by Janina Renee
(Article originally published in The Llewellyn Journal.)
The Halloween season is a good time to invoke and celebrate abundance, because at this time of year, the fruits of the ingathered harvest and the beauties of the world in autumn are truly golden. This is also a high-energy time, with children eagerly looking forward to costumes, parties, and treats—as well as a few of us planning a bit of magic and intrigue.
To prepare for this rite, fill a decorative cauldron (it could be a kettle or other cooking pot if you don't have anything more cauldron-like) until it is full to overflowing with symbolic season items. A list of some meaningful items and what you could say as you present them will follow shortly. You can add to the ambiance up on an altar space decorated with autumn leaves, vegetables, fruits, and candles.
Be sure that there is more than enough of everything for everyone who is likely to be participating in order to underscore the intention of overflowing abundance. Also, allow for some extra goodies, so they can be offered to Mother Nature. If this ritual is being arranged by a group of friends, you may decide in advance what each person might bring to add to the cauldron; the more creative types might want to prepare some little treat bags or other special favors for this purpose.
On the other hand, if you will be performing this ritual at a party where you don't know all the people and can't talk to them in advance, encourage all the bystanders to put something into the cauldron, even if only a penny. Later, everyone will be pulling things out of the cauldron, but it is also good for everyone to put something in, because such a gesture affirms that they are willing to engage the living universe in an exchange of energy. By contributing, they also affirm abundance in their lives, as well as their own magical potency as persons who have the power to give blessing.
When you are ready to begin the ritual, gather around the cauldron. The person chosen to lead the ritual should stand before the cauldron and declare:
At this season of All Hallowtide,
The cauldron of nature is overflowing:
Overflowing with the red and yellow and gold
of autumn leaves and apples and pumpkins.
Overflowing with the memories of childhoods past.
Overflowing with the magic of childhood's wonder.
Overflowing with the mystery of All Hallows Eve.
At this point, pause and ask everyone present to put their hands on the cauldron (if a small group), or to direct their hands toward the cauldron in an attitude of blessing, with the participants imagining themselves sending blessing energy to the cauldron. Continue:
And so, also, the cauldron of our lives:
Overflowing with abundance.
Overflowing with goodness.
Overflowing with blessings shared.
So it is, and so may it always be!
Say that final line with a flourish and a dramatic gesture of the hands, throwing a final burst of energy toward the cauldron; then, all drop their hands, and the leader continues:
And now, we all will share
in the cauldron of abundance.
Pass the cauldron around, directing each celebrant to take out different items in turn, as you explain their symbolic meanings.
Here are some examples of things that could be used in the cauldron and the things that you could say as each item is drawn out. These are just examples. You could put different things in your own cauldron (depending on what is available, meaningful, and convenient), and compose your own words to explain their significance. In the examples, here, the leader could say:
I bid each of you now
to take a packet of candy corn from the cauldron,
a token of childhood memories of Halloween fun.As you hold the candy corn,
think back to your own childhood's delight,
as you gathered your Halloween treats.
After everyone has taken an item, set one aside on an offering plate, and repeat for the next item, saying something like:
I now bid you to take a box of raisins from the cauldron,
symbolizing the autumnal harvest,
and good health to carry you through winter.Now take a piece of dark chocolate from the cauldron:
a treat to stimulate the pleasure centers of your brain,
on these ever darkening nights.…take a hazelnut from the cauldron:
the Celtic symbol of wisdom, for honoring this,
the Celtic New Year.…take an apple from the cauldron:
a token of the autumn harvest, just as it is also
a symbol of the goddess Pomona,
who was honored at this season,
and the fruit of the Celtic otherworld.…take a crabapple from the cauldron:
a token of the wild,
reminding us that not everything is here to serve man—
some things are here to serve themselves!
The crabapple is also a symbol of the crone,
who speaks her mind and does what she pleases.…take a penny from the cauldron,
to honor the circle of the year and the unity of life,
and affirm the fulfillment of harvest.…take [various toy-like Halloween favor] from the cauldron
to invite the child within,
to enjoy this night of magic.
If someone has contributed a mixed bag of treats, you could say,
Now take the goodie bag [you can describe it] ,
Which [name] has prepared for us.
Repeat for the items that each participant can take one of. There might be some miscellaneous odd items left in the cauldron. In this case, say:
To continue this circuit of blessings,
we will now pass the cauldron,
with each person taking something out.
We will stop when there are three items left,
and those we will dedicate to the spirit of nature.
This ends the ritual. Later, the offering plate will be set out in some appropriate place outdoors. If there are any foodstuffs that would be unsafe for animals to eat (like chocolate, which is dangerous for some animals), those items should be buried.
From Llewellyn's 2009 Magical Almanac. Click here for current-year calendars and almanacs.
Article originally published in The Llewellyn Journal. Copyright Llewellyn Worldwide, 2008. All rights reserved.
"Life happens. Life in the flow."
We learn over time that nobody can solve our problems, but someone can guide you how to solve the problem. You may receive guidance through a teacher, a guru or even strangers that you run into every day. As we practice yoga we learn that the more we know, the less we truly know. Every day I am reminded how much I truly do not know; a very humbling experience.
Yoga teaches me to be present. To just live for being and enjoying life as it is right NOW. Not ten minutes from now, no five days ago, but right now. We are taught to get out of our heads, to release worries and fears of the past or the future and to only live for this very moment. Presence.
"Lead me from untruth to truth, lead me from darkness to light." ~ Buddha
Through yoga we are reminded that we do have a dark side as well as a light side. We are not to repress the dark side, but embrace that side of our Self. We are the yin and the yang. We ultimately cleanse the dark stuff we hold inside. We shine the light on this. We must make friends with dark side. Both positive and negative balance out the whole. Daily practice refines and improves our inner vision to see our Self more clearly. We no longer need to run from fears. Face them and say I'm not running from you anymore. So much is in our heads, so much dark is only in our heads, self-doubt judgment betrayal. Yoga grounds the body so that the light and dark sides of ourselves become clear. So much is truly untrue. But as we diligently practice we are able to find the middle ground and walk our centered balanced line in life. We gain balance in centered lightheartedness. We can have harmony in both light and dark.
"Yoga tells us that the world is actually a projection of our own thoughts and we can modify our inner world to manifest into our outer world. When our inside realm is at peace and in harmony, our outer world shines this projection back at us." ~ David, Jiva Mukti Yoga co-founder
Yoga is observation.
We can observe our world and see what part that is in us is begin reflected back to us. We can then see what part of us needs modification or adjustment in order to have our outer reality reflect back to us the peace, happiness and love we so greatly desire and deserve.
Yoga is already inside of you. Happiness is there. Yoga helps you peel away the onion layers to get to the core. To freedom. The deepest Divine connection to the Ultimate Light Source.
Come out of wanting and back into acceptance and Joy. A yogi or yogini can turn any situation into bliss. That is a yogi. Yoga is being now. Ultimate yoga is meditation. Just BE.
Yoga is love.
"Love is the light that dissolves all walls between souls." ~ Paramahansa Yogananda
Through a dedicated practice of all forms of yoga we can participate in the world with a sense of freedom, unaffected from trauma, depression, anger, etc. The freedom is balance in both.
Maggie Anderson is a Yoga & Spiritual Teacher, Reiki Master Teacher, Integrated Energy Therapy® Master Instructor, Soul Coach®, Past Life Coach, Magnified Healing® Master Teacher and Angelights Messenger. She is the author of How I Found My True Inner Peace and Divine Embrace. You can contact Maggie at SpiritualCompassConnection.com.
"Follow Your Bliss. It's Your Spiritual Compass."