Though a wide array of books on various different crafts continue to be published each year, exceptionally few pertaining to scrapbooking, card making, and stamping have been released in the past decade.

Granted paper crafting has declined a wee bit in popularity during the 2010s on into the 2020s, but is still a profoundly beloved activity with new paper crafters joining our ranks around the clock.

This makes the absolute dearth of newer cardmaking and scrapbooking related books all the more perplexing. Not to mention frustrating for those of us who would leap at the chance to add some fresh papercrafting titles to our bookshelves.

It is anyone’s guess as to it we will ever see a resurgence in paper crafting books being published again or not.

Naturally, I hope that we will, but as there’s only so long one can hold their breath, I figured it was high time I looked beyond the scope of paper crafting and to the wider world of crafting for a book to review.

Though not the newest title itself, the book at the heart of this review post is ideally suited to October and as such felt like a great choice to start reviewing craft books – be they new, old, or anywhere in between – with here on Witchcrafted Life.

Felt-o-ween: 40 Scary-Cute Projects to Celebrate Halloween by Kathy Sheldon and Amanda Carestio was published in 2014, making this book eight years old at the time this post is being written.

It is a thoroughly charming book that packs a wallop in terms of awesome Halloween themed projects (many of which work awesomely for Samhain, with a selection also being a great fit for Día de los Muertos as well) that are approachable, doable, and enjoyable to boot!

Book specs

Name: Felt-o-ween: 40 Scary-Cute Projects to Celebrate Halloween

Authors: Kathy Sheldon and Amanda Carestio

Page count: 132

Publisher: Lark Crafts

Binding: Softcover

Festive Halloween felting fun for fans of felting, sewing, and crafting in general

From the creativity fuelled minds of two long-time crafters (that would be Kathy Sheldon and Amanda Carestio, respectively), both of whom had previously published crafting books prior to the release of Felt-o-ween: 40 Scary-Cute Projects to Celebrate Halloween, comes this super fun collection of felt projects to make for the spooky season (or all year round, if you’re on team #MakeHalloween365)

Jam-packed with beautiful, detail-rich colour photos (each project includes at least one accompanying image), this book houses 40 awesome Halloween felt projects that were designed in part by the authors themselves, along with quite a few entries from skilled crafters who contributed their own designs to this book.

As such, the projects in this book are connected by the common threads of both felt crafting and Halloween, while experiencing a lovely degree of diversity care of having multiple design contributors.

If you are not much of a sewer and/or haven’t worked a lot with felt, but this title appeals to you all the same, fear not, you’re in luck!

Though hand and/or machine stitching is involved with a fair number of the projects in Felt-o-ween, most of the projects are not overly complex and, in my opinion, should be within the skillset means of many novice sewers.

The book begins with an introduction to what felt crafting is, the primary types of felt that are available on the market, and covers what other types of materials you will need to complete these projects.

An item that appears often throughout the book is freezer paper, as it is one method of transferring patterns onto felt.

While readily available both in physical stores and online in the States, outside of the USA, crafters may have trouble tracking down this product locally.

It has only been, for example, in very recent years that I have seen Amazon.ca start to list a small selection of freezer paper (such as Cut Rite Heavy Duty Freezer Paper and Reynolds Freezer Paper) – and I have still yet to spot it at any brick and mortar shops in this country.

If you are unable to easily obtain freezer paper either online or off where you live, there is another virtually identical product that often goes by names such as Quilter’s Freezer Paper and Craft Freezer Paper that you may be able to track down instead.

Examples of this product include:

–C. Jenkins Freezer Paper Sheets

–Quilter’s Freezer Paper Sheets

–Sew Easy Freezer Paper

–Taunton Press Best Applique Freezer Paper

The book does not mention this fact, perhaps because Freezer Paper itself is so readily available in the States where, if I’m not mistaken, both of the authors reside.

If none of these products are available in your area, happily, there is still no need to despair. As detailed in Felt-o-ween, many of the pattern templates lend themselves well to being scanned and/or photocopied, enlarged, printed and then used as tracing and/or cutting guides when pined to your felt.

This point hopefully sorted, you can now get on with exploring the forty different delightful Halloween craft projects housed in Felt-o-ween.

Are you on the hunt for festive fall home décor such as wreaths and candle mats? What about darling felt jewelry, accessories, or socks? Care for a felt cupcake topper in the shape of a tombstone, a plush vampire, tiny pumpkin shaped treat holders, or some eye-catching All Hallows’ Eve bunting, look no further!

Felt-o-ween has you covered on each of these fronts and plenty more.

Most of the projects in this book can be made with the felt of your choice/availability, though in some instances, a particular type of felt (such as wool felt, for example) may work better.

Good quality wool felt is a superb crafting material, no two ways about it, but if like me you’re allergic to wool (felt-on-skin contact swiftly gives me a very bad case of hives) or it isn’t in the budget, that is totally okay!

Most of the projects in Felt-o-ween can be whipped up using other types of felt, such as bamboo, eco felt, or acrylic just as easily.

As well, each time I’ve read this book cover-to-cover (three times and counting), I have been struck by how well I suspect many of these projects would turn out when rendered in paper crafting form.

Not all of them per se (especially when it comes to the wearable felt craft projects), but a decent number of them for sure.

And, naturally, many other types of fabric beyond felt could be used here as well. In some cases, they may need to be backed or otherwise stabilized so that they hold their shape similar to that of felt.

Throughout Felt-o-ween: 40 Scary-Cute Projects to Celebrate Halloween one encounters a good assortment of projects, many of which are not overly complex, time-consuming, or difficult for those who are not yet seasoned stitchers.

I know my way around the basics of sewing but I am by no means an advanced or even intermediate sewer.

I’d place my sewing practical abilities somewhere between beginner and intermediate and my theoretical knowledge on the subject a grade or two higher.

To date, I have not felt compelled to make sewing a primary crafting focus, but I still greatly enjoy finding ways to engage with this timeless art as I go about my crafty year.

Working with felt is a stellar way to do just that, whether one has been sewing for decades or has yet to learn how to turn a hem or what a presser foot is used for.

Want to jazz up your Halloween home décor, make fa-boo-lous party decorations, whip up a wonderful Halloween costume or accessory, or create a festive piece for your crafty space? If so, this is the book for you.

Naturally, it would also make for a top-notch gift to give to fans of sewing and/or Halloween.

Felt-o-ween: 40 Scary-Cute Projects to Celebrate Halloween is an appealing book both on its own merits and in terms of the additional chain of creative inspiration it may set off as you lap up its photo-filled pages.

How Felt-o-ween: 40 Scary-Cute Projects to Celebrate Halloween Kathy Sheldon and Amanda Carestio rates with me

As you flip through Felt-o-ween, it is hard to restrain yourself from dropping everything and rushing off to craft up a litany of delightful fall time felt projects.

The crafts in this book are inviting and adorable. They come housed with easy-to-follow instructions, patterns are included, and they would make for equally terrific crafts to make for yourself or give to any Halloween fan.

Speaking of which, if you have any little ones in your life who go wild for October 31^st, chances are they would be delighted to either help you make – or try their hand at creating (if they’re old enough to safely to do so) – many of these festively fun Halloween felt crafts.

A breezy read that is chocked-full of fantastic project ideas starring the wonderfully versatile material that is felt, this book is apt to be one that many crafters return to time and time again.

It is worth noting that while photos of each completed project are included in Felt-o-ween there are not images of the steps involved with actually making the crafts in this book.

I have not yet tried my hand at making any of the Halloween crafts that reside in Felt-o-ween – but definitely hope to do so once I can pick up some more felt and a roll/package of freezer paper.

In particular, the Creepy Crawly Wreath (seen on the cover), Candy Corn Bunting, “The Birds” (Hitchcock-worthy felt crows/ravens), Spooky Friends Wall Hanging, Bat Mobile, Darkling Roses, and Skull Hairbows really jumped out at me.

Some of those projects (plus various others in this book), my fellow goth and alternative aesthetic inclined readers will be happy to know, could easily work for year-round home décor and fashion purposes.

Got(h) to love that!

(Just as you do the fact that felt, as a general rule, does not fray – meaning all the more ease of completion and longevity of your finished projects.)

The Halloween projects in Felt-o-ween are cute, sweet, relatively easy, and kid-friendly in terms of the end results they create.

Plus, every one of them is a perfect fit for a #MakeHalloween365 project share.

Those who who are aiming for a much more elegant, darkly macabre, or vintage inspired Halloween look might find a few of these project ideas tick those kinds of boxes, but may otherwise be better served by different craft project sources.

Brought to you by the same authors of Fa la la la Felt: 45 Handmade Holiday Decorations, ‘Tis the Season to Be Felty: Over 40 Handmade Holiday Decorations, and Heart-Felt Holidays: 40 Festive Felt Projects to Celebrate the Seasons, this book is teeming with fresh, joyful Halloween craft projects that are sure to have you beelining for your felt stash – or the nearest fabric store – faster than a bat whizzing across the crisp, cool October sky.

Working on a scale of 1 – 5, with five being the highest possible rating, I would give Felt-o-ween: 40 Scary-Cute Projects to Celebrate Halloween by Kathy Sheldon and Amanda Carestio 4.5 stars out of 5.

Have you read Felt-o-ween: 40 Scary-Cute Projects to Celebrate Halloween by Kathy Sheldon and Amanda Carestio?Do you enjoy crafting with felt? 

The post Book Review: Felt-o-ween: 40 Scary-Cute Projects to Celebrate Halloween by Kathy Sheldon and Amanda Carestio appeared first on Witchcrafted Life.

The inaugural post took an in-depth look at Kelowna Memorial Park Cemetery. It also delved the history of Kelowna itself, as well as that of cemeteries as a whole in Western Canada.

If you are unfamiliar with the history of non-First Nations burial grounds in this part of the world, I highly encourage you check out that post. The information it contains is applicable to many different cemeteries from around these Canadian parts and will continue to apply to most (if not all of) the various entries that this post series will house.

Despite the various challenges both of the ongoing pandemic and those that have been present in my own life throughout 2021, I am delighted to say that I’ve had a chance to visit a few different cemeteries this year (some, even, for the very first time ).

The respite, happiness, serenity, spiritual connections, education, and enjoyment alike that each visit brings my taphophilia adoring soul knows no bounds.

As Tony – bless his caring heart knows – there are few more effective ways to bolster my mood and help set my world right again (or at least temporarily suspend some of my worries and stresses) than time spent at a burial ground.

Knowing this, when I’m really struggling, worried, fighting extra hard on the physical or mental health front, or otherwise in need of a pick-me-up, he often drives me to various cemeteries throughout our region. The time that I spend at them never fails to help ground me and lift my spirits (pun mildly intended, sentiment no less sincere).

Naturally, I often visit cemeteries when things are not as rough as well. The same benefits still come my way in spades and are no less appreciated whether I’m on cloud nine, hovering above rock bottom, or anywhere in between.

It means the world to me that Tony understands how much visiting cemeteries means to me and the powerfully helpful impact that doing so can have on my health, well-being, and spirituality alike.

Awesomely, he also really enjoys spending time at and photographing burial grounds. Thus, our visits to such locations are frequently ones we savour side-by-side. Making the experience all the more enjoyable and memorable for both of us.

Our springtime jaunt to Kelowna took us an hour south of our wee town of Armstrong. In the second of our cemetery journeys, we’ll be heading about half an hour north to explore the serenely beautiful Mt. Ida Cemetery in Salmon Arm, British Columbia.

But first, let’s get to know this sun-kissed, Shuswap Lake-filled corner of BC – which has been a tourist hotspot for many decades now – a bit better.

A very brief history of Salmon Arm, British Columbia

To those unfamiliar with Salmon Arm, its name may, understandably, raise an eyebrow or two.

After all, salmon, like fish in general, do not have arms.

Lest you think that some sort of Blinky-worthy salmon plies the waters of this province, let me assure you that the name Salmon Arm has nothing to do with appendages on fish.

Instead, it pertains to the fact that the large body of water called Shuswap Lake that Salmon Arm is located alongside has four “arms” (they are Shuswap Arm, Seymour Arm, Anstey Arm, and Salmon Arm, respectively). Each of which, historically, experienced large runs of salmon that used to fill the creeks that empty into Shuswap Lake.

This lake – one of the loveliest and most visited in the province – drains, via Little Shuswap River, into a smaller body of water called Little Shuswap Lake.

Fascinatingly, Little Shuswap Lake is the source of the South Thompson River, which is a branch of the Thompson River – itself a tributary of that lengthy, serpentine body of water that flows throughout a long swath of British Columbia, the majestic Fraser River.

The word “Shuswap” stems from the Shuswap or Secwepemc First Nations People, who are the most northerly of the Interior Salish Peoples. In their own language, the Shuswap call themselves ʃǝxwépmǝx.

Salmon Arm is located in the Shuswap Regional District of the Southern Interior region of British Columbia. Though established as a town more than a century prior, it was not until 2005 that Salmon Arm officially became a city.

Do keep in mind, my dear readers, that the term “city” is used somewhat generously here throughout Canada. With a 2016 population of just over 17,700 inhabitants, Salmon Arm won’t exactly be vying on the population front with places such as Tokyo, New York, San Paulo, Cairo, or Moscow anytime soon.

Nevertheless, a city Salmon Arm is all the same and its modest population size only helps to add to the small-town charm of this gorgeous location.

In the 19^th and early 20^th centuries, British Columbia was awash with metal rushes, particularly those pertaining to silver and gold.

The importance of these events, the throngs of prospectors and other people they brought to British Columbia, and the towns that they helped to establish all contributed greatly to the present-day population and layout alike of this province.

In the mid-1860s, the Big Bend Gold Rush along the hefty Columbia River saw an influx of prospectors traversing the interior of BC, some of whom journeyed through the Shuswap region.

The general area was noted by famed explorer David Thompson a few decades prior however, when in 1815 he recorded a lake called “Shuswap” in his travel writings.

The first non-indegious peoples exploration started in earnest throughout the area in the mid-19^th century.

In 1880s, the Canadian Pacific Railway surveyed this corner of the province. In due course, track was laid and gradually settlement sprung up in the area throughout that decade and ever onward.

As one might imagine, the first corners of the Shuswap region that were settled housed the greatest potential as agricultural centres, as well as being both accessible and logical as routes in and out of the community.

The District Municipality of Salmon Arm was officially incorporated in 1905 and though it would, for a time during the mid-20^th century be classified as a village again, it did not take long for the municipality status to return in 1970.

Throughout the first years of the 20^th century, Salmon Arm established a well-deserved reputation as being an excellent producer of various types of fruit – particularly apples, pears, and plums.

This orchard industry helped the budding community to grow all the more and, in the process, made it a hub of both the immediate area and of this general region of the province as a whole.

No single individual or group was solely responsible for the creation and expansion of Salmon Arm and its smaller surrounding communities (such as Westwold, Coldstream, and Enderby).

Naturally, as with most communities, various early settlers left important marks on the area and some of their names are still familiar to many locals and those with an interest in BC’s history to this day.

Amongst this group of pioneers, settlers, prospectors, entrepreneurs and others one finds individuals such as overlander Alexander Leslie Fortune.

Mr. Fortune pre-empted some land that now sits slightly south of the present-day community of Enderby – which, at the time, was called Fortune’s Landing after Alexander himself.

Prior to coming west, Fortune married a woman named Bathia Ross and the two remained wed during the twelve – yes, you read that right, twelve – long years that he was out west and she was back east in Lancaster, Ontario.

Once reunited in person, the two lived in the North Okanagan-Shuswap area for decades, where they were well known for their kindness, hospitality, generosity, and civic-mindedness.

Their important contributions to the development of this part of the province and their surname alike continue to reverberate through various corners of the region, including in the name of Fortune Creek, which runs between Enderby and Armstrong.

In 1885, during the construction of the local railway (which was completed the following year), a brewery and gambling house called Dutch Charlie’s opened its doors. That same year, the first house in Salmon Arm was built by a German settler on what is today Beatty Street.

Dutch Charlie’s would be a relatively short-lived operation, however, with provincial police shutting it down in 1890 after an unsolved murder occurred on the premise.

In 1907, the first local newspaper – The Salmon Arm Observer – went into production. It remains in operation, including in digital form, to this day.

The Shuswap District (aka, Shuswap Region) sits immediately atop the Okanagan Region and to the East of the Thompson-Nicola District (in which one finds the city of Kamloops, which, with a population just shy of 100,000 inhabitants, is the province’s 12^th largest municipality).

Much as with Okanagan Lake to the south, Shuswap Lake experienced a good deal of travel via boat, with the S.S. Marten (a Hudson’s Bay Company-operated steamer) being the first commercial boat to set sail on the sparkling waters of this lake.

