5 Easy Samhain Decorations

Samhain is the last of the three harvest holidays, following Lughnasadh and Mabon, so keep the harvest theme in mind when you’re decking your halls and walls. Consider decorating your home with symbols of the season. Like all holidays – whether spiritual or secular -- decorating your house is one of those things that are a matter of personal taste. Try some of these simple and inexpensive decorating ideas for Samhain.
 

    

1. Welcome the Dark Side

It’s the time of year when the world is dying; take advantage of it and get in touch with your darker side. While it may creep out some of the neighbors, Samhain is the perfect opportunity to take some grave rubbings, hang scythes and skulls on the walls, and put out other symbols of Death.
  

    

2. Bowls and Baskets Galore

Find some inexpensive bowls, cornucopias or baskets at thrift stores. Fill them with harvest foods, such as gourds, apples, corn and miniature pumpkins. Place them on tables throughout your home. If you've got florist's wire, you can hang Indian corn and other goodies in a bundle on your wall.
 

    

3. Pumpkins, Pumpkins Everywhere!

Carve jack-o-lanterns! If you have very young children, they may have more fun painting their pumpkins than carving them. Painted pumpkins will last longer than carved ones anyway. Use acrylic paints for brighter colors. Make one for each member of your family, and place them at the front door to greet visitors. If you don't have time to decorate them, that's okay - a few well placed plain pumpkins look nice, and bring home the sense of the season.
  

                            

4. Outdoor Decor

It's the time of year when your neighbors might not even give you a second glance if you put up decorations outside. Consider making a group of ghosts for the yard or even your own cemeteries. Raid the Halloween stores for bargains and ideas!
                                                         

    

5. Honor the Ancestors

At Samhain, you can make a small shrine to honor your ancestors, or turn it into an entire ancestor altar. Set it up for the recently departed, or your entire extended family. If you know a bit of your family history, consider turning your family tree into an ancestor altar cloth. Hang photos of your deceased family members in a place of prominence - in some traditions, these photos are adorned with a black cloth as a symbol of honor.

Fav Halloween Movies 5 of 7

Now that we are winding down and getting to the end of the Fav Halloween movies I'm saving the best ones for last Movies 5 - 7 in my opinion are the best of all time Halloween movies.

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Hocus Pocus

Rating: PG           Length: 96 mins.               Year: 1993

Cast: Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimy

Movie Description

A spin on the infamous 17th-Century Salem Witch Trials is the focus of the 1993 Walt Disney Pictures fantasy-comedy Hocus Pocus.

Salem, Mass. 1693: Three sisters (deemed witches by townspeople) are publicly hanged after allegedly killing another girl and transforming the slain girl's brother into a talking cat. Dissolve to Salem, Mass. 1993, October 31st (Halloween) to be precise.

New high school student Max isn't adjusting well to his new school or classmates. Apparently Max is an object of ridicule because he scoffs at the legend of the three witches, which is held to be a "sacred truth" in Salem. Reluctantly, Max agrees to accompany his younger sister on her "trick-or-treat"-ing rounds, where they become involved in strange goings-on at the house where the three 17th-Century "witch" sisters lived.

Hocus Pocus has developed somewhat of a cult following over the years. The cast is solid, led by Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, Kathy Najimy, Omri Katz and Thora Birch. Legendary TV producer/director Garry Marshall has a cameo as the Devil.

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The Haunted Mansion

Rating: PG           Length: 88 mins.               Year: 2003

Cast: Eddie Murphy, Terence Stamp, Nathaniel Parker, Marsha Thomason

Movie Description

The Evers family needed a little quality time together, but what they didn't need was quality time with a floating head in a crystal ball. Ghosts, dark secrets, and mysterious characters transform their tranquil family outing into a ghoulish night they'll never forget.

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Thank you to http://www.disneymovieslist.com for info

-The Crafty Witch

Ghost, Demons & Other Spirit Entities. . . Oh My!

GHOSTS

To call these entities ghosts demands first a definition of what we mean by ghosts. But by almost any definition, shadow people are somewhat different than ghost phenomena. Whereas ghost apparitions are almost always a misty white, vaporish or have a decidedly human form and appearance (very often with discernable "clothing"), shadow beings are much darker and more shadow-like. In general, although the shadow people often do have a human outline or shape, because they are dark, the details of their appearance is lacking. This is in contrast to many ghost sightings in which the witness can describe the ghost's facial features, style of clothing and other details. The one detail most often noted in some shadow being sightings are their glowing red eyes.

DEMONS OR OTHER SPIRIT ENTITIES

The dark countenance and malevolent feelings that are often reported in association with these creatures has led some researchers to speculate that they may be demonic in nature. If they are demons, we have to wonder what their purpose or intent is in letting themselves be seen in this manner. Is it merely to frighten?

By Stephen Wagner

-The Crafty Witch