My favourite time of the year and it isn’t just because October includes Samhain…honest! I love the autumn, the crisp fresh air, the crunch of leaves under foot and the beautiful colours of the trees and fields. Oh and of course sitting indoors on a dark evening, curtains closed, sofa, blanket and a good book having just scoffed a big bowl of casserole and dumplings…bliss. To me this is a time to work on your inner self, a time of hibernation. Take the time out to spend with YOU. Meditate and work with your divination tools. Take a look at what worked for you over the past twelve months and what didn’t, do a personal MOT check. Take a good look…what is in your reflection?
With the arrival of Samhain comes the thinning of the veil between the worlds, a time to remember those that have passed over and raise a glass to our ancestors. There is a theme of death at this time of the year. The last harvest is taken in and the plants start to wither and die but what they are actually doing is taking shelter to conserve and rebuild their energies to store them over the winter so that they are ready for the spring to be reborn.
October Magical Energy
To let go; inner cleansing. Karma and reincarnation. Justice and balance. Inner harmony. Introspection and reflection. Work candle magic, past life work and astral projection. Mirror spells are particularly good this month. Protection, inner work, removing obstacles, transition, changes, transformation and uncrossing.Divination, meditation, fire magic, spirit work, sex magic and fairy magic all lend themselves to the energy of this month.
Rachel x
What's Going on in Nature this Month from Ness Armstrong
The dry weather has, at long last, given way to rain - hurrah!
It is still warm here in the UK but the first signs of autumn are upon us - early morning dew on the grass, misty fog and a definite chill in the air first thing in the morning and in the evenings. The nights are drawing in and as I type this, the sun is setting around 7.10 pm.
The dry grass of the lawns are picking up again, what was dry and yellow has now changed to the vibrant greens of early summer.
The fruits of our hedgerows ripened earlier this year due to our very hot and dry summer. I’m noticing that a lot of the blackberries and elderberries are spent now although there are late ones ‘bringing up the rear’. Most of the apples on my tree have been picked.
Burdock flowers are finished and the burrs containing the seeds are lying in wait for an unsuspecting carrier to latch on to. The fastener Velcro was conceived by an engineer after coming across these burrs whilst on a walk – and they are extremely difficult to remove. (I had to cut two from my dog's fur as they were stuck fast)
Rosehips and hawberries are still flourishing – these are hardier than the softer black fruits so have withstood the drier weather.
The leaves of the trees are starting to change colour and although many garden flowers are still blooming with the late summer sun, others are showing signs of finishing.
Horse and sweet chestnuts are ripe on the trees and there is an abundance of acorns this year. The evenings continue to draw in, the temperatures slowly drop - the season of the witch is upon us!
Black Obsidian from Sue Perryman
I thought long and hard about which crystal to choose for the month that celebrates Samhain, and finally I settled on Black Obsidian.
Black Obsidian is formed from molten lava that cooled so rapidly that it didn’t have time to form crystals, the result is volcanic glass. It breaks into sharp shards like glass and is one of the sharpest substances found in nature. It has been used for making arrowheads, knives and spearheads since paleolithic times and even today some surgeons use obsidian blades instead of steel scalpels as they make a finer incision which leaves less scarring.
Black Obsidian is a powerfully protective stone which shields your aura and surroundings from negativity and clears any negative attachments. In the Middle Ages it was believed that Black Obsidian could drive out evil spirits and demons.
Some people find Black Obsidian’s energy too overpowering as it can bring any negative thoughts, emotions or shadow qualities to the surface, but it will also give you the strength and support to work through and release or accept them. This makes it the perfect tool to help anyone wishing to do Shadow work.
Black Obsidian can bring clarity to a mind full of scattered thoughts, I have found it particularly useful in clearing brain fog.