This occurred back in 1866 and while Shuswap Lake have not been used as a primary means of transportation or commerce in the area for a number of decades now, it is still enjoyed by many pleasure crafters, swimmers, kayakers, paddleboarders, and others every year.

Salmon Arm has experienced continued population and industry expansion for many years now. As the largest community in the Shuswap region (and one that is situated on the majestic 89 kilometre/55 mile long Shuswap Lake), it is no surprise that tourists and those looking to relocate to the area flock to this picturesque corner of BC.

These days, Salmon Arm’s economy is guided by numerous sources, including tourism, lumber (sawmills have operated in the area since the late Victorian era), dairy farming, orchards, and manufacturing.

Visitors and residents alike enjoy the beaches, walking paths, and other amenities offered by Shuswap Lake, as well as the city’s museums (including the wonderful RJ Haney Heritage Park & Museum, which I’ve shared photos of over the years on my Instagram account), art gallery, local theatre group, assortment of both chain and independently operated shops, and the stunning outdoor scenery that surrounds and fills the town.

Salmon Arm is flanked by numerous lofty hills and mountains, and it is from one of the latter that the city’s primary burial ground, Mt. Ida Cemetery, takes its name.

Mt. Ida Cemetery in Salmon Arm

British Columbia’s cemeteries might not be the oldest in the world, but they must surely be amongst the most picturesque and peaceful.

A good many were built in areas that remain rich with breathtaking natural scenery to this day. Abundant trees, small hills, wildflowers and other natural charms often share space with gravestones whose dates span a century or more at this point.

This is precisely the case when it comes to Salmon Arm’s oldest and largest burial ground: Mt. Ida Cemetery.

This idyllically pretty Shuswap District cemetery is located at 2290 Foothill Road SW, Salmon Arm, British Columbia.

It is open between 7 am and 8 pm daily, year-round.

Mt. Ida, the actual mountain, is believed to have been named in the 1870s (possibly by a Mr. J. Richardson) after Mount Ida on the island of Crete.

It should be noted that Mt. Ida in Salmon Arm, BC, is not related to the identically named Mt. Ida that is located in Kakwa Provincial Park, BC. The latter of which, at an impressive 3,192 metres tall and boasting a classic pyramidal shape, more than earns its nickname as the Matterhorn of the North.

In addition, it is important to remember that Mt. Ida is the name that the mountain in the Shuswap was given by white settlers. In the language of the local First Nations Peoples, this hill is known as Kela7scen, and it is considered a sacred site to indigenous communities of this area.

As a population began to be established in Salmon Arm and its smaller satellite communities, a cemetery naturally became a needed element of the township.

Once a suitable location was determined on the (then) outskirts of town, Mt. Ida Cemetery was opened and saw its first burial in 1894.

Two years after passing away from tuberculous at the age of just 26, Mr. Charles McGuire was reinterred at the Mt. Ida Cemetery. He was the son of Sarah Agnes and Alexander McGuire, two of the area’s earliest non-First Nations inhabitants.

After its closure as a public house, it was Charles McGuire who helped to turn Dutch Charlie’s into a locl trading post, all the while working to secure the burgeoning community’s mail contract.

The family’s name lives on in the area to this day via McGuire Lake and the adjacent McGuire Lake Park in Salmon Arm.

At the time of its opening, Mt. Ida Cemetery was a modest one acre of land that had been purchased by the local Methodist community with the (presumed) aim of it being a Methodist focused burial ground.

The Salmon Arm Reporter tells us that in 1909, ownership of Mt. Ida Cemetery was transferred to the municipality of Salmon Arm, under whose care it has remained ever since.  

As one might expect, a fair number of the area’s first settlers and some of their descents have been laid to rest in Mt. Ida Cemetery over the years.

The earliest sections of the cemetery are now more than 125 years old and numerous headstones exist there which date from the 1890s, 1900s, 1910s, and 1920s. With continued burials from that point onward to the present day occuring throughout the grounds of this cemetery.

While the whole of Mt. Ida Cemetery is now considerably larger than its single acre beginnings, it is not so huge or challenging to traverse that one cannot explore the whole of it in a single outing – time, weather, and other circumstances permitting, of course.

The Old Section of the cemetery, as the original section is known by locals, includes a captivating array of grave markers and headstones.

These include such styles as tabletop markers, tablet stones, set-ins, ledgers, obelisks, urns, open books, lambs and doves (typically used for those who passed away at a very young age), and numerous sizes and types of crosses, including Celtic crosses.

This portion of Mt. Ida Cemetery is located on a tranquil grass knoll that basks in the refreshing shade and beauty of numerous maple trees, all of which reside at the foothills, so to speak, of Mt. Ida itself.

In addition to those of Northern and Central European ancestry, amongst Mt. Ida’s earliest residents, one finds members of the Chinese Canadian community as well. Later interments include those from many different parts of the world and numerous grave markers appear in languages other than English.

Mt. Ida Cemetery is maintained by the city of Salmon Arm and like many Canadian burial grounds, includes a section specifically for members of the Canadian Armed Forces.

In addition, a touchingly lovely memorial cairn has been placed to the right of this section of the cemetery with small plaques bearing the names of fifty local veterans.

According to the Findagrave.com entry from Mt. Ida Cemetery, as of the time this post is being written (in November 2021), there are approximately 5,302 memorials on the premise. A space that sprawls across about 110 acres, only nine of which have been deemed suitable for internment usage.

Annually, about 75 to 80 new individuals are being housed at Mt. Ida Cemetery.

In addition to in-ground burials, the city of Salmon Arm recently put installed a new 24-unit columbarium for cremation internments.

Interestingly, as Mt. Ida Cemetery is now nearing the maximum number of burials that are permitted in the suitable ground that is available, the city has obtained a new piece of land and is developing the Shuswap Memorial Cemetery on it.

This newly constructed 25-acre cemetery is located at the southeast end of Salmon Arm at 2700 20th Avenue SE. It provides grave plots, scattering gardens, family vessels, and columbariums.

A peaceful early autumn visit to Mt. Ida Cemetery

In the first days of this fall, Tony and I decided to take a late afternoon drive up to Salmon Arm.

More than a year had passed since we had last stopped in to visit Mt. Ida Cemetery while in Salmon Arm and the start of what is both of our favourite season seemed like an ideal time to do so again.

While I have photographed parts of Mt. Ida Cemetery on previous visits, I’ve not yet shared many (if any) of those images publicly (though hope to do so as time goes on).

All of the images of Mt. Ida Cemetery housed in this blog post were taken by me with my iPhone in September 2021.

The day we were there was chillier than one might expect for the very start of autumn and rain had fallen prior to our arrival at the cemetery.

A few brief spits tumbled down while we were there, too, but not enough to send us fleeing for the car.

The sky overhead summersaulted between hues and intensity of light. One moment it was a mix of dusty periwinkle and aged sand, the next glisteningly blue, and the next still as grey as the antique headstones that dot the property itself.

All around us, the many trees, shrubs, and other greenery of Mt. Ida Cemetery were embracing the current season and glowing resplendently in their early fall colours.

Much of the earth and bark mulch at Mt. Ida has a warm, naturally reddish-brown colour to it which was brought to the fore all the more by the damp conditions and accompanying fall foliage.

I will happily visit a cemetery at any point in the year, but especially welcome the opportunity to do so during the autumn months.

Not only does the local landscape stand to be awe-inspiringly gorgeous, but the powerful connection between the departed and the weeks that span the Pagan sabbats of Mabon and Samhain provide an even greater spiritual connection, as the veil thins to its most gossamer point in the year.

On this visit, knowing that I would be blogging about the history of Mt. Ida Cemetery, I was keen to cover as much ground there as I realistically could before the day’s light gave up the ghost.

While, interestingly, I did not spy Charles McGuire’s headstone (I will be keeping an eye out for it on future visits), I did have the pleasure of documenting many other early grave markers belonging to some of the area’s first settlers.

When visiting a cemetery, my interest and focus generally lies with pre-circa 1960s inhabitents. However, I make a point of exploring as much of a given burial ground as I possibly can. And, in the process, reflecting on and paying my respects to both the more recently departed and those who have been laid to rest for a good many years now.

If you are planning a visit to Mt. Ida Cemetery in Salmon Arm, BC, and wish to explore it thoroughly, I would suggest allotting anywhere from 2 to 4+ hours to do so.

Having been there before, I had a lay of the land already (including knowing where the Old Section is located) and that helped to save time.

There are no washrooms on premise (objectively, few cemeteries I have ever been to included public washrooms), however, there are a small number of benches around the property if you wish or need to stop and get off your feet for a while.

The terraian is a mix of unpaved and paved paths, as well as ample grass and bare soil covered ground.

If you visit from about May to mid-September (or later still if it is an especially warm autumn), please note that the mosquitoes on the property can be brutally thick.

A previous summertime visit saw me inundated by more mosquitoes than at almost any other time and place in my entire life.

All that to say, if you pop by Mt. Ida during the warmer months, use bug spray and wear clothing that covers as much of your body as possible.

Much to our delight and relief, nary a single mosquito was spotted while we were there at the start of this autumn.

As well, once the snowy season returns it becomes trickier to traverse the whole of the cemetery on foot unless one is sporting suitable wintertime footwear, such as snow boots or even snowshoes.

However, that said, the paved and unpaved pathways (some of which cars are permitted to drive on) should be a bit easier to tackle even in the snow.

Given its relatively close proximity to our house, the fairly large number of interments, and the rich history that this burial ground contains, it is safe to say that will continue to visit Mt. Ida Cemetery from time to time.

Especially during the fall months, when this historic Shuswap District cemetery presents a celebration of both departed human lives and the last days of the year’s mesmerizing foliage.

Have you ever visited Salmon Arm’s Mt. Ida Cemetery? Which of the grave markers featured in this post sparked your interest the most?

Explore additional burial grounds that have been visited in the Cemetery Journeys post series:

–Kelowna Memorial Park Cemetery, Kelowna, British Columbia

The post Cemetery Journeys: Enjoying Early Autumn at Mt. Ida Cemetery in Salmon Arm, BC appeared first on Witchcrafted Life.

Darkness falls across the land, the midnight hour is close at hand. – Rodney Lynn Temperton

It is safe to say that 365 days is a fairly long time to wait for anything. Yet some events are more than worth the days, weeks and months of pining and patience.

In my books – and those of many others – one such happening is October 31^st.

This enchantingly magickal day houses not only Halloween, but for many Pagans, witches, and Wiccans who observe it, the sacred sabbat of Samhain as well.

There is almost a sense of disbelief that greets me when my eyelids blink open on the morning of Halloween/Samhain (I observe both events, seeing them as being akin to two sides of a coin).

Can it really and truly be October 31^st? Have I fallen asleep on an icy February night or a sizzling hot July afternoon and dreamt that All Hallows’ Eve had returned once more?

Awesomely, today is not a figment of one’s imagination. Halloween/Samhain is real, it is magnificent, and it never fails to be even more incredible and meaningful than I could have hoped for.

On this day, the veil between the worlds is the thinnest (in the Western Hemisphere). Mystery hangs in the air like a chorus of bats dangling from a fall maple tree branch.

Halloween swirls with nostalgia, spine-chilling thrills, a glut of sweet treats, old favourites, new ways of celebrating, and the promise of a day filled with intrigue and enjoyment.

As much as I could (gleefully) wax poetically at length about Halloween and Samhain alike, I know that plenty of us are very, very busy today, so I shalln’t keep you for too long.

Here, on the last and final day of October, when spirits drift through the nippy fall air, grinning pumpkins peer out from porches near and far, and magick of all kinds reigns supreme, I am popping in to share one of my latest Halloween cards with all of you.

Sweetly spooky multi-layer Halloween card

Here on the blog, October began with a Spooky Multi-Window Halloween Ghost Shaker Card that featured a colour palette of dark blue, black, cream, gold, and copper.

Thirty-one days on, a good chunk of that same colour palette returns in the card featured in this post.

Gone, however – much as on many of the local trees that now sit barren until spring jolts them back to life again – are the warm autumnal hues of sunshine and fire.

From the colour scheme to the imagery, I set out to create a Halloween card that channelled the dark, inky evening hours of this resplendent annual happening.

A realm filled with things that go bump in the night, where shadows seem to take on a life of their own, and which those of us who celebrate Halloween and/or Samhain are likely to have many fond memories of throughout our lifetimes.

A touch eerie, but considerably more sweet and charming, this card is a multi-layered symphony of All Hallows’ Eve related imagery, merriment, and the timeless soul that embodies October 31^st.

It features a palette of midnight blue, jet black, grey the colour of cold sidewalks, ghostly white, and a wee hint of gunmetal (via the pearl embellishments).

Only one patterned paper appears on this card. That of the black tree silhouetted against a dark blue sky. This layer is subtle though, and that is intentional.

Much like how one often begins to make out their surroundings more clearly after you’ve been outside in the dark for a while and your eyes have had a chance to adjust, so too did I want there to be little details to this greeting that take a moment to spot.

Vellum – a most apt and delightful material to use on Halloween cards – appears here three times. One of which creates a ghostly base for the “Happy Halloween” sentiment before extending on to the top of the design.

This card takes a little while to compose due to the volume of die cutting involved. However, the materials required are (aside from the dies) both relatively minimal in number and fairly budget-friendly to boot.

You could recreate this All Hallows’ Eve card in different colours – think, orange, black and green or an earthy harvest season combination, for example – if so desired and it would be no less festively fantastic.

If you are aiming to channel Halloween night itself, though, then I would suggest sticking with at least one or two intensely saturated shades and, likewise, one or two paler ones to help convey a sense that darkness is indeed falling across the land…

Products used to make this beautiful blue and black Halloween trick-or-treat card

-Black, light grey, navy blue, and white cardstock

-Pearlized white paper or cardstock – Cool Metallic Sheets from The Paper Company

-White vellum – Vellum from Core’dinations

-Dark blue night sky and tree silhouette print paper – Full Moon Night Sky Paper from Ella & Viv

-Leaf frame die with an oval aperture

-“Spooky” and “Trick-or-Treat” wavy word dies – Halloween Trimmings Dies from Studio Katia

-“Happy Halloween” oval shaped sentiment die

-Various small pumpkin, bat, spider, spiderweb, and cat-shaped dies

-Decorative edge scissors – Heartbeat Paper Edgers from Fiskars

-White gel pen – Signo White Gel Pen from Uniball

-Two sizes of dark grey/gunmetal coloured pearl embellishments (silver pearls could be used here, too)

-Liquid glue with a very fine tip nozzle (or use double-sided adhesive sheets with your die cut layers when cutting them out)

-Dimensional foam, pop dots, or similar to elevate some of your layers

-Adhesive, such as a tape runner, of your choice (I often use my Scotch Tape Glider)

How to make a festively spooky multi-layered Halloween night themed card

To begin with, I suggest die cutting (and, where applicable adhering) each of the layers that you’ll be using for this handmade Halloween card in advance, as doing so will help speed up the process of putting your card together.

Cut two layers (one light grey, one black) of the leaf frame. Then, once adhere to each other, cut your layered frames in half vertically down the center, as you will be using half of this frame on each side of the middle of your card.

Cut two layers (one white, one black) of the “spooky” and “trick or treat” curved words

Cut two layers (one light grey, one blue) of the leaf frame.

Cut two layers (one pearlized white paper or cardstock, one black) of the “Happy Halloween” sentiment and cobweb-filled oval piece.

Cut two layers (one white, one black) of the bats, pumpkins, spiders, spiderweb, and cat.

Once you have die cut and adhered these layers together, it is time to start assembling your Halloween card.

Start your design with a card base made from white cardstock (pale grey would work well here, too).

Cut a piece of white vellum slightly smaller than your card base and then adhere it to the card base.

Position and adhere the light grey and black (die cut) leaf frame halves on the center of the vellum layer.

Use decorative edge scissors (or a suitable border punch) to cut a piece of dark blue (or navy blue) cardstock slightly smaller than the vellum layer.

Utilize a ruler and a white gel pen to hand draw stitching lines around the edges of this piece, then attach it to vellum + leaf frame layers.

Cut a large rectangle from black cardstock. Top it with a layer of vellum that is just a teeny bit smaller than the black cardstock itself. Adhere these two layers to one another, then to the previous card base layers.

Top those two layers with a piece of Ella & Viv nighttime sky and tree print paper, cutting the top and bottom edges with the same decorative edge scissors (or border punch) used previously on this project. Adhere this layer of paper to the latest vellum layer.

Next, take the second pair of leaf frames that you die cut earlier and back the oval opening with a piece of vellum. Top this vellum with the “Happy Halloween” sentiment pieces. Adhere across the center of the vellum oval.

