumed antics mock, challenge, and tease the mysterious, possible malevolent forces of the night. The otherworld becomes our world on this night of enchanted possibilities and transcendence. Are we reaffirming death as a part of life in an exhilarating celebration of magic for an evening? Or like me, just enjoying the air of celebration on a night the veil between the living and dead is purported to be the thinnest. Every year with the help of my hubby, I decorate our house to the hilt on the first day of October and revel in Halloween décor the entire month.

Did you know Jack-O-Lanterns originated in Ireland? People placed lit candles inside hollowed-out turnips to keep away spirits and ghosts on the Samhain (pronounced Sah-ween) holiday. Boy, did we do a role reversal on that aspect of Halloween. Instead of chasing the spirits away, we tend to invite them in.

Most present-day Halloween traditions are traceable to the ancient Celtic day of the dead. Halloween consists of mysterious customs, but each has a history, or at least a story behind it. Take wearing costumes, and roaming from door to door demanding treats. This behavior can be traced to the Celtic period and the first few centuries of the Christian era, when it was thought that the souls of the dead were out and about, along with fairies, witches, and demons. Offerings of food and drink were left out to placate them. As the centuries wore on, people began dressing like these creatures, performing antics in exchange for food and drink. This is where the practice of trick-or-treating began. To this day, vampires, witches, ghosts, and skeletons are among the favorite costumes. 

Our Halloween also retains activities from the original harvest holiday of Samhain, such as bobbing for apples and carving vegetables, (pumpkins) as well as the fruits, nuts, and spices for cider associated with the day. Although at my house, hot chocolate is pretty popular, since Halloween almost guarantees the first snow of the year.

Happy Halloween!

Hidden Gypsy Magic

A Witch’s Journey Series

Book Three

Tena Stetler

Genre: Paranormal Romance/MysteryPublisher: The Wild Rose PressDate of Publication:  September 28, 2020ISBN: 978-1-5092-3256-7ASIN: B08FXBNLW5Number of pages: 330Word Count: 85,144Cover Artist: Kristian Norris

Tagline: 

The consequences of awakening hidden gypsy magic could forever alter life as they know it!

Book Description:

The Salem Wildlife Sanctuary is Gwen Taylor's life work.  Her Irish Gypsy heritage provides a hidden talent she uses to help the creatures under her care.  But even her magical skills can't help new rescues in dire need of veterinary care.

The opportunity of signing on as the vet for Gwen's sanctuary dropped into Brock Scutter's lap after he expanded his practice to include wildlife. The personal attraction he and Gwen experience is undeniable the more their professional and personal lives collide.

Touring the only "non-haunted" house in Salem they both feel a spark of magic.  A trip to his family's cabin uncovers a heritage he didn't know existed.  If they want a future together, it means facing the consequences of awakening hidden Gypsy magic and a race against the clock to correct past wrongs.

Amazon      Amazon UK      Amazon AU       Amazon CA

BN      iTunes

"This house may not have a history of magic, but I'd bet it's magical. You're going to put an offer in. Right?"

"As I said before, it may be completely out of my price range."

"I have a feeling the house has been waiting for you." Gwen flung her hand to her mouth, her face flushed, and her gaze swiveled to him. "I don't know what made me say that."

Looking thoughtful, he grinned. "Since the day I stumbled upon Pepper's secret — then discovered that you and I share the gift or curse of gypsy blood, things have been different—" Pausing, he shoved his hand in his jean's pocket and jingled the change in his pocket. "I've been different. It's as if knowing magic exists awakened something in me."

"Join the club. Years ago my best friend Pepper made a believer out of me. In fact, there were times I wished—never mind. Whether it was my outlook or as you said magic awakened. But to be fair, I've always had what I called a sixth sense with animals, attuned to their feelings, almost their thoughts, fears, that kind of thing. Pepper called it my talent. But as we became close, I noticed other abilities… you'll think I'm crazy."

"Try me." He moved closer to her and the front door banged open. Quickly he rushed to the top of the stairs.

About the Author:

Tena Stetler is a best-selling author of award winning paranormal romance with an over-active imagination.  She wrote her first vampire romance as a tween, to the chagrin of her mother and the delight of her friends. Colorado is home; shared with her husband, a brilliant Chow Chow, a spoiled parrot and a forty-five-year-old box turtle. When she’s not writing, her time is spent kayaking, camping, hiking, biking  or just relaxing in the great Colorado outdoors.

 Her books tell tales of magical kick-ass women and mystical alpha males that dare to love them. Travel, adventure and a bit of mystery flourish in her books along with a few companion animals to round out the tales.

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https://www.tenastetler.com/category/authors-secrets-blog/

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http://www.tenastetler.com/category/my-say-what-blog/

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https://www.facebook.com/tenastetler.author

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https://www.twitter.com/TenaStetler

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WORDS FOR BOOK:

I gathered this information from a collection of sites (linked below) to answer the ‘why’ questions I came up with. I tried to make sure it was edited so that it can be read to or by children so that they can understand the information since it is an educational book. some sections still may need to be edited and cut down because they’re a bit bulky and may not fit in the book.  

Why Halloween? (possible book title)

Why is Halloween a celebrated holiday?

The origins of Halloween can be traced back to the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain. Until 2,000 years ago, the Celts lived across the lands we now know as Britain, Ireland and northern France. Samhain marked the end of the summer harvest and the beginning of the dark cold winter. The festival symbolised the boundary between the world of the living and the world of the dead.

As Christianity was introduced to Britain festivals such as All Saints Day were introduced to remember saints who had died. The date of this festival was moved to the day before Samhain in attempts to replace it but this night became a special time of the year when many believed that the spirit world can make contact with the physical world, a night when magic is at its most potent which was later called Halloween.

Why is Halloween called Halloween?

All saints day was also known as all Hallows day so the night or evening of Samhain therefore became known as All-hallows-even and then Hallow Eve, later Hallowe’en and then of course Halloween

Why do kids go trick or treating?

Trick or treat history is usually connected to the old custom of souling. In souling, the poor will go from house to house to beg for money or food and were often given soul cakes. In return of the soul cakes the beggars would pray for those member of the family who were recently dead. Soul cakes were round in shape and were made from bread with currants and eventually this tradition tuned into handing out sweets.

Why do we dress up as monsters?

It was believed that on the night of Halloween the dead and the living would overlap, and demons, ghouls and ghosts would roam the earth again. So people would dress up as monsters as a disguise so that If they came across a real demon roaming the Earth, they would think you were one of them. the Celts called this guising.

Why do we carve pumpkins?

Carving pumpkins originated from an Irish myth about a man nicknamed “Stingy Jack.” According to an old tale the drunken farmer was not allowed to enter both heaven and hell after his death. His soul wandered in the darkness so he carved out a lantern out of a turnip and coal, to light his way and guide his soul. The Celtics believed in this story of Jack Stingy, so they began to place Jack o’ Lanterns outside their houses. The purpose was to guide lost souls home while they wandered during All Hallows Eve. Jack o’ Lanterns used to be carved out of potatoes but after the potatoes famine people began to use pumpkin instead.

https://kidzfeed.com/halloween-facts-for-kids/

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-history-of-trick-or-treating-is-weirder-than-you-thought-79408373/

https://www.history.com/topics/halloween/jack-olantern-history

 https://www.history.com/topics/halloween/history-of-halloween

 https://www.historic-uk.com/CultureUK/Halloween/