In the British museum in London UK is a Black Obsidian mirror that belonged to John Dee (1527-1608) the court astrologer and advisor to Queen Elizabeth 1. With his Scrying partner Edward Kelley, (a convicted criminal) they used this mirror to summon angels and demons. Recent research points to this fascinating artifact to be of Aztec origin.
Today Black Obsidian is easily found in most crystal shops, and it comes in an array of shapes and sizes. Polished palm stones, spheres or slabs are ideal for scrying, but smaller tumble stones can also be used. Samhain is one of the best nights of the year to try scrying, as the veil between the worlds is thinner than normal, but it can be done at any time of the year.
Scrying is one of the oldest forms of divination in history made popular by Nostradamus (1503 – 1566) who used a copper bowl filled with water. Black Obsidian is one of many objects that can be used to scry, and for the purposes of this blog I’ll explain briefly how to do it with a Black Obsidian crystal.
Sit in a darkened quiet room where you won’t be disturbed, place your crystal on a flat surface beside a lit candle. Gaze softly into your crystal and focus on your breathing, empty your mind and be open to any symbols or images that may appear either in the crystal or in your mind's eye. Write down anything that appears to you in a journal kept especially for scrying.
There are various other types of Obsidian including Apache Tear, Snowflake, Rainbow, Gold Sheen, Peacock and Mahogany.
If you are empathic and dislike being in crowds, carry a piece of Black Obsidian with you or wear as jewellery to block negative energies or emotions from others.
Black Obsidian is a strong grounding stone that brings an almost instant feeling of being grounded and centered when needed.
Keep a piece of Black Obsidian beside your bed or under your pillow for deeper sleep and to enhance prophetic dreams.
It is a useful aid to help you deal with any difficult situation and brings comfort and support to those who are grieving or battling addiction.
Black Obsidian is said to alleviate pain, improve circulation and digestive health and heal wounds. It is also said to bring fast recovery from sprains and bruises.
Small ornamental Black Obsidian arrows can be found in many crystal shops, these can be used in protection spells or worn as jewellery.
Black Obsidian properties:
Protection, grounding, centering, strength, meditation, calming, cleansing, anxiety, emotions, spirit work, addictions, clarity, challenges, support, shadow work, prophetic dreams.
Zodiac: Sagittarius
Chakra: Root
Element: Fire
Enchanted Healing Water from Heather Dewhurst
Having been unwell recently, I thought I would share a simple spell which I have been working.
Ingredients:
A glass of water (that’s it!)
I prefer to use a glass, but you can use a plastic bottle if it’s all you have. Water is the perfect liquid to imprint with your intentions, so this spell is super simple but instantly powerful.
If you wish to investigate the energy signatures that can be imprinted into water, search online the work of Masaru Emoto who was a businessman born in Yokohama, Japan. During the 1990s, after receiving the rights to a magnetic resonance analyser, he started studying and experimenting with water crystals, with the results later published in a book called. “Hidden Messages in water”.
However, Emoto was not a scientist, and his work was not peer-reviewed nor evaluated in any conventional way by scientists. It is worth looking at the pictures he took, showing the difference in the forming crystals between water that is positively charged, compared to some that is treated harshly.
Hold the glass of water between your hands. Close your eyes as you raise as much energy as you can (I raise energy through my feet from the earth and send it out through my hands) and picture the outcome that you want. Do this for at least 2 minutes.
For me I have been saying –
My lungs are clear and healthy.
Once you have enchanted the water, drink it within the hour for optimal results.
Rune for October from Ness Armstrong The rune for the month of October is Gifu. I always liken this rune as "a big kiss from the universe". Gifu is a positive rune and this relays to gifts, exchanges, relationships and bonds, personal and business contracts - all is good! Gifu tells us that you are on the right pathway and you are given the nod to continue in that direction. Gifu sounds like a good rune to work with this month - get that positivity on and enjoy your time spent with others in whatever form that may be!
With blessings of the month from Rachel Patterson, Ness Armstrong, Sue Perryman, Heather Dewhurst
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