Use the smaller of the two sizes of dark grey/gunmetal coloured pearl embellishments to create an oval ring around the border of the central oval opening (see photo immediately above).

Arrange and adhere your die cut “Spooky” and “Trick-or-Treat” wavy words across the top and bottom of the central card panel.

Place layered die cut Halloween critters and pumpkins around the card, as shown in the photos here (or, however you please).

Adhere the larger of the two dark grey/gunmetal coloured pearl embellishments on some of the central panel layers, also as shown.

And there you have it, one sweet, spooky, and thoroughly eye-catching Halloween evening themed card that is sure to bring howls of happiness to any lucky soul who receives it.

Joyful Halloween and Samhain wishes to one and all!

Fellow Thriller fans may have spotted that the quote which begins today’s post is from that wildly iconic Michael Jackson hit, which many of us make a point of listening to on Halloween.

While just a few words long, it does a stellar job of capturing the sense of anticipation and elation alike that October 31^st delivers.

Halloween is as much a day (and night) of possibility and promise as it is of mystery and hair-raising fun.

The card featured in this post, naturally, falls squarely under the header of a #MakeHalloween365 project.

A huge and incredibly heartfelt thank you to everyone who has used this hashtag not only throughout October, but since its launch back in March of this year.

So much of the driving force behind the creation of this hashtag was, and is, for oodles of people to embrace and derive inspiration from Halloween throughout the entirety of the year.

I plan to continue sharing at least one new Halloween themed project here with you every month for the foreseeable future.

This means that my fellow Halloweenoholics can join me in (quite literally) making Halloween an amazing part of our lives the whole year through.

And I enthusiastically encourage you to keep using #MakeHalloween365 long after Halloween 2021 has wrapped up, as this festively fun hashtag is fully intended for ongoing year-round use by one and all.

For many years now, I have opted to focus a lot of my Samhain related happenings in the early morning and late evening hours of October 31^st. The time that sits between these two points in the day is filled primarily with Halloween activities of all sorts.

Objectively though, for me personally, there is a lot of crossover between the two and each one helps to ensure that my undying love for All Hallows’ Eve grows stronger with each passing year.

With the pandemic still going strong, we are once again foregoing holding a Halloween party at our house (something that we did for several years running before Covid gripped the planet).

Instead, much like last year, Tony and I will celebrate the holiday here at our house with mom (who only lives an hour’s drive away from us).

Costumes will be donned, candy piled high in multiple bowls, ready to hand out to all who come knocking; beloved movies will be watched and songs listened to on repeat, a festively themed jigsaw puzzle will be done, and we will nosh on plenty of hauntingly delicious fare.

What does this Halloween/Samhain (or Beltane, for those in the Southern Hemisphere) look like for you?

Are you as excited as I am that October 31^st has returned again at long last?

However you spend this today – be it a time of sacred reverence, lighthearted fun, chilling suspense, or simply the final day of the year’s 10^th month – I am sending my unending wishes your way for a sweetly spooky October 31^st.

Have a safe, incredibly happy Halloween/Samhain, dear friends!

The post Sweetly Spooky Multi-Layer Halloween Card, and The Happiest of Samhain + Halloween Wishes Coming Your Way! appeared first on Witchcrafted Life.

Since its birth at the turn of the twentieth century, Hollywood has done much to not only further shape our impressions of, and feelings towards, Halloween, but also to spread awareness of it to countries where this late October celebration has not traditionally been observed.

In more recent decades, the internet has done its part there as well and these days it is safe to say that a sizable percentage of the world’s population has at least a passing awareness of All Hallows’ Eve – whether they opt to observe it themselves or not.

However, Halloween is not the only special celebration that takes place for some people on October 31^st.

For many, though not all, Pagans, Wiccans and witches, the tail end of the year’s tenth month ushers in the return of Samhain.

This sacred event is one of eight annual sabbats that comprise The Wheel of The Year.

Samhain is generally seen, in the Northern Hemisphere, as the start of that very wheel. It is a date that is held in the highest reverence by many who observe it.

In this post, we will be exploring 31 quotes – one for each day of October – that are ideally suited to The Witches’ New Year that is Samhain.

Some of them make for excellent Halloween quotes as well.

Each of these Samhain quotes appears here both in text and in image form, allowing you to pin them to Pinterest, share them on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, or any other social media platform you’d like, or repost them on your own website.

First though, let’s take a quick gander at the history of Samhain, what Samhain is about, when Samhain is observed, and why some magickally inclined folks consider Samhain to be the Witches’ New Year.

What is Samhain?

With roots stretching back to the ancient Celts, Samhain is today a modern Neopagan-based festival that can be observed either in a religious/spiritual context or secularly.

Samhain is the last of the three Neopagan harvest sabbats (with the other two being Lammas in August and Mabon in September). It is widely acknowledged as an observance that ushers in the dark half of the year.

Many who connect with Samhain strongly believe that this sabbat is a highly liminal time and as such, the veil between the physical world of the living and that of the departed in the Otherworld is at its very thinnest point of the entire year.

(North of the equator, other especially liminal points include, but are not limited to, Leap Years, Walpurgis Night on April 30^th, Beltane, Litha, and Mabon.)

As a result, powerful themes pertaining both to life and death, connecting to and honouring one’s ancestors, the traditional end of the harvest season, and embracing the dark half of the year feature prominently in the Samhain practices of many Pagans and witches from a broad range of paths and traditions.

It is important to keep in mind that not all Pagans, Wiccans and witches celebrate Samhain in the same ways.

Variations on themes, practices, offerings and other factors are widespread, with many Pagans and witches weaving traditional Samhain elements with more contemporary components of 21st-century spirituality and witchery into their sabbat celebrations.

A brief history of Samhain

Samhain has a long and fascinating history, of which, for the sake of brevity, an in-depth look at is beyond the scope of this post (indeed, it could easily fill multiple books!).

Early records of Samhain appear in some of the oldest written Irish texts that have survived to this day, as well as in countless oral histories and late October traditions across parts of Europe.

In particular, Samhain has long-standing ties to Ireland, Scotland, and the Isle of Man (in which is it often referred to as Sauin).

Similar Iron Age festivals transpired in other parts of the UK, including Wales, as well as in Brittany (now part of modern-day France).

In Wales, this end-of-the-harvest season event was often called Calan Gaeaf. Across the channel in Brittany, it went by Kalan Goañv.

Historically, Samhain was closely linked to the end of the harvest season, slaughtering livestock, holding ritual bonfires, various forms of divination (some of which involved that most autumnal of fruits: apples), honouring otherworldly beings such as the fae, leaving offerings for faeries and the gods (as well as, in some cases, the departed – a tradition that would morph into the now long-standing act of holding a silent or dumb supper), and preparing for the long, cold, and often harsh winter months ahead.

Whereas the contemporary Wheel of The Year houses eight sabbats, traditionally in Gaelic lands, four key seasonal festivals were observed.

In addition to Samhain, there was also Imbolc (February 1^st or 2^nd), Beltane (May 2^nd), and Lughnasadh/Lammas (August 1^st or thereabouts).

As Samhain was – and still is – viewed as a time when the souls of the departed could more easily move between each side of the veil, many Celts acknowledged and honoured the dead at Samhain.

Spirits and departed souls were sometimes seen as friendly or neutral entities, though some were also dreaded. A belief held they were capable of committing such unwanted acts as damaging crops, harming or hiding livestock, scaring people out of their wits, and haunting homes.

It is thought that some early observers of Samhain may have worn costumes and/or masks in an attempt to disguise themselves and to hide from unfriendly spirits or wee folk (such as faeries) who might not have had their best intentions at heart.

Traditionally, Samhain festivities got underway as the sun set on the evening of October 31^st, lasting until either sunrise or sunset on November 1^st.

Some sources state, however, that Samhain (and/or overlapping events such as the festival of the Ulaid) may have spanned as many as three, six, or even seven days.

Bonfires – known to the ancient Celts as samghnagans – were an especially integral part of early Samhain observances.

These bonfires – which would often be attended by many, if not all, members of a community – were held to be sacred.

They were often utilized to ritualistically relight hearth fires in peoples’ homes, revered for their cleansing and blessings abilities, and used as a means to burn offerings to deities.

Speaking of which, a long-standing belief persists to this day that Samhain was either a Celtic celebration in honour of the Celts’ god of the dead or that a God named Samhain was honoured at this date.

Many contemporary scholars and Pagans alike generally agree, however, that neither of these possibilities is apt to have actually been the case.

However, death was (and continues to be) a key part of Samhain observances and some etymological sources translate Samhain as meaning “summer’s end”.

The death of the warmer half of the year, the harvest season, and the months when livestock often reproduced and in turn were able to provide a greater volume of products such as eggs and milk are all elements that were acknowledged at Samhain.

While partially solemn, Samhain was also a time of merriment, feasting, and cause for celebration.

Dancing, singing, playing music, storytelling, and (as touched on above) wearing costumes all featured in early Samhain celebrations – just as they continue to do so for some observers of Samhain to this day.

As the evening of Samhain wore on, it was customary for each individual or family to take a torch-lit from the communal bonfire home with them so as to rekindle their hearth fires that had intentionally been snuffed out earlier that day.

This act was a physical way of symbolically bringing about the death of the old year and sparking life anew for the coming year ahead. In addition to acknowledging the vital role that fire would play in helping to keep people safe and warm during the lengthy, bone-chilling winter months ahead.

How do you pronounce Samhain?

As with many words that have Gaelic origins, Samhain is not pronounced the way that most English speakers would instinctively read it.

While the word reads as “Sam Hayne”, it is in fact pronounced SAH-win, SOW-in, or SOW-en by most modern English speaking Pagans and witches, as well as others (such as historians and archeologists) who are interested in this annual event.

Other names for Samhain

Over the course of history, Samhain has gone by a good many names and spelling variants. Some of which include the following Samhain names and spellings:

-Samhuin

-Saman

-Samain

-Oidhche Shamhna

-Harvest Home

-Ancestor Night

-Hallowtide

-Apple Fest

-Third Harvest

-Geimredh

-Candle Night

-Shadow Fest

-Nutcrack Night

-Allantide

-Spirit Night

-Day of the Dead (Feile na Marbh; not to be confused with the separate Mexican holiday of Día de los Muertos.)

-November Eve

Most of these Samhain names hailed from the UK and Ireland, and the majority of them are no longer as commonplace as in centuries past.

It is still wonderfully interesting, however, to see some of the many monikers that this important harvest festival has gone by over the years.

When is Samhain?

As with each of the Neopagan sabbats that comprise The Wheel of The Year, observers are free to celebrate Samhain whenever they desire (in this case, throughout either October or November).

That said, the most common dates for Samhain are, in the Northern Hemisphere, October 30^th, October 31^st, November 1^st, and November 2^nd.

Additionally, some people choose to observe Samhain on or around either October or November’s full moon or the dark moon period of either month. With others preferring to use autumn’s first frost as the day on which they celebrate Samhain.

Transpiring in late October or early November, Samhain is roughly halfway between the Fall Equinox and the Winter Solstice – or, in Pagan terms, Mabon and Yule.

Broadly speaking, October 31^st is considered Samhain’s unofficial official date.

Again though, observers are free to celebrate it on whatever date feels most fitting for them and which aligns with their particular beliefs and/or traditions.

As the sabbats appear during opposite halves of the year in the Northern and Southern hemispheres, many observers who live south of the equator celebrate Samhain on or around May 1st (which is Beltane on this side of the globe).

Are Halloween and Samhain the same thing?

A substantial amount of overlap exists between Halloween and Samhain, and both share a good many of their origins and traditions in common. However, Samhain and Halloween are technically not two words for the same observance or holiday.

While Samhain can certainly be observed secularly, for many witches and Pagans it is an extremely meaningful religious or spiritual holiday.

Halloween, on the other hand (though it actually has some Christian roots, in addition to Pagan ones), is not typically viewed by most as being a religious event.

Fascinatingly, the event we now know as Halloween stems back, in part, to the advent of Christianity in Celtic lands and to the early Church’s desire to Christianize as many of the Pagan/Celtic holidays as possible.

At that time, attempts were made by the Church to transform the observance of Samhain into a more Christian-focused remembrance of the dead.

This led in due course to the creation of All Saints Day on November 1^st and All Souls Days on November 2^nd.

The first honoured and celebrated saints and martyrs, whereas the latter was a time of prayer for, and reflection on, the souls of the departed (including those who may have been languishing in purgatory).

By the time that Middle English was in widespread use, two of the names for All Saints Day had become Allholowmesse and Allhallowtide. With the day prior to November 1^st being designated as All Hallows’ Eve (aka, the day before Allholowmesse).

This title, which is still used to this day as a moniker for the 31^st, would in time morph into the name Allhalloween/Hallowe’en/Hallow’een/Halloween.

These days, the word Halloween is most often spelt as such.

The Hallowe’en spelling endures as well though. Particularly, I’ve noticed amongst people who were currently in their sixties or older.

This stems in part from the fact that the Hallow’een and Hallowe’en spellings were often more common than that of “Halloween” prior to the mid-twentieth century.  

In attempting to stamp out (or at least put a considerably more Christian spin on) Samhain, the Church may in fact have done much to preserve the traditions of Samhain and in turn to lay the groundwork for Halloween as it has been known and celebrated in recent centuries.

When you think of elements of October 31^st such as trick-or-treating, scary movies, and grinning jack-o-lanterns, you are primarily calling to mind Halloween happenings (some of which trace their origins back to the ancient Celts, as well as Northern Europeans of more recent eras).

These and many others make up the classic fun, mischief, and joy that embodies Halloween.

Just about any Halloween-related activity can be woven into a Samhain observance, if one desires.

However, from a Pagan or witchery perspective, Samhain tends to be somewhat more solemn, serious, and highly focused on the dead. So important is this connection that an alternative Neopagan name for Samhain is Ancestor’s Night.

Can you celebrate both Halloween and Samhain?

Yes, absolutely! And a good many witches and Pagans (myself included) opt to observe both events.

Some do so on separate days, others (again, such as myself) observe them both on the same date: October 31^st.

I have said it before, but I will happily say it again. For me personally, Samhain and Halloween are two sides of the same coin.

Each complement and support one another, deepening the observer’s connection to one via the other and vice versa.

Though today, Samhain is not commonly observed amongst those who do not identify as Pagans, Wiccans, or witches, there is technically nothing to stop anyone who wishes to do so from celebrating this annual event. Especially if they approach Samhain with the respect, understanding, and appreciation that it deserves.

Some Pagans and witches celebrate only Samhain, forgoing Halloween either entirely.

Others, particularly those who do not work with Celtic or Norse-based traditions, as well as some atheist and agnostic witches, do not observe Samhain at all. They may instead take part in Halloween happenings or opt to sit out both events.

There is no right or wrong here, simply what aligns most closely with one’s beliefs, passions, traditions, and culture.

Just as with Halloween, two of the colours that are most closely associated with Samhain are orange and black.

In the context of Samhain, orange symbolizes the last warmth of summer, the harvest season, autumn foliage, fire, and the impending return of Yule, at which time some believe the male God is reborn anew as longer amounts of daylight return (gradually increasing daily until Litha/the Summer Solstice).

Black, on the other hand, serves to acknowledge and venerate darkness and death, including that of the God.

The colour black also pertains to mourning, funerals, witchcraft, mystery, otherworldly happenings and beings, the end of the harvest season, and the challenges of winter that lay ahead.

Each of these elements finds its way into contemporary observances of Samhain, making orange and black excellent choices to wear, decorate with, and incorporate in rituals and spellwork during the Samhain season.

If you feel pulled to celebrate both Samhain and Halloween, by all means, go for it! You can take my lead and observe both on the same date or split them between two different dates.

I have known, for example, a number of fellow Pagans and witches (especially those who had youngsters at home at the time) who observed Halloween with gusto on October 31^st and Samhain with every bit as much passion on either October 30^th, November 1^st, or November 2^nd.

If you have reason to believe that observing Samhain to the degree that you desire may not be possible on Halloween itself, doing so on a different date (or later in the evening on the 31^st, after wee ones have retired for the night) may be a pragmatic approach that renders Samhain no less meaningful than if it was held on October 31^st itself.

Why is Samhain called The Witches’ New Year?

The ancient Celts observed a lunar calendar that ended on October 31^st, starting anew on November 1^st. Thus, Samhain became the Celtic New Year.

Some, though not all, branches of contemporary Wicca, Neopaganism, and witchcraft are based, at least in part, on various traditions and beliefs that come down to us from ancient British, Celtic, and Gaelic peoples.

In addition, as Samhain is the final harvest festival, this sabbat marks the end of the (traditional) agricultural season coupled with the unofficial start of winter in many parts of the world.

As such, adopting Samhain as the date in the Wheel of the Year that makes, historically speaking, the most sense from a New Year’s perspective was a natural fit.

While by no means universal, of course, many countries observe the official date of New Year’s as being January 1^st.

And while modern witches and Pagans living in such countries roll with that for the sake of cultural convention, in their personal lives and spiritual practices, they may choose to view their own year as beginning on Samhain (or the day immediately following it).

Personally, the period spanning from Mabon (the Fall Equinox) to Samhain is my spiritual new year.

During this time, more than at any other on the calendar, I feel that the year is coming to a natural end and that November’s biting chill both sounds the death knell for the old year and ushers in the exciting return of the new year ahead.

If you’re keen to learn more about the origins and contemporary practices alike that are associated with Samhain, be sure to check out My Ultimate Guide to Books About the Pagan Sabbats, which includes a number of titles pertaining to Samhain.

31 Samhain quotes that are perfect for The Witches’ New Year

The following is a selection of thirty-one quotes that either directly pertains to Samhain or which are a natural fit for this important Pagan sabbat.

In addition to simply enjoying these quotes unto themselves, you may wish to use one or more of them in various celebratory or magickal ways.

You could, for example, recite one of these quotes at the beginning of a Sabbat ritual, transform a few words from a quote into a sigil, include a relevant quote in a spell bottle/jar, create a piece of art featuring a Samhain quote to put on your altar or elsewhere in your home, or write out several quotes on small cards or pieces of sturdy paper and create an oracle card deck of sorts with them.

As well, fellow paper crafters may enjoy incorporating some of these quotes about Samhain into their papercrafting projects, such as scrapbook pages, mini albums, and handmade cards – to say nothing of things such as canvass art, junk journals and art journals, and home décor pieces, too.

And now, on with the festive selection of 31 Samhain quotes.

Each of these quotes is accompanied by a pin-able/shareable image that you can save to Pinterest, share on social media, or use on your own blog as well.

1. Samhain is the threshold to the Season of Death. The fertile fields of summer give way to the bare forests of autumn. As crops slowly die and winter takes over, the cycle of life is once again approaching a renewal. ~ Dacha Avelin

2. The musky scent of autumn rolled over my town, and I could feel the veil between the worlds getting thinner. ~ Ellen Dugan

3. I feel the nights stretching away
thousands long behind the days
till they reach the darkness where
all of me is ancestor.

~ Annie Finch

4. Wild is the music of autumn winds amongst the faded wood. ~ William Wordsworth

5. I was born on the night of Samhain, when the barrier between the worlds is whisper-thin and when magic, old magic, sings its heady and sweet song to anyone who cares to hear it. ~ Carolyn MacCullough

6. The thing with October is, I think, it somehow gets in your very blood. Unapologetically. Almost ruthlessly. ~ Anne Sexton

7. Across a golden Autumn tapestry appear the spirits of our ancient selves demanding recognition and reward for one haunted night. Sated, they retreat from winter’s onslaught and retire to subconscious hibernation for another twelvemonth. ~ Stewart Stafford

8. Samhain translates prosaically as “summer’s end.” It marks the end of the light half of the Celtic year and the beginning of the dark half. The border between years is distinguished by the border between worlds. ~ Judika Illes

9. The moon sits low above the trees, above the world; a reminder that there is light in darkness and darkness in light, and that everything that was will be again. ~ S.R. Hardy

10. It is traditional on Samhain night to leave a plate of food outside the home for the souls of the dead. A candle placed in the window guides them to the lands of eternal summer, and burying apples in the hard-packed earth ‘feeds’ the passed ones on their journey. ~ Scott Cunningham

11. I can see the lights in the distance trembling in the dark cloak of night. Candles and lanterns are dancing, dancing a waltz on All Souls Nights. ~ Loreena McKennit (Who is one of my all-time favourite musicians; listen to the captivatingly gorgeous song these lines hail from here.)

12. Ah, lovely October, as you usher in the season that awakens my soul, your awesome beauty compels my spirit to soar like a leaf caught in an autumn breeze and my heart to sing like a heavenly choir. ~ Peggy Toney Horton

13. Also known as the witch’s New Year, Samhain celebrates all we’ve accomplished and allows us to do so alongside those who have made it happen: our ancestors. The veil that separates us from them is like a curtain, and we’re able to peek behind it much more easily now than at any other time of year. ~ Gabriela Herstik

14. Take it all in, enjoy every moment, hold on to the experience that is October. Abundance . . . Beauty . . . LIFE! ~ Julie Hage

15. The pagan Samhain is not, and never was, associated with evil or negativity. It has always been a time to reaffirm our belief in the oneness of all spirits, and in our firm resolution that physical death is not the final act of existence. ~ Edain McCoy

16. October is the fallen leaf, but it is also a wider horizon more clearly seen. It is the distant hills once more in sight, and the enduring constellations above them once again. ~ Hal Borland

17. In the human growth cycle, Samhain corresponds to the period of old age when wisdom, freedom of spirit and clarity are experienced. ~ Caitlin Matthews

18. In the entire circle of the year there are no days so delightful as those of a fine October. ~ Alexander Smith

19. With night coming early,

And dawn coming late,

And ice in the bucket

And frost by the gate.

The fires burn

And the kettles sing,

And earth sinks to rest

Until next spring.

~ Clyde Watson

20. The identification of Samhain with the beginning of the New Year comes from the Celtic tradition of each day beginning at sundown. Just as each sabbat festival begins on the eve of the celebrated day, so, too, does the year begin with the advent of winter. ~ Judy Ann Nock

21. Listen! The wind is rising, and the air is wild with leaves, we have had our summer evenings, now for October eves. ~ Humbert Wolfe

22. At Samhain, the circle of the year has come to its final spoke in the Wheel. At this time, the harvest has finished, the dying god interred, and the goddess has descended to the underworld to be with her beloved. ~ Diana Rajchel

23. Life is a cycle, a great wheel that turns throughout time: we are born, we live, we die, and (if we are lucky) we are reborn. ~ Robin Bachar

24. The magic of Samhain is that of endless possibility. Since we return to the beginning, we can begin anew in any way we wish. ~ Michael Furie

25. The moon has awoken with the sleep of the sun. The light has been broken, the spell has begun. ~ Midgard Morningstar

26. Samhain is considered by some to be the most important sabbat. This is because it represents the core experiences of the Craft: of travelling between the worlds, of experiencing death and rebirth, and of ultimately transcending both in the process. ~ Jennifer Hunter

27. The farther we’ve gotten from the magic and mystery of our past, the more we’ve come to need Halloween. ~ Paula Curan

28. Practically, a besom (broom) is used at Samhain to sweep away the last of the autumn leaves; but it is also used to ritually sweep out old energy and create space for the new. ~ Lisa Lister

29. She’d always loved Halloween. A magic night. A night when anything could happen. Monsters could be real. Magic could whisper in the air. ~ Cynthia Eden

30. While the fates permit, live happily; life speeds on with hurried step, and with winged days the wheel of the headlong year is turned. ~ Seneca

31. Samhain. All Hallows. All Hallow’s Eve. Hallow E’en. Halloween. The most magical night of the year. ~ Mike Nichols

Which of these 31 Samhain quotes is your favourite? Do you have other faves that weren’t included here?

If so, please feel free to share them in the comment section below so that we can expand this festive list of Samhain quotes all the more.

The Magick and Meaning of Samhain

Growing up, I always felt like fall made for an infinitely more natural start to the year than January 1^st.

After all, it was when summer ended, a fresh school year began, and nature started to give up the ghost as tree after tree donned its breathtaking autumnal finery.

Upon starting to research contemporary Paganism, Wicca, and witchery in my tween years, I was introduced to The Wheel of the Year and was thrilled to discover that there were other people – both past and present – who felt this way as well.

From a spiritual perspective, Samhain is my New Year – just as it is for many fellow Pagans, Wiccans, and witches.

Yet Samhain (much like Halloween) is so much more than “just” that to me.

It is the sabbat that resonates most deeply with my soul. The time in which I can all but see the other side of the veil as clear as day. It is when my ancestors don’t just stop by to say hi, but clammer to spend the day enjoying both Halloween and Samhain activities with me.

The Samhain + Halloween season is when I feel my absolute witchiest. As well as the happiest, most content, and most whole as a spiritual being.

On Samhain/Halloween, the acknowledgement of death makes me feel starkly more alive.

It also comforts me and serves as a powerful reminder that, to my mind and beliefs, there is a realm beyond our own waiting for the time when my current corporal body calls it quits.

Samhain recognizes and honours the long hours of night that fill fall and winter. It is a time of balance between the light and dark halves of the year, as well as for introspection, shadow work, banishing, healing, honouring the dead, and setting new plans into motion.

This sabbat marks the end of the harvest season and the unofficial beginning of winter. Solemness and joyfulness alike weave their way into Samhain.

On this day, we remember the departed – both human and animal. And our own mortality stares us squarely in the face, alongside the blessings and thrills of life.

I sincerely hope that the thirty-one quotes featured in this post help you to feel all the more connected with Samhain (and/or Halloween).

As well as that they provide inspiration to you as you observe The Witches’ New Year – both this time around and for many an October 31^st to come.

May this Samhain be a safe, happy, magickal, abundantly blessed, and enchantingly meaningful one for each of you, dear friends!

The post 31 Samhain Quotes That are Perfect for The Witches’ New Year appeared first on Witchcrafted Life.

Halloween and Samhain are mere days away – a point that makes this autumn adoring witch immeasurably happy.

As a season that is inherently connected to themes of harvesting, change, endings, and death, it is no surprise that autumn – and in particular, October – is inextricably linked with cemeteries and graveyards.

Plenty of these are rendered in decoration form during the spooky season and they can be a wonderfully hair-raising thrill to experience.

However, the real deal was the original deal, so to speak, and it is this type of burial ground that we’ll be focusing on in today’s post.

Whether you are a fellow taphophile (if this term is new to you, be sure to check out my in-depth post, What Is Taphophilia? Exploring the Fascinating Subject of Grave Hunting) or simply someone who enjoys visiting cemeteries and graveyards, these hallowed spots are a nearly universal element of the human experience and one that provides no shortage of interest and inspiration to many.

So much so, in fact, that numerous folks over the years have opted to create whole websites and blogs devoted to subjects such as cemeteries, graveyards, headstones, funerals, burials (including the green burials), and death positivity.  

Enmeshed as we currently are in the heart of All Hallows’ season, with that most liminal of days (Samhain/Halloween) rounding the bend again, I thought now would be an excellent time to share a selection of cemetery focused blogs with you.

These sites are chocked full of lovely photographs, fascinating history, passionate writing, and ample inspiration for taphophiles, history buffs, genealogists, and many others who enjoy visiting and/or learning about cemeteries and the souls who were laid to rest there.

It is my pleasure to bring you a list of 13 awesome cemetery focused blogs that every taphophile should be following.

As quite possibly the least pushy person or bossy person ever, please note that I use the word “should” very lightly here. Consider it a suggestion to do so if these kinds of blogs appeal to you, not an order by any means.

13 wonderful cemetery blogs for taphophiles and graveyard fans everywhere

Adventures in Cemetery Hopping

Founded at the start of 2013 by Traci Rylands, Adventures in Cemetery Hopping houses a large number of posts devoted to – as you likely guessed from its name – cemeteries.

Traci’s photo-rich posts feature an array of different US cemeteries, often with a focus on one or more particular grave(s) at a specific burial ground (including, in some instances, those of celebrities).

If you’re an armchair cemetery traveller, settle in, clear your schedule for a few hours, and get lost in the informative and highly engaging burial grounds Traci treats her readers to every month.

A Grave Announcement

The introductory slogan of A Grave Announcement is “Unearthing the Lives of the Dead”. Much to the delight of cemetery and history enthusiasts everywhere, this blog lives up to that tagline in spades.

It is a deeply engaging site that takes an in-depth, well-researched look at the lives of various deceased individuals and the final resting places they now call home.

Billion Graves

The blog Billion Graves (which is the companion blog to the well-known and very popular website, BillionGrave.com) not only discusses burial grounds, but also takes a look at other areas pertaining to death, mourning, internment, and genealogy.

From Victorian Mourning Clothes (another favourite subject of mine) to Native American Burial Rites, this website does an excellent and respectful job of detailing the past and present history of death, mourning, and remembrance.

Canadian Cemetery History (blog)

As you will have no doubt deduced from the name of this blog, Canadian Cemetery History is a site devoted to documenting the history of various Canadian burial grounds (with an emphasis on those in Ontario).

As a born and raised Canadian who just happens to be a passionate taphophile, it’s safe to say that it was love at first sight for me when I hit upon this blog.

One need not be a fellow canuck to enjoy Canadian Cemetery History, however. Its content is thoroughly interesting, richly informative, and accompanied by no shortage of photos from each cemetery featured. If the subject of burial grounds in general interests you, this blog is apt to be right up your alley.

Cemetery Club

On the Cemetery Club’s about page, blog author Sheldon K. Goodman states that “Burial Grounds are like libraries – admittedly, libraries of the dead”. I adore – and very much agree with – this insightful comparison and feel it does a terrific job of capturing the spirit and care that goes into each insightful British history and photo-filled entry housed on Cemetry Club.

Cemetery Photography by Chantal Larochelle

You know that feeling when you hit upon a blog and instantly feel like, if you had the pleasure of meeting them, you’d likely be fast friends with the soul behind that site? In my case, I got that sense the moment I discovered the site Cemetery Photography by Chantal Larochelle.

A fellow Canadian with a keen interest in photographing cemeteries (something I adore doing as well, as you may have spotted both here and on my Instagram), Chantal skillfully captures the soulful beauty of cemeteries and the headstones they house.

Her lovely images are accompanied by blog posts that span a wide array of not only cemetery locations, but also topics pertaining to various death and burial ground-related matters (for example, cemetery etiquette).

Cemetery Travel

One of the best-known and longest-standing blogs in the wee world that is the burial ground blogosphere, Cemetery Travel is a taphophile’s dream site.

The creation of author Loren Rhoads (whose excellent books Wish You Were Here: Adventures in Cemetery Travel and 199 Cemeteries to See Before You Die are must-reads for grave hunters and history buffs everywhere), this splendid site showcases and discusses dozens of different cemeteries around the world, each accompanied by photos and enjoyable insights on these locations.

Loren’s posts – just like her books – are engaging, informative, and always a great read.

Goth Gardening

For several years now, I have had the pleasure of engaging online via our respective blogs (starting my now long retired vintage fashion blog) with the sweet soul behind Goth Gardening. Her blog, while not exclusively related to cemetery topics, covers this subject extensively and she is a passionate fellow taphophile all the way!

I adore the thought and research that the Goth Gardener pours into her entries, just as I do the emphasis she places on highlighting the lives and ensuing deaths of females across the ages.

Presently, she is penning a book related to that important topic, which is provisionally titled Women Writers Buried in Virginia Cemeteries. I’m sure it will be a fantastic and highly informative read, just as her blog posts themselves are.

Graveyards of Scotland

To date, I have not had the pleasure of setting foot on Scottish soil. This country has, however, captured my heart and imagination for as far back and I can recall. Visiting its ancient soil is a travel dream I dearly hope can come to fruition one day.

In the meantime, I am clocking many an armchair traveller frequent flyer mile via the fantastic blog, Graveyards of Scotland.

On this engaging site, one is treated to a treasure trove of beautiful photographs detailing various parts of Scotland (many a gravesite included) and accompanying posts that are every bit as lovely. If you have even so much as a faint interest in Scotland, I cannot recommend this blog highly enough.

The Cemetery Traveller

Passion and research go hand-in-hand on The Cemetery Traveler blog, which is choc-a-block with posts devoted to various American cemeteries.

Run by Ed Synder, this site has been bringing the web and world at large high-quality cemetery content (some of which Ed has compiled in a self-published book, The Cemetery Traveler) for more than a decade now and is sure to appeal to taphophiles and history fans both inside and out of the States.

The Graveyard Detective

Another long-time leading light in the world of cemetery blogs, The Graveyard Detective honours the departed with compassionate explorations into the lives and final resting places of those interred at various British cemeteries. Readers with an interest in war history will appreciate the attention paid to victims of 20th-century battles, such as WWI.

The Jolly Taphophile

Being such a young province in terms of non-First Nations inhabitants, a fair number of British Columbia’s burial grounds are pioneer cemeteries, housing the remains of some of the province’s 19th and early 20th century residents.

As a result of having lived in BC for much of my life, I have a soft spot for pioneer cemeteries and adore the fact that Sharon, the Canadian blogger (and fellow death positive taphophile) behind The Jolly Taphophile, shares this interest.

Her site, which has been going strong since 2010, teems with visits to various older cemeteries and explorations into their history. Many of these entries star a video from her enjoyable YouTube channel, Amongst the Headstones.

The London Dead

In a city with some of the world’s most beautiful, historically rich, and well-known burial grounds, it’s no surprise that a fellow cemetery fan decided to start a blog devoted to London’s cemeteries. That is precisely what Mr. David Bingham has done with The London Dead.

This site explores the fascinating history of London’s cemeteries, crypts, and churchyards (with travel posts to additional destinations). If your heart beats extra fast for ornate, elegant yesteryear European cemeteries, this is the blog for you!

(Please, do note that some of the posts on The London Dead are NSFW and definitely not for young eyes either due to the adult content they contain.)

_{(The images above all hail from, and are the respective property of, the blogs that they are linked back to.)}

Additional blogs and websites about cemeteries

Honourable mention, as it is not strictly a cemetery blog, goes to The Irish Aesthete.

This instantly captivating blog shines the spotlight on the history of Ireland in an articulate, accessible manner that will have you reading for hours.

Amongst the content shared, you’ll find a slew of wonderful posts pertaining to graveyards and cemeteries around Ireland (which, as someone who lived in the Emerland Isle during my very early 20s, I can attest are, unto themselves, well worth booking a flight to Ireland to see in person).

Likewise, you may adore the sites Grave Photography (which was last updated in 2016) and Taphophile Tragics (last updated in 2012), both of which were/are cemetery-focused blogs.

The fact that neither has been updated in a few years excluded them from the list above, which focuses on active blogs. However, as their content is the bee’s knees, I definitely wanted to mention them here all the same.

As well, on top of the sites listed above, various cemeteries – for example, the Lauren Hill Cemetery in Philadelphia and Forest Lawn Cemetery in New York state, respectively – maintain fascinating and informative blogs of their own.

You may want to look up cemeteries in your area, those you visit while travelling, or which you otherwise have a keen interest in to see if they currently have a blog you could follow.

In addition, as you might imagine, there are various blogs and websites that pertain to other and/or additional elements of taphophilia. For example, areas such as the funeral industry (e.g., Funeral One), exploring historical churches (e.g., My Church Adventures), death positivity (e.g., The Order of the Good Death), and the experience of death/grieving (e.g., The Amateur’s Guide to Death and Dying).

Such websites could easily make for a blog post all their own, so if that is something you are interested in seeing here, please do not hesitate to let me know in the comments below.

Passion with multiple purposes

For many who deeply appreciate cemeteries and other taphophilia-related topics, documenting and discussing burial grounds goes far beyond elements such as the beautiful aesthetics of burial grounds.

Each of us has a unique and highly personal relationship with the subject and complexities of death.

Birth and death are set in stone for every last one of us who has ever lived. Some people are completely at ease discussing, thinking about, and focusing on topics pertaining to dying and death, others are less comfortable (understandably) with these subjects. In turn, they may not be big fans of visiting cemeteries unless required to do so for funerals or to visit deceased loved ones.

There is no right or wrong way to have a relationship with death. It is, after all, the greatest unknown.

We have theories, scientific viewpoints, religious and spiritual interpretations, and ideas of what may lay on the other side of the veil. Ultimately though (no matter how sure you may be about your beliefs, experiences, and convictions), until we breathe our last, none of us can say with absolute certainty what lies beyond.

Graveyards and cemeteries invite us to explore the subject of our mortality, as well as that of those who have gone before us.

Burial grounds remind us of both the fragility and strength of life, of the cyclical nature of existence (as we are all, to paraphrase Carl Sagan, the stuff of stardust), of loss and grief, and of celebrating the miracle of life while we’re still fortunate to be here.

Most people with a deeply seated interest in subjects pertaining to cemeteries and death have a great reverence for the departed and the sacred spaces we as a species have chosen to place many of deceased in.

Cemetery-focused blogs (as well as social media accounts on the subject) provide insight, inspiration, and information alike to those who are drawn to the subject of death for whatever reason.

I respect each of the bloggers above and really appreciate the time, effort, and passion that they pour into their captivating websites.

Much as with visiting a physical cemetery itself, these blogs are able to evoke a multitude of thoughts and feelings in their viewers, document history in the process, and remind us in a supportive way that one day we too pass on into the great beyond.

Hopefully, of course, that won’t be happening anytime soon for most of us! And while we’re still getting our mortal groove on, we can appreciate, learn from, and be inspired by cemeteries and numerous wonderful blogs devoted to burial grounds around the world.

Do you follow cemetery related blogs? What was the last cemetery or graveyard that you visited in person?

The post 13 Awesome Cemetery Focused Blogs Every Taphophile Should Be Following appeared first on Witchcrafted Life.

For many of us, however, autumn’s unofficial start took place earlier this week on September 1^st.

And for others still, fall commenced even earlier, at some point (such as Lammas) in August.

No matter when you opt to officially roll out the red (or would that be orange and black? ) carpet for fall, it’s a safe bet to say that many of us jump at the chance to celebrate and make the most of this gorgeous chapter of the year.

For my fellow paper crafters – and indeed, crafty and creative souls of all kinds – fall provides boundless inspiration for our projects.

I am the first person to not just jump, but pole vault when it comes to creating craft projects for special autumn events and holidays such as Thanksgiving (both Canadian and American, respectively), Mabon, Halloween, Samhain, Día de los Muertos, and Remembrance Day (November 11^th).

However, sometimes one wants to shake things up and make cards or other paper crafting projects that are fall-related, but not strictly for the major holidays.

You can, of course, bestow a fall theme onto nearly any type of paper crafting project – from birthday to get well cards, mini albums to tags. Goodness knows I do so with gusto!

It can be a lot of fun though to have a cool launching pad for your creativity that you might not have drawn inspiration from often, if ever before.

To that end, I have compiled a list of some of my favourite classic, unique, poignant, and just plain charming happenings and beloved events that can deliver big time on the fall paper crafting inspiration front.

Each entry is accompanied by a paper crafting item that corresponds to the topic at hand. Naturally, in many instances there are others on the theme to be had as well, so don’t be shy when it comes to Googling for what you’re after.

Whether you are making cards, scrapbook pages, mini albums, canvasses, art journal pages, traveller’s notebooks, pocket letters, MemoryDex cards, home décor item, or any other type of paper crafting project, I hope that the following list helps to stoke the (bon)fires of your creativity all the more this autumn – and for many more to come.

45 Special Occasions and Fun Reasons to Make Cards (and Other Paper Crafting Projects) For This Fall

1. The harvest season: A boundless treasure trove of inspiration lies in the autumn harvest season and the scrumptious bounty that it produces.

Apples, pears, grapes, figs, cranberries, corn, squash, parsnips, cabbage, beets, garlic, mushrooms, potatoes, carrots, brussels sprouts, pumpkins, wheat, barley, and honey are just some of the many delicious fall harvest foods that can serve as a fantastic source of inspiration not only for your meals and seasonal décor, but also for your paper crafting projects.

2. Spirit Day (October 15^th): This annual event draws attention to, and strives to provide support for victims of, the continued widespread abuse and bullying faced by many LGBTQ+ youth around the world.

Use Spirit Day (which is represented by the colour purple) as an ideal time to send cards of support or good cheer to the young LGBTQ+ people in your life.

3. Native American Day (USA; 4^th Friday in September in some states, 2^nd Monday of October in South Dakota and Wisconsin): The roots of this important celebration of Native American culture stretch back to 1939.

Native American Day deserves widespread recognition and observance. It serves as the perfect time of the year (though doing so should be an ongoing lifelong happening, especially for those who live in North America) to further educate oneself about, and celebrate, Native American history and culture both past and present.

(Note: For those in Canada, a similar observation, Indigenous Peoples’ Day, occurs annually on June 21^st.

4. Oktoberfest: Though the ongoing global pandemic has caused the cancellation of Oktoberfest again this year, the spirit that it embodies can still be celebrated all the same.

Whether one enjoys a hearty pint of lager or simply wishes to pay tribute to their German heritage (where applicable), Oktoberfest – which is a sixteen to eighteen-day event that begins in mid and runs until the first Sunday in October) is a time of merriment, hearty food, and plenty of beer.

One need not drink, however, to celebrate Oktoberfest, be it in real life or in paper crafting form. I myself do not drink (or more specifically, have been unable to drink alcohol of any kind for two decades now due to medical reasons), yet as someone with a hefty slice of German ancestry, I use Oktoberfest as a time to reflect on and honour this part of my family tree.

5. International Mountain Day (December 11^th): The world as we know it would be a radically different place if it was devoid of mountains and the ecosystems that these vital natural structures house.

Hailing from a part of Canada (the province of British Columbia) that is all but overflowing with mountains, I have quite the soft spot in my heart for these majestic marvels of nature and have frequently used them as a source of inspiration in my paper crafting.

Whether you live in the Rockies, Swiss Alps, or the flattest part of the globe, it can be a blast to incorporate mountains into our paper crafting both on International Mountain Day and all throughout the rest of the year.

6. Monthly birthstones: While, naturally, often thought of in the context of jewelry, birthstones can also be a marvellous source of creative inspiration (think birthstone colours, rhinestones, and sentiments such as “You’re a gem”) and a memorable way to help celebrate someone special’s birthday.

The following are the most common modern-day birthstones for each of the fall months:

-September birthstone: Sapphire

-October birthstones: Tourmaline and opal

-November birthstones: Citrine and topaz

-December birthstones: Turquoise, tanzanite, and blue zircon

7. Grandparents Day: When I was growing up, Grandparents’ Day seemed to be observed more often here in Canada and I fondly remember making cards and gifts for my grandparents throughout my youth. While, rather unjustifiably, if you ask me, not as well known or widely observed as Mother’s Day and Father’s Day, respectively, Grandparents’ Day takes place on various dates in different countries around the world.

Here in Canada, as well as in the US, Grandparents’ Day takes place in the first half of September. Interestingly, officially, Canada did away with Grandparents’ Day in 2014. However, it is still observed by many, most of whom simply use the US date to mark this meaningful celebration.

This year, Grandparents’ Day falls on Sunday, September 12^th in the States. You need not wait though for this day to honour and celebrate the grandparents in your life. Why not send a heartfelt greeting to your nana, pawpaw, bubby, or granddad this autumn and let them know they’re in your thoughts all season long?

8. World Card Making Day (1^st Saturday in October): Really and truly, you could not find a more apt day to day to create cards on, or for, than World Card Making Day itself.

A beloved annual event amongst crafters around the world, this delightful celebration of all things card making related took root at least a decade ago now and continues to grow in popularity each year.

9. National Taco Day (USA; October 4^th): I don’t know about you, but personally I haven’t met too many people thus far who didn’t enjoy at least one or two types of tacos

If you flip your shell for a great taco or know someone else who does, use National Taco Day as a charming reason to serve up a taco themed card, tag, or other paper crafting project. It’s bound to house all of the fun of the real deal, with none of the risk of your taco shell breaking!

10. The Fall Equinox (September 22^nd): For many an autumn lover the world over, the Fall Equinox alone can power our creative engines all season long – and for good measure!

Fall is an exquisitely beautiful and highly meaningful chapter of the year that offers us a welcome respite between the extremes of summer and winter, and which can be translated in countless ways through our craft projects, be they be paper-based or otherwise.

11. World Post Day (October 9^th): Much as with World Card Making Day, World Post Day is ideally suited to paper crafters.

This annual fall time event was established in 1969 and aims to bring awareness of, and recognition to, the many important roles that the postal system plays in the lives of billions of people around the globe.

As a paper crafter, I see this as the epitome of a great reason to send out some “happy mail” to fellow crafters and plenty of “thinking of you” mail to friends and family around the globe.

12. Bonfire Night (UK and Ireland; November 5^th): Also commonly known, when observed on the 5^th of November, as Guy Fawkes Night, this post-Halloween celebration is a mainstay in parts of Europe, though less so elsewhere in the world.

If you live outside of a country that officially takes part in Bonfire Night, why not use the crisp, chilly days of early November as a wonderful time to celebrate bonfires (and heart fires, too) in general?

For example, in order to do so via paper crafting, you could make a card or tag for someone featuring an image of a fire, fireplace, or glowing candle with a sentiment such as, “You warm my heart” or “You light up my life”.

13. National Cat Day (USA; October 29^th): This meaningful day aims to raise awareness about the many thousands of cats that need rescuing across America. Though this issue is, of course, is a widespread global one as well.

Cats are closely associated with fall (in particular with Halloween and Samhain), so why not use this autumn as an excellent time to spread awareness about rescuing cats via your paper crafting (and/or by adopting a precious new fur baby yourself)?

14. A sense of balance: This one pertains to the Fall Equinox/Mabon in particular, but is also applicable to autumn as a whole.

As one of just two days of the year (the other being the Spring Equinox/Ostara) in which the hours of light and dark are roughly equal, the Autumn Equinox helps to remind us of the importance of seeking, creating, fostering, and celebrating various forms of balance and harmony in our lives.

Use the serenity of fall and the blessing of balance as a meaningful springboard for various creative projects this season. In addition, you may wish to utilize fall’s sense of balance in your self-care and wellness-focused activities, too.

15. International Bacon Day: If bacon is your jam (or if bacon jam is your jam ) then why not take a hearty bite of inspiration from one of the world’s most beloved pork products and celebrate International Bacon Day on September 4^th with a project that incorporated a crafting version this very moreish meat?

(Naturally, those who prefer non-pork bacon, such as beef, turkey, or chicken, as well as vegetarian and vegan bacon options can just as easily raise a fork to International Bacon Day, too.)

16. Canadian and American Labour Day (September 6^th): While not necessarily the first holiday that may spring to mind as an occasion to make cards for, Labour Day can in fact provide a wealth of paper crafting inspiration.

Use this annual event to create a scrapbook layout, mini album, card or other type of project that honours either your own career path or the profession of someone special in your life.

17. International Volunteer Day (December 5^th): This important annual event celebrates and raises awareness of the work that volunteers around the world contribute to society.

Utilize International Volunteer Day as an excellent opportunity to acknowledge and thank the hard working volunteers in your own life and/or community.

18. Fall leaves: I know that autumn flowers and foliage appear as an entry elsewhere on this list, but much as with pumpkins and the broader harvest season, so too do fall leaves deserve their own entry.

Synonymous with autumn in much of the Western Hemisphere, crispy, crunchy earth and jewel-toned leaves are a gorgeous element of fall and a poignant reminder of the cyclical nature both of the seasons and of life in general.

Awesomely, no shortage of leaf-themed products (from stamps to metal dies, stickers to stencils) exist in the paper crafting world, many of which suit the splendours of fall time foliage to an absolute tee.

19. World Kindness Day (November 13^th): On the list of things that there can never be too much of on this planet, kindness ranks extremely high up there in my books.

If you’re equally keen on kindness, I encourage you to use the middle of November as a fantastic time to acknowledge and thank some of the people in your life whose kindness and care have made a lasting impact on your days.

20. National Ampersand Day (USA; September 8^th): If you’ve ever looked at the humble, elegant, and very hardworking ampersand (aka, the “and symbol”) and thought that it deserved its own special day of recognition, then National Ampersand Day is for you!

Plenty of paper crafting products (particularly stamps and dies) feature ampersands, which means that should have no trouble coming up with lots & lots of charming craft project ideas that feature or include this beloved symbol.

21. Breast Cancer Awareness Month (October): As one of the most common cancers in the modern world, rare is the family that has not been touched in some way breast cancer.

If you have a cancer patient or survivor in your family, friend group, or elsewhere in your life, October can be an excellent time to let that person know you’re thinking of them as they’re battling this extremely challenging disease or that you are super proud of all they’ve accomplished in their fight with breast cancer.

As well, you may wish to look into if any of the oncology departments or clinics in your area accept handmade cards, and, if they do, create some supportive greetings for strangers who are battling not only breast cancer, but cancers of all types.

(On the cancer awareness front autumn is also home to both prostate cancer and ovarian cancer awareness in September, and stomach cancer and pancreatic cancer awareness in November.)

22. National Pumpkin Day (USA; October 26^th): I know, I know, pumpkins definitely fall under the first entry on this list, but as one of the most iconic and universally beloved symbols of fall, there’s no way I could deprive National Pumpkin Day of its own entry here.

Be they classic or cute, silly or spooky, pumpkins and the grinning jack-o-lanterns we carve from them are one of the best and most enjoyable ways to instantly convey fall time fun in your paper crafting projects.

23. World Tourism Day (September 27^th): In this time of serious ongoing global challenges brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic, most of us are not doing a great deal of international (or even national) travelling. That doesn’t mean, however, that we can’t still celebrate our passion for adventure via our paper crafting.

Whether you make a project pertaining to your own travels or a card for a wanderlust-filled loved one, this fall is a terrific time to acknowledge highly meaningful role travel plays not only in our own lives, but in those of countless others across the globe.

24. Fall time flowers and foliage: It is natural to associate spring and summer with lush, gorgeous gardens teeming with blooms as far as the eye can see. However, fall is not without its own wonderful crop of flowers and greenery as well – any and all of which can provide a host of inspiration to crafters everywhere.

Amongst the star players when it comes to autumn flowers you’ll find such beautiful offerings as chrysanthemums, sunflowers, flowering kale, dianthus, shrub roses, cosmos, autumn sedum, heuchera, goldenrod, croton, black-eyed Susan, hydrangeas, snapdragons, purple fountain grass, amaranthus, marigolds, beautyberry, helenium, cornflowers, pansies, violas, and plenty of hearty varieties of roses.

25. International Talk Like a Pirate Day (September 19^th): Ahoy, maties! If it’s the pirate’s life for you, then your timbers are apt to be shivered and your creativity fuelled by this thoroughly fun annual event, which provides no shortage of paper crafting inspiration.

26. The Northern Lights: While the Northern Lights (aka, the Aurora Borealis) can be seen throughout the year in various parts of the world, according to NASA, if you live in the Northern Hemisphere, you are twice as likely to spot this breathtaking natural event during the spring and fall months than you in the winter and summer.

Though many people do not live in areas that are northerly enough to witness the Aurora Borealis in person, happily, we can whip up our own dazzling Northern Lights displays via our paper crafting, particularly via ink blended and/or stamped skies.

27. National Beer Lover’s Day (USA; September 7^th): Raise a pint to one of the world’s most beloved and frequently consumed beverages by brewing up a card or other paper crafting project that pays homage to the sudsy tipple that is beer.

28. Fall fashion: Cozy sweaters, chunky knit scarves, fleece shirts, warm coats, opaque tights, and cute gloves are but a few of the fabulous fashion elements that call autumn home.

If, like me, you tend to (vastly) prefer dressing for the cooler half of the year or if you know someone who does, then fall is the ideal time to celebrate your passion for autumnal fashion via not only your wardrobe, but also your paper crafting.

Think cable knit patterned embossing folders and papers, adorable sweater-themed stamp sets, and super cute stickers depicting scarves, to name but a few creative possibilities on this fun and festive front.

29. World Teacher’s Day (October 5^th): Fall and the start of the school year have, in many parts of the world, gone hand in hand for centuries. Autumn is a wonderful and very fitting time to celebrate and honour the teachers in our lives and families, as well as to reflect back (such as in scrapbooking form) on those educators whose impact remains with us to this day.

30. Pumpkin spice everything: Though I’m the first to acknowledge that not everyone flips their lid for pumpkin spice flavoured foods and beverages (be they coffee-based or otherwise), for those of us who do, we’d gladly consume little else from the first day of September right on until the Winter Solstice.

If pumpkin spice makes your heart skip a beat, try whipping up some fun, festive fall themed paper crafting projects that embrace your – or a friend’s – passion for this thoroughly beautiful flavour melange.

31. National Women’s Friendship Day (USA; third Sunday in September): Yaaasss!!! As someone who is a massive proponent of women supporting women and the importance of friendship amongst women, I am 110% in favour of National Women’s Friendship Day.

I’ve quickly some to adore using this annual event as inspiration to make and send cards out to some of my cherished female friends around the globe.

You can easily do the same, too, and do not need any special supplies to create cards or other paper crafting projects for the gal pals in your own life.  

32. Fall time farmer’s markets and produce stands: Growing up, my family had a treasured annual tradition of visiting some of the beautiful and abundantly stocked farmer’s market produce stands in a tiny community less than an hour’s drive south of us. Later on, when as an adult I returned to the same town I spent much of my youth in, I continued this tradition with my husband.

Though we now live considerably further north in the same region and don’t make it that far south most falls, we continue to seek out, celebrate, and support local produce stands and farmer’s markets throughout the autumn months. And rare is the year that some, if not all, of the pumpkins, gourds, squashes, ears of corn, apples, and pears we purchase for Halloween/Samhain don’t hail from such sources.

Whether you are fortunate to have your own local sources for autumnal produce or not, you can easily celebrate this fall time mainstay via the plethora of seasonal paper crafting products that tap into autumn farmer’s markets and create projects that are no less invitingly gorgeous than the real deal.

33. International Rabbit Day (the 4^th Saturday in September): Did you know that, following cats and dogs, rabbits are the third most common pets in numerous countries?

And for good measure! These cute, clever, and charming long-eared animal friends are beautiful creatures that deserve our respect and love, whether we opt to keep one (or more) in our house or not.

The paper crafting world houses, rather fittingly, a proliferation of cotton tail related products, meaning that you can just as easily create rabbit-themed projects in the fall as you can come springtime (the season many of us associate most closely with bunnies).

34. Fall time weather: Just as rain showers can symbolize spring and sunshine is the epitome of a natural fit for summer, so too can we look to the weather for autumn paper crafting inspiration.

Blustery wind, golden rays of sun, vivid autumn sunsets, and even the first frost can all lend a helping hand on the creativity front when looking for themes this season.

35. National Pasta Day (USA; October 17^th): Much as with tacos, rare is the person who doesn’t like at least a few varieties of pasta!

Be it made with wheat, gluten-free alternatives (such as corn, rice, quinoa, buckwheat, or chickpeas), almond flour, shirataki, or other types of ingredients, pasta is a beloved staple in many cuisines and households around the world.

Let this versatile and thoroughly tasty food make for a delightful source of inspiration when dishing up a fall time paper crafting project.

36. The full moons of fall: Perhaps no other full moon is more famous than the breathtaking harvest moon of early autumn (technically the harvest moon is the full moon that occurs closest to the Fall Equinox). Yet each of autumn’s full moons is a gorgeous sight and occurrence that is worthy of being celebrated in paper form.

The year’s monthly full moons are all known by various names across the world. In English speaking countries, some of the most common names for the fall time full moons include:

-September: Harvest Moon, Autumn Moon, Corn Moon, Full Corn Moon, Barley Moon, Falling Leaves Moon (also used at times for October’s full moon), Rutting Moon, Child Moon, and Leaves Turning Moon

-October: Harvest Moon (if the full moon closest to the Fall Equinox transpires in October), Hunter’s Moon, Blood Moon, Sanguine Moon, Falling Leaves Moon, Frost Moon, Migrating Moon, and Dying Grass Moon

-November: Beaver Moon, Frosty Moon, Mourning Moon (this name is most commonly applied when November’s full moon is the last full moon before the Winter Solstice), Digging Moon, Freezing Moon, and the Oak Moon, though the latter is also given at times to December’s full moon.

-December (some years – including this one – the full moon falls during the fall time portion of December): Cold Moon, Oak Moon, Moon Before Yule, Long Night Moon, Snow Moon, Drift Clearing Moon, Midwinter Moon, and Hoar Frost Moon.

There are oodles of moon-related paper crafting products out there that can make celebrating the full moons of autumn all the more possible, though one can certainly do the same with some basic paper crafting supplies, such as circle punches, ink blended skies that include a moon, or moon themed stickers.

37. International Day of Sign Languages (September 23^rd): Globally, more than 300 different sign languages are spoken.

The meaningful annual observance of International Day of Sign Languages (the date of which was selected to coincide with the founding in 1951 of the World Federation of the Deaf) honours and celebrates sign language, and is an excellent motivator to learn more about this diverse, incredibly important form of communication.

38. Dictionary Day (October 16^th): And speaking of language-related entries, how about celebrating Dictionary Day via your paper crafting this fall?

This odd to lexicology takes place on October 16^th (the birth date of Noah Webster, the founder of Webster’s Dictionary) and is the ideal time to bust out your favourite dictionary related scrapbooking and card making supplies, or simply celebrate the important role that words play in our paper crafting projects the whole year through.

39. Candy Corn Day (October 30^th): In my experience, much as with raisins, people tend to either love or loath candy corn. Personally, I adore it – not just eating the real deal, but creating with craft versions of this sweet, adorable fall time staple as well.

Thankfully, one need not enjoy consuming candy to do the same. Plenty of paper crafting brands offer candy corn-themed goodies that are just the ticket for making some of the sweetest fall time cards, scrapbook pages, and other projects around.

40. International Daughter’s Day (September 26^th): This observance strives to acknowledge daughters around the world and, in doing so, to help raise awareness of the challenges, struggles, and plights experienced by many female children and adults globally.

It can also be an excellent time to honour one’s own daughters and/or, if applicable, the fact that you are a daughter yourself.

41. Vintage fall and Halloween: From campy, fabulous movies (see: Abbot and Costello Meet Frankenstein, for example) to highly collectable yesteryear Halloween décor, looking to the past as inspiration for present-day autumn craft projects can be an awesome way to imbue a strong sense of nostalgia into one’s fall time creative makes.

42. National Cookie Day (USA; December 4^th): It’s only fitting, if you ask me, that National Cookie Day transpires in the same month as many of the best known and most beloved winter holidays (for which cookies are often an integral sweet treat for a lot of folks).

Falling on December 4^th, however, National Cookie Day is still squarely in the realm of autumn and can be a fantastic time to whip up some delectable cookies (aka, biscuits for those in various parts of the world, such as the UK, Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand) – be they the real deal or those rendered in equally welcome paper crafting form.

43. Fall zodiac signs: This autumn begins on the last day of Virgo and spans, as each fall does, the signs of Libra, Scorpio, and Sagittarius. If you or someone in your life has a birthday during the autumn months, why not look to the stars for some celestially guided paper crafting inspiration?

44. Button Day (November 16^th): Rare is the textile or paper crafter who hasn’t worked with buttons at least a time or two. For many of us creative folks, buttons are a beloved mainstay in our craft supply arsenal.

This November, embrace your love of this charming fastener by whipping up a project or two (or ten!) that includes buttons – be they the real, die cut versions, button themed stickers, stamped button images, or anything else your creative, button adoring heart can dream up!

45. International Coffee Day (October 1st): Feeling a bit knackered from all the exciting paper crafting you’ve been doing this fall? Then why not brew up a hefty cup of your favourite java and use this delightful event to celebrate your – or a fellow joe adoring friend’s – passion for the beloved pep-inducing drink that is coffee?

*Bonus 46^th reason* #MakeHalloween365: The super fun hashtag #MakeHalloween365 that I created and launched earlier this year.

I am all for using hashtags as inspiration for our crafting, as the projects we share with them can, in turn, help to delight and inspire others.

If you’re not doing so already, I welcome and encourage you to use the hashtag #MakeHalloween365 anytime you share any sort of creative project, blog post, or photo online that pertains to Halloween.

I check this hashtag regularly and love to feature posts that use it on my Instagram stories.

Let’s band together and help #MakeHalloween365 grow and become all the more of a thriving hub of spooky season creative inspiration for fellow All Hallows’ Eve fans around the globe.

Note: The dates listed here for national and international observances are for the year of 2021. Dates may differ in future years but are apt to still fall around the same general points on the calendar.

Please also note that images used in the above list are copyright of their respective sources. To learn more about a particular image and/or the product that it features, please click on the link in the caption directly below a given image.

Welcome September, welcome autumn!

Personally, my mind, spirituality, and heart begin attuning with fall come Lammas, at the beginning of August.

However, there is just something about the first day (and week) of September that instantly makes it feel like fall has begun, regardless of whether the temperature outside is still hot enough to fry pancakes on the sidewalk or chilly enough to make ice cubes out back once the sun has set.

Like many of us, I am elated that September has returned and am embracing fall’s resplendence with the most open of arms. Not only for its own marvellous merits, but also because this summer has been quite the doozy on multiple fronts and I am eager to soon file the current season away and move onward both with the year and with my/our life as well.

I will save going into further detail there for the next edition of Magick, Crafty Makes, and Me (which should be appearing here shortly before the Fall Equinox). Suffice it to say though, that for a multitude of reasons, this will be a summer that I won’t soon forget!

I’m hoping that when all is said and done, I can make the same statement about fall 2021 – however, ideally, for considerably more positive reasons than those that made this summer quite the standout!

As many of you know, I am absolutely, hands down, no two ways about it madly obsessed with autumn!!!

This point is reflected in both my online and offline life all throughout the year, but I try to let it shine even more powerfully come the enchanting days of fall time itself.

With any luck, autumn 2021 will be no exception there. I’m all but bouncing off the (festively decorated) walls with excitement to share a slew of seasonally related blog content with all of you. Just as I am tremendously excited to see and be inspired by your own awesome fall shares.

Here’s to the hope for a safe, happy, relaxing, beautiful, and thoroughly inspiring autumn, dear friends – may it be amongst the loveliest that we have ever experienced!

Which of the fun and unique fall happenings mentioned above jumped out at you the most? What additional autumn time entries would you add to this list?

The post 45 Special Occasions and Fun Reasons to Make Cards (and Other Paper Crafting Projects) For This Fall appeared first on Witchcrafted Life.

Yet, if you have known me for at least a little while, chances are you’re aware of the fact that I am, unquestionably, one of those people who eats, breathes, sleeps, and lives for Halloween!

Rare is that day that goes by when I don’t think about October 31^st.

Sometimes multiple thoughts and plans, musings and happenings pertaining to All Hallows’ Eve unfold in a single day.

I like those days a lot.

By far one of my favourite – and, most readily accessible – ways to keep Halloween going strong all year long is through crafting.

It can be -25C during the heart of a blizzard, +40C while we’re melting in the dog days of summer, or raining to the point of almost needing to build an ark in April, and in my wee craft room, the creation of a festive project instantly makes it feel like Halloween is here again.

Not literally, of course, but rather in spirit and heart.

I know that I am far from alone in my penchant for fall time and Halloween/Samhain. Both online and off, I’ve had the pleasure of connecting with oodles of fellow Halloweenoholics over the years.

Many of my closest friends share my love for the spooky season and counting down to the big day together has become a cherished aspect of fall for me.

As such, please allow me to introduce an original hashtag that I’m launching and which I invite all of you to use anywhere, and as often, as you’d like.

#MakeHalloween365

Use the hashtag #MakeHalloween365 at any point in the year when you create and publicly share a post, photo, craft project, or other creative work that pertains to Halloween.

Lest anyone thinks this is hashtag relates to (or was inspired by) MAGA, let me emphatically state that it does not (and as an interesting side note, Trump was not the first politician to use that now-famous expression, others such as Reagan had done so decades prior).

In this instance, the word “make” is used to convey the fact that this is a hashtag for makers and crafters, artists, creative folks, and anyone who whips up something handmade.

Be that project a quilt, scrapbook page, Halloween pet costume, handmade card, or a batch of skeleton gingerbread cookies – you name it!

The popular hashtag #Halloween365 has been around for years now.

This new hashtag – #MakeHallowen365 – is a spin on that existing hashtag and is aimed at crafters and makers the world over.

You can use this hashtag anytime, anywhere, no matter the month or season.

And one need not be utterly and completely obsessed with Halloween to utilize this hashtag.

#MakeHalloween365 is for anyone who makes a Halloween related project and shares it publicly.

By using the hashtag #MakeHalloeween365, it is my great hope that we can create a thriving, frequently added-to pool of inspiration for all those who enjoy Halloween, are looking for creative Halloween ideas, or just need a solid fix of their favourite holiday months before October 31^st returns.

If you’re a fellow crafter, artist, or other creative type and share your Halloween related projects/posts online, I encourage you to use this hashtag.

I plan to routinely check out new posts that use the hashtag #MakeHalloween365 on social media and to share plenty of them in my IG stories.

As such, using this hashtag can also be a great way to help your account and its content get further exposure on Instagram.

Help spread the word about #MakeHalloween365

Please feel free to share this post or any of the images in it wherever you please online.

Start using #MakeHalloween365 today, tomorrow, anytime you desire. And don’t be shy about letting me know in the comments here or on social media if you use this hashtag.

Use #MakeHalloween365 anytime you share a relevant post on social media, YouTube, or your blog (if you use hashtags with your blog, that is).

And use it as often as you wish! I’d really love to see this hashtag flourish and for it to be a wonderful way for others to share and be inspired by fellow Halloween fans the whole year through.

As well, I have created some super fun #MakeHalloween365 sidebar graphics (below) that you can post on your blog or website’s sidebar as a way to continually share your own passion for Halloween. While, at the same time, letting others know about this festive-meets-creativity related hashtag in the process.

To display these graphics, copy and paste the HTML code below the image you wish to use into an HTML-compatible widget on your blog’s sidebar.

(Note: These graphics are currently sized to 200 pixels wide x 300 pixels tall, as many sidebars accommodate a width of at least 200 pixels. If you need a smaller or larger version, please shoot me an email and I’ll be happy to help.)

Let’s #MakeHalloween365 together!

By sharing this post, using the images it houses, and most of all, by utilizing #MakeHalloween365 throughout the year, we can create a wonderful new hub of Halloween-related posts to help inspire one another.

All the while, ensuring that the spirit of Halloween carries on stronger than ever, no matter what life throws our way or how a given autumn (or spring, south of the equator) unfolds.

Halloween is within us all and is fostered ever more by the passion and creativity we inject into our love of October 31^st.

Indeed, you can just as easily share and support this hashtag, even if you’re not a crafter. If Halloween is your cup of tea in any way, then this hashtag is for you as well!

Thank you SO much in advance to everyone who connects with this new hashtag.

I know that together we can #MakeHalloween365 a thriving, awesome way to share and be inspired by each other’s creative Halloween projects and ideas.

So let’s all raise a collective PSL to that point and then get crafting so that we can start putting #MakeHalloween365 to good use!

The post Introducing #MakeHalloween365 – The Craft Project Hashtag for Halloween Fans appeared first on Witchcrafted Life.

And speaking of glowing things, tonight, as we gaze skyward – wondering if maybe, just maybe, we really did see something flash across the sky on a broom – we will be doing so under the light of a blue moon.

Not any blue moon – rare as they are unto themselves – but an extra uncommon October 31^st blue moon at that.

The combination of an event that transpires once every two or more decades on a day that is, for many of us, already an extremely spiritually and/or meaningfully charged time is nothing short of incredible.

What is a blue moon?

The expression “blue moon” has been in use since at least 1528, when it appeared in a religiously focused pamphlet that was penned by two friars.

These days we generally use the term “blue moon” to refer to when two full moons take place in the same calendar month. However, earlier on, this expression was applied to times when an extra full moon appeared in a given season.

We’ve been using the term “once in a blue moon” and referring to two full months in a single month as blue moons since at least 1946, when the expression was discussed in the March 1946 edition of Sky and Telescope magazine.

While blue moons themselves are fairly uncommon – with one happening, on average, every 2.5 – 3 years or so – the occurrence of blue moons on Halloween is much, much less frequent.

This rare and exciting event, which takes place today, is not slated to return again until 2039 (followed by three more Halloween Blue Hunter Moons this century, in 2058, 2077, and 2096, respectively).

Talk about living up to its name!

Is the blue moon actually blue?

Despite its name, blue moons – which, again, refer to times when two full moons occur in the same calendar month – are not actually blue in colour.

That said, depending on the atmospheric conditions, degree of visible light, weather, and cloud cover, the sky around the Halloween full moon – be it an actual blue moon or otherwise – can sometimes have a marvelously spooky blue, black, purple, orange, yellow, or white colour to it.

Again though, the moon itself will not be a glowing blue orb of light in the sky this Halloween – as cool as that would surely be!

Interestingly, it is possible – though exceedingly uncommon – for the moon itself (be it full or otherwise) to take on the appearance of having a blue cast to it.

This is most likely to occur when there is a sizable amount of dust particles or smoke in the atmosphere, such as during some major wildfires and following the 1883 eruption of the Krakatoa volcano and various other large volcanic events (including Mount St. Helen’s in 1980).

Cold weather, especially that of the winter months in both far north and far south climates can also sometimes cause the moon to take on the appearance a subtle blue tinge.

This is aided all the more so if the sky around it is inky blue and/or if the moon is partially full or obscured to a degree by cloud cover (as seen in the gorgeous photo above, which was taken in the winter of 2017 by my husband, Tony, who is a talented and passionate photographer.)

When is the next blue moon?

We will all be waiting a good long while until the next Halloween blue moon. However, as far as non-spooky season blue moons go, we will experience a second full moon in the same month come August 2023.

To be precise, the next blue moon will take place on August 31, 2023 – and not only with it be a blue moon, but it will be a blue super moon.

An event that is, much like a Halloween blue moon, a rare and wonderful happening unto itself.

(A super moon is the full moon that is the closest and, accordingly, largest of a given lunar year.)

Can a year have two blue moons?

While we’re on the subject of rare moon occurrences, you may be wondering if it is possible to have more than one blue moon in a single lunar year.

Delightfully, the answer is yes.

Though an uncommon happening, some years do house two different blue moons. This can occur if a given February (the shortest month of the year) has no full moon of its own in a particular year.

For those who like to mark their calendars really far in advance, we’ll get to enjoy the next double blue moon year in 2037, when a blue moon will appear in both January and March of that year.

Two blue moons is the largest number of blue moons that can occur in a given year, and indeed, more years lack a blue moon than includes one (or two).

What is the name of the October full moon?

Each of the full moons of the year is known by various names across different cultures and time periods.

The moon following the Harvest Moon, which took place this year on October 2^nd, is commonly called the Hunter Moon.

Its name refers to times when – and to this day still for some people, too, of course – following the harvest season or in conjunction with its final days, hunting and forging were carried out to help load up one’s caches of food for the coming long, cold winter months ahead when easily obtained food sources were/are often scarce.

What do you call it when there are two new moons in one month?

Much as how a single month can, occasionally, house two blue moons, so too do some months include two new moons (the time when the moon is positioned between the earth and sun leading to a dark moon or “no moon”, though the later is factually inaccurate, as the moon is always in the sky, whether we can see it at or not).

When this happens, it is called a black moon.

Black moons, much like blue moons, are rare events.

Those whose spirituality and/or connection to nature is aided by the actions of the heavenly bodies above will be keen to watch out for and connect with the highly charged energy of black moons.

On average, black moons occur every 32 months or so. They are the opposite of full moons and the next one will grace the sky come April 30, 2022.

What else is going on in the sky tonight?

Depending on where you live, the weather today might be anywhere from roasty-toasty to snowflake filled, rainy to calm and mild.

We’ll be lucky if we stay above freezing on this end. But, given that we’ve already had multiple snow days this year, I really cannot complain so long as the flurries stay at bay!

No matter where you reside, the moon will have some lovely company today, as the red planet of Mars comes the closest to earth it has been in two years.

Talk about one heck of a celestial power couple!

What does the blue moon represent spiritually?

The answers for this are vast and varied. The moon has been a meaningful, often highly referred part of many peoples’ lives since time immemorial.

Many a book has been penned on the subject of the moon’s history, moon magick, moon folklore, and the astrological science surrounding the moon – and for good reason!

This mythical and magnificent glowing orb is a universal nightlight that shone down upon the earth since before the dawn of life on this planet.

The moon itself is a highly symbolic and important cosmic body.

Countless religions and faiths, belief systems, magickal workings, and good ol’ legends alike have involved the moon over the course of human history.

Likewise, scores of meanings and connections have been linked to the moon.

Some of the most common and widespread include feminine energy and the divine feminine, mystery, spirituality, psychic connections, traditions, cyclical nature, birth, death, the afterlife, reincarnation, balance, strength, patience, energy, fertility, power, beauty, reverence, nighttime, shadows, darkness, water, oceans, the key stages of life, witchcraft, magick, serenity, healing, the natural ebb and flow of life, and personal growth – to name but a few.

A blue moon can house, convey or personally symbolize any or all of these things for a given individual.

It also has the added element of rarity, which lends it an extra special energy and sense of wonder.

And while not technically blue in colour, a blue moon is a great time to honour the name of this second full moon and work magickally/spiritually with the colour blue in whatever ways feel right to you.

As well, if you work with crystals or any other items you wish to charge by the light of the moon, the Halloween 2020 blue moon is a truly apt and awesome time to do just that.

Living the blue moon life

The expression “once in a blue moon” is used quite frequently. Chances are many of us say it more than we even realize.

Once in a blue moon can be applied to situations or events both positive and negative, as well as those that are simply especially uncommon.

For me, the fact that I wasn’t able (for health reasons) to post quite as many Halloween and Samhain related entries here and over on Instagram alike as I would have ideally liked was a bit of a blue moon event unto itself.

Many who have known me for long – be it via IG, back in the days of my vintage blog, or elsewhere online – likely know that I live for October (Halloween/Samhain is my favourite and most sacred day of the entire year). And that, whenever possible, I post up a storm in celebration of this deeply meaningful chapter of the year.

Some years though, no matter what we plan or hope for, there are forces bigger than us at play.

A lifetime of experience has taught me that, while it’s wonderful to try and better situations or elements that aren’t ideal, fighting tooth and nail against those we have little to no ability to alter is often a recipe for heartache, stress, and a host other undesirable states.

And that, dearest friends, is the furthest thing in the universe I want when October 31 returns to our world – which it has done today.

This Samhain/Halloween is different in a lot of other ways, too.

How could it not be given the unique, challenging, often difficult, continually uncertain year that has been 2020?

Yet, no matter what, no matter where in the world we reside, at some point on the final day of October, a rare second full moon will shine down upon us.

Its solid, yet ethereal nature and haunting beauty, a powerful reminder that even in the darkest of times, a little extra light is out there, waiting to help guide our paths onto better, more stable times ahead.

This October 31^st, whether you observe Halloween, the final Pagan harvest season sabbat of Samhain, both, something else entirely, or nothing at all, I encourage you to connect in your own poignant ways with the energy and radiance of the 2020 Halloween blue moon.

Events like this truly do not come along every day. Indeed, it will be another 19 years before the time a blue moon falls on All Hallows’ Eve again.

Go forth or stay put, party or keep the celebrations mellow, work magick, connect with the departed, rewatch your favourite Halloween flicks, feast on festive eats, or head outside and bath in the beauty and intense energy of this poignant celestial event.

However you spend this day, I hope that it is a positive, safe, meaningful, and memorable one for you.

And remember that, like rare blue moons themselves, tough and uncertain times such as the year we’re collectively experiencing, do not last forever.

Happiest Halloween, joyful Samhain, and blessed blue moon wishes from my heart to yours!

The post Every Once in a Blue Moon: Fun and Fascinating Halloween Blue Moon Facts appeared first on Witchcrafted Life.

In addition, April 30^th is Beltane Eve. This is the day that immediately proceeds the last and final spring sabbat, lighting the path for the radiant energy, vibrancy, vitality, passion and beauty of this sacred occurrence. Which, much like Samhain, also experiences a poignant thinning of the veil between the worlds.

It is important to note that those who reside in the Southern Hemisphere and observe the sabbats in keeping with the seasons of their own countries, not those north of the equator, may choose to celebrate Samhain today or tomorrow.

The fact that Beltane and Samhain happen in unison twice a year lends tremendous potency, spiritual meaning, magickal properties, interworldly qualities, and good boundness strength to both.

And to complete the hat trick of wonderfulness that the final day of April houses, it is also Walpurgis Night. I shared a book review on the subject and spoke about Walpurgis Night last year on my Instagram account, and plan to delve into the topic of this fascinating European observance in greater detail here in the future.

Today, however, with a mere six months to go until my favourite and most spiritually meaningful day of the entire calendar returns, I want to share 31 ways to celebrate Halloween all year long with all of you.

Yep, you guessed it. The thirty-one here honours the number of days that October houses.

Some of these entries are more Pagan/witchy related than others. However, these festive ideas are intended for a broad audience and one does not have to be a Pagan, witch, Wiccan, Druid, etc to avail of these All Hallows’ Eve inspired ideas.

October 31st is for everyone and so is this frighteningly fun list!

31 ways to celebrate Halloween all year long

1. Create a Halloween song playlist or update your existing one. Listen to it anytime the mood for hair raising Halloween merriment arises. Bonus points if you include Donovan’s classic, Season of the Witch.

2. Make any type of Halloween or Samhain themed craft your heart desires. Knit a scarf covered in pumpkins, whip up a Halloween card to give to someone you care about, create a Halloween themed quilt, paint rocks with Halloween themed imagery (bats, toads, spiders, ghosts, a crescent or full moon, etc), sew a Halloween themed garment or your own ritual cloak, crochet a fall leaf patterned table runner, whip up a Halloween or Samhain wreath – the sky, and your own imagination, are the limit!

3. Go on a Halloween or Samhain related holiday. The world is rich in locations that whether through historically significant events, pop culture (movies, TV shows, books, etc), or both, have strong ties to Halloween and/or Paganism and witchcraft.

From Salem, MA to Ireland (where the roots of many of today’s Halloween and Samhain traditions can be traced), Sleepy Hollow, NY to, Transylvania, Romania, satisfy your wanderlust and your Halloween lust, or honour your spiritual path, with an exciting trip to a destination that you immediately equate with October 31^st.

4. Host a dumb supper. While most commonly associated with October and Samhain, dumb (or silent) suppers (which I wrote about in a 2018 guest post for The Witch of Lupine Hollow, entitled Honouring Your Ancestors with a Samhain Dumb Supper) can be held at any point in the year. Apply the same principles and reverence that you would to your Samhain dumb supper.

I’m especially fond of holding them on Beltane as well, which is opposite to Samhain on the Wheel of the Year. Beltane is another important liminal point in the year when the veil between the worlds thins, making it an excellent time to host such an event.

5. Create a scrapbook, mini album, journal, grimoire or other dedicated notebook devoted just to Halloween/Samhain (or fall time as a whole) and add to it throughout the year. Document older, newer, and future Halloween happenings, plans and ideas, or anything else that you’d like.

6. Use scented candles, essential oils, incense (sticks, cones, blends), potpourri, reed diffusers, wax melts and other beautiful smelling products in fall scents any time you find yourself longing to connect with autumn again.

Cinnamon and other warm spices, apples, pears, pumpkin, caramel, crackling fires, damp leaves, vanilla, star anise and licorice, butterscotch, pumpkin spice latte, and toasted marshmallow are just some Halloween evocative scents that you may enjoy.

7. Purchase or work with an existing deck of Halloween or Samhain themed tarot or oracle cards.

Optionally, do a reading relating to some aspect of October 31^st. Keep a record of what cards you drew and consider placing those cards on your next Samhain altar.

The following are but a few of the many decks of tarot and oracle cards that suit October 31st especially well, given the themes they encompass.

–Ghost Tarot by Davide Corsi

–Madam Lydia Wilhelmina’s Tarot of Monsters, the Macabre & Autumn Scenes by Madam Lydia

–Murder of Crows Tarot by Corrado Roi and Charles Harrington

–Seasons of the Witch Samhain Oracle Deck by Lorriane Anderson and Juliet Diaz

–The Gothic Tarot by Jospeh Vargo

–The Halloween Oracle: Lifting the Veil between the Worlds Every Night by Stacey Demarco and Jimmy Manton

–The Halloween Tarot by Kipling West and Karin Lee

–The Tarot of Vampyres by Ian Daniels

–The Zombie Tarot: An Oracle of the Undead by Paul Kepple and Stacey Graham

–Witches Tarot by Ellan Dugan

8. Test drive recipes for Halloween or Samhain. You know all those Halloween recipes you’ve been saving on Pinterest for years now? Why not whip up a few throughout the other eleven months of the year?

That way, you’ll likely know which are winners, which might need some tweaking, and which ones are seriously scary – but not in a good Halloween kind of way. LOL!

9. Follow Halloween and/or Samhain focused social media and YouTube accounts (ditto for blogs and podcasts).

Awesomely, there are many other people out there who cannot get enough of all things Halloween as well, some of who devote who social media accounts (Instagram very much included), podcasts, YouTube channels, blogs and websites just to Halloween time.

Why not show these kindred spirits some love and follow their accounts?

10. Colour in a Halloween, Samhain or fall themed adult colouring book. Halloween Adult Coloring Book, Little Witches Adult Coloring Book, Autumn Dreamlings: A Beautiful Fall Coloring Book, The Nightmare Before Christmas Coloring Book, Misfits A Halloween Coloring Book for Adults and Spooky Children, Llewellyn’s Witch’s Coloring Book, and Creative Haven Autumn Scenes Coloring Book are a few especially delightful options.

If you colour a page that you especially adore, consider framing it (or a high-quality colour photocopy of it) to put on your wall as a beautiful reminder all year long of both Halloween and your own creativity.

11. Go reverse trick-or-treating. Now granted, especially in this day and age, this activity generally works best if you already know and are on good terms with your neighbours. That said, it could also be a fun ice breaker if you haven’t met them yet!

Instead of you (and your kiddos, if applicable) going door-to-door asking for treats, when reverse trick-or-treating, you dress up and hand out free candy or other goodies to your neighbours.

With advance permission and planning, this can also be a really fun and meaningful thing to do at places such as daycare centres, youth centers, and senior living communities.

(Important note: this – and all other ideas on this list that involve public places and/or spending time with people outside of those you currently live with – are shared in preparation for a post-Covid-19 world, when and where social distancing is no longer vitally necessary and it once again safe to freely interact with others.)

12. Stock up on seasonal décor in the offseason. While – much to the chagrin of Halloween and Samhain fans everywhere – relatively few shops carry Halloween merchandise all year, there are still some great shopping options to be had for the October 31^st minded crowd.

Check thrift shops, vintage stores, yard sales, flea markets, discount and dollar stores, and craft stores for Halloween items throughout the year.

And take advantage of sales and good deals on products that you know you’re apt to use/need come October 31^st.

Think tea lights and other candles, glow sticks, balloons, streamers, table linens and tableware in festively appropriate colours, supplies to make Halloween/Samhain crafts (and altars) with, foods with long shelf lives that you’ll use come next October, plus Halloween costume and makeup supplies.

13. Save past Halloween memories while you still can! As much as we currently live in a digital era, there was a time not that long ago in our collective past when people documented memories with film cameras and videorecorders.

If you, or a loved one, has Halloween pictures or videos sitting around gathering dust (or, worst, detreating due to age, storage conditions, the materials involved, etc), consider scanning or converting them to digital form and then backing them up in the Cloud or another safe long-term online storage solution.

14. Learn more about a god or goddess with strong ties to the harvest season or the dead/underworld. From time immemorial, humans have honoured and worked with deity in relation to both the annual crop harvest and to, almost certainly further back in time still, the acts of death, dying, and the afterlife.

Consider doing a seeking ritual and asking to be connected with one or more such deities, or select one that you already feel pulled towards and research more about them.

You may wish to create an altar for this god/goddess or involving them in your existing altar. If you feel a strong enough connection, you may even consider making them your patron god or goddess, if doing so aligns with your personal beliefs.

15. Record your own Halloween memories and feelings for posterity. Whether on video, voice recorder, photo, or paper, make a point of documenting – and then safely preserving – some of your most meaningful Halloween memories.

Touch on how you feel about October 31^st, what some of your favourite traditions (and recipes) for Halloween and/or Samhain are, what this day means to you spiritually, and any other information that you’d like future generations to know about your connection to All Hallows’ Eve.

16. Send a surprise parcel or happy mail package to a fellow Halloween fan. Got a BFF, college roommate, second cousin, online pal or another person in your life who is just as gung-ho about October 31^st as you are?

If so, why not put together a surprise parcel of Halloween related items and sending it off to them as a touching “thinking of you” present out of the blue.

It’s sure to make their week – and who knows, they might just surprise you and do the same in return one day.

17. Start making your Halloween and Samhain cards. Much as some crafters begin working on their Christmas season greetings weeks or months in advance of late December, so too can Halloween fuelled folks also get a jump start on our October 31^st greetings well in advance.

If you create just one Halloween card per month all year long, you’ll have a dozen personalized greetings to send out or hand-deliver come October.

Not the handmade card making type? Fear not! Stock up on Halloween greeting cards (which are often discounted by then) shortly after October 31^st, or purchase them online at other times in the year.

Take a few minutes here and there each month to fill a few out ahead of next All Hallows’ Eve and you’ll likely be all set to go on the greeting card front when fall time returns.

18. Plan and purchase/make your next Halloween costume. It’s never too early to start dreaming up your next fabulous All Hallows’ Eve ensemble!

Not big on the whole costume thing? No worries! Why not come up with a festive outfit or Samhain honouring look that feels right to you for October 31^st?

And on the subject of buying Halloween related things, please consider supporting as many small and independent Halloween and Samhain product brands as you can all year long.

Whether it’s gifted artists to amazing makeup creators to those selling fall specific Pagan products, shopping from such sources helps to ensure these folks can stay in business and supply us with the kinds of offerings that make our Halloween loving hearts skip many a beat.

19. Go on a ghost walk or official tour of a haunted location, famous cemetery, or another type of spooky setting.

It might surprise you (or, if you’re reading this list, maybe it doesn’t! ) to learn that a lot of places around the world hold these kinds of events either year-round or at certain points on the calendar.

Check online and at your local library for information about events like this nearby and make a point of seeking them out when you travel further afield. (Likewise for museum and art gallery exhibits that pertain to spooky or macabre subject matter.)

20. Signup for a Halloween subscription box. Be it spooky, cutesy, kooky, or bone-chilling, there’s no shortage of Halloween themed subscription boxes on the market these days and chances are, you can find at least one that’s right up your (Halloween) alley.

Spooky Little Halloween’s list of Subscription Boxes for Halloween Lovers and Cratejoy’s 8 Super Creepy Halloween Subscription Boxes are handy jumping-off points if you’re looking for boxes of this nature.

And year-round, I’m a huge fan of Spooky Box Club, whose cute meets spooks meets goth meets witchy aesthetic and offerings never fail to make me swoon.

21. Research and honour your ancestry. Whether you have decades of in-depth genealogy research under your belt, known the bare minimum about your family tree, or anywhere in between, consider honouring your family by learning more about the people whose own lives lead to your own.

Ancestor work and veneration are common practises at Mabon and, especially, Samhain (as well as holidays such as The Day of the Dead).

This important aspect of one’s life need not be limited to fall time, however. Our ancestors are with us and around us always, and they greatly appreciate being acknowledged and remembered (including via dedicated ancestor altars).

If, for any reason, you do not have/cannot find out much information about your own ancestry (closed adoptions, for example), consider researching the history of your country, the genealogy of the people who raised you, or the family tree of someone you respect deeply instead.

21. Hold a bonfire. Assuming it is safe and legal for you to do so where you live (or in a public setting, such as at a beach), and the weather is playing nice, why not gather together with a few friends, relatives, or coven members and hold a bonfire?

This ancient form of communal gathering can be warming both literally and figuratively, and while also being a deeply spiritual activity at times, too.

On that front, you may consider gazing into the flames and doing some pyromancy, working with the (cooled) ashes afterwards to engage in spodomancy, or otherwise utilizing the fire as part of your magickal workings.

23. Begin a Halloween savings jar. While one can very easily and effectively celebrate both Halloween and Samhain without spending much, or even anything at all, many of us do enjoy splashing out a bit on festive items come the spooky season (especially if we use Halloween and fall items as part of our year-round home décor).

Use a jar or other suitable container (or an actual savings account through your bank) – a pumpkin-shaped coin bank would be an especially suitable choice – and add a few dollars or more, as your budget permits, to it each month.

If you put aside the cost of just one fancy coffee shop pumpkin spice latte per week all year long, just think of all the awesome Halloween items you could purchase or the fun festive events you could buy tickets for come next October!

24. Read a Halloween themed book (or some Halloween poetry). Things that go bump in the night, make our hair stand on end, or are just plan festively silly and fun have been popular literary themes for quite some time now.

Today’s book market abounds with reads are that either straight up Halloween themed, or which fit the spooky bill perfectly. Dive headfirst into one any time you want to conjure up the spirit of October 31^st.

25. Have a Halloween movie night. Turn down the lights, bust out the (caramel) popcorn, and curl up for an evening of binge watching at least two or three of your favourite Halloween movies (Halloween themed TV episodes are totally allowed, too).

Whether you flip for Halloweentown, can’t get enough of Hocus Pocus, adore the Addams Family, feel festive just thinking about The Nightmare Before Christmas, or always have Ghostbusters on your speed dial, now is the time to delight in your fave Halloween films weeks or months before October returns.

26. Stop by a local costume shop. Even in this age of online costume buying options galore and a slew of Halloween popup stores that spring to life each autumn, thankfully, many cities (and some smaller towns, too) still have costume shops. 

The best way to ensure that they stay in your area is to give them your business, so why not stop in and purchase an item or two to use come next October 31^st?

27. Include Halloween or Samhain perfect fruits, vegetables and herbs in your garden. This one usually involves a bit of advance planning, an existing garden or room to start one (or room for container gardening, if a patch of earth is not available), and the supplies required. Once those things are lined up, you should be good to go.

There’s no shortage of beautiful decorative, edible and medicinal plants that are associated with Halloween and Samhain.

Pumpkins and squash, turnips (and root vegetables in general), blackberries, apples, pears, rosemary, sage, and corn are but a few possible edible delights that you could grow in your garden and potentially harvest come the end of summer/early weeks of autumn.

28. Host a Halloween decoration and/or costume swap. Ask friends, relatives, coven members, coworkers, classmates, anyone you think would be keen to join in to gather up some gently used Halloween items or costumes that they no longer wish to keep and get everyone together to swap their items for other peoples’ at the event.

You could make the event even more festive by inviting participants to dress up as though it were October 31^st, offer spooky eats, play Halloween music or movies in the background, and even deck out your house in your favourite Halloween décor.

If any items are leftover at the end of the event, donate them to a local charity, children’s association, theatre club, Guide or Scout troop, or another type of group that would be happy to put them to good use.

29. Visit a cemetery. Big or small, older or newer, most towns and just about every larger city has at least one burial ground for the local dead.

Take time to pay your respects to the departed by visiting one or more cemeteries in your area. Consider bringing along an appropriate, environmentally friendly offering to leave as thanks to the sacred ground beneath your feet and to the spirits of those interred in (or above) it.

If you feel comfortable doing so, consider engaging in a magickal working, spirit work, divination, meditation, or other spiritually focused activity while at the cemetery.

And if snow is on the ground when you visit, perhaps a spot of graveyard snow magick is in order.

30. Share your Halloween pride! Gone are the days when us Halloween lovers had to keep our unending passion for October 31^st to ourselves (and perhaps our closest loved ones) until autumn began again.

Thanks to the internet and modern technology, there is a vast world for Halloween fans out there that you can connect with day or night.

From Halloween forums to Instagram, YouTube to Facebook groups, if you wish to do so, you can post about your own adoration for Halloween/Samhain all year through – and interact with others who are doing the same – thanks to the power of the interwebs.

31. Keep at least one Halloween or Samhain decoration out all year long. While some people have the desire, and are able to, decorate their house in a Halloween/spooky/goth/witchy/similar at all times, others may prefer – or need – to keep things more on the down low, at least until fall returns.

It is usually possible to keep one or more Halloween or Samhain related items out all year though, especially if they blend in well with your current décor or if you put them on your altar.

Some examples could include a favourite fall scented candle, a cute little witch figurine, a mini cast iron cauldron, a besom hung on a wall or placed on your altar, a poster of a beloved Halloween movie, photos of yourself and/or loved ones celebrating Halloween, handmade Halloween craft projects (or those gifted to you), or items in classic Halloween related animal themes, such as bats, spiders, toads, black cats, owls, ravens and crows.

This item can then become a poignant connection to October 31^st for you all through the year.

#EverydayisHalloween

This selection is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to ways that you can celebrate and keep the spirit of Halloween and/or Samhain alive and well in your life all year long.

There is a truly special energy, atmosphere, beauty and reverence to October 31^st.

Just as it can be a time of lighthearted enjoyment, playful mischief and sweet treats as far as the eye can see.

I believe that those individuals with an especially strong connection to Halloween are blessed to be this way. The mid-autumn energy and thinning of the veil that accompanies the season of October 31^st resonate with our hearts and souls, magickal workings and spiritual paths.

We help to keep the season going extra strong, are the designated “Halloween fantastic” in our circles, and ensure that hashtags like #Halloween365 and #everydayisHalloween never want for inspiring new content.

What are some of your own favourite ways to celebrate Halloween and Samhain throughout the year? Please share them below – who knows, they might just land in a second post of this nature one day.

PS: This might go without saying, but you can of course, do any of these things that you wish when fall returns and it’s time to celebrate Halloween and Samhain during their home season.

The post 31 Ways to Celebrate Halloween All Year Long appeared first on Witchcrafted Life.

I’m one of those people for whom October 31^st is so much more than “just” a single day or brief chapter of the fall.

It is #Halloween365 year-round in my house, my heart, my wardrobe, my spiritual path, and most definitely my paper crafting!

To me, themes and imagery of Halloween, Samhain, and autumn time align with my deepest self, and I am often at my happiest when I get to connect with All Hallows’ Eve in ways that are personally meaningful.

If I’m able to share those with others – be they kindred #Halloweeneveryday team members or not – I’m on cloud nine.

Recently I created this fun shaker card which taps into some of the spookiness of Halloween, while still being appropriate at other times of the year – especially if the recipient is a fellow Samhain adoring witch.

Heartfelt Thanks Bat Sequins Shaker Card

While many people are busily whipping up cute, sweet and beautiful Valentine’s Day cards, I’m busily digging through a plastic storage tower for a little container of bat-shaped sequins.

I smile to myself as this point hits me, Halloween patterned papers sprawled across my desk as, outside, it snows for the umpteenth time this winter.

I enjoy a good Feb. 14^th project, too, please don’t get me wrong. At the moment though, my mind is delightfully focused – as per usual – on the end of October.

Like a lot of my paper crafting projects, the idea behind this card came about quite organically. I often pull out various supplies and let them speak to me, if you will, playing around with combinations and ideas until I hit upon one that seals the deal.

I knew that I wanted to create a thank you card with strong components of both gothic and Halloween styling and that a shaker card was the order of the day.

As is usual for me, I started by making a good-sized card base. In this instance, I used that beloved favourite of paper crafters everywhere – kraft cardstock.

The card base for this project measures just over 7 inches tall and 5.75 inches wide (excluding the portions of the design that extend beyond the card base itself.

Layers upon layers upon layers

I love layers. Seriously love them. I genuinely struggle most of the time if I have to make a project with just one or two layers.

That doesn’t mean that everything I create is twelve layers deep, but chances are, there are at least a few layers to give the project a sense of depth, dimension and increased visual interest.

This bat filled shaker card was no exception.

Putting this Halloween Thank You Card Together

After creating my card base from kraft cardstock, I die cut two deckle-edged squares. One in dark rusty orange, the other in a fabulous Halloween floral print piece of paper from DCWV that features teeny skulls in the center of each bloom.

I then used two smaller dies from the same nested die set to cut out the middle layers here. These are the green and glossy black cardstocks you see here (if I could buy stock in Tonic’s glossy black mirror card, I happily would!).

Using the same sized die and a smaller sized die from that set, I created the kraft cardstock frame for the shaker element of this card.

Before I layered the middle layers onto the orange cardstock, I used pinking shear scissors (a nod to the deckle edging of the die cut pieces) to trim a strip of green cardstock. I topped this piece with a strip of the same skull flower paper used in the background.

Once the middle layers were in place (elevated with foam squares), I created the shaker element of this card.

The background orange and black bat print paper that I used for my shaker is from the same DCWV Curiosities 6×6 inch mat stack.

I love using mesh, lace and tulle for shaker cards, so I opted for some finely woven black mesh as the “window” part of my spooky shaker.

Into the shaker card went a mix that I created of olive green, terracotta red, and classic gold sequins, to which I added the star of the show, black bat-shaped sequins.

I attached the shakers window to the middle layers with foam dots. I then embellished the frame of the shaker with bat-shaped black sequins and small black rhinestones (gems), as well as a sentiment strip that was capped off on each end with an ambery gold hued rhinestone.

To give the sentiment strip a greater sense of dimension, I gently curved it in the middle before applying it to my project.

Next, I repeated the skull flower paper with a thin band at the bottom of the card. Immediately above this, I placed an even smaller band of the same dark orange cardstock I used earlier.

After that, I die cut leaves in two different colours of green cardstock along with a stitched heart die cut from the same orange cardstock I’d already used.

I ever-so-lightly inked my leaves in shades of ink just a whisper darker than their respective cardstock colours. I then clustered the leaves and hearts, topped each heart with an ambery gold heart-shaped rhinestone, tucked round rhinestones in the same colour around the horizontal strips of paper in the middle of the card, and set about die cutting the “thank you” part sentiment.

To do this, I used a “heartfelt thanks” word die and cut out two matching sentiments. One in glossy black mirror cardstock, the other in the same olive green used elsewhere on my card. I intentionally offset the two colours to create a layered shadow effect.

I also die cut a stitched heart from the same green paper, which I placed between the two words and topped with one final bat sequins.

For one final hit of sequins, I placed individual orange and gold coloured sequins on four of the green leaves, alternating (diagonally) the colours on the top and bottom sets of leaves (which, I had arranged in the same way, with alternating colours on both sets).

I created my message space inside the card and with that, this festively fall time inspired make was complete, ready and waiting to fly like a bat in the night to its recipient.

Card making tips and ideas from this project

-Use glossy (and/or metallic) papers and cardstock in selective areas to add sheen and really help a project pop.

-Ink or otherwise colour, such as with pencil crayons or markers, your die cuts for greater depth and, in some cases, to help them look more lifelike.

-Repeat the same sequins that you used in your shaker elsewhere on your card.

-When working with bold, eye-catching colours, ground them with a neutral shade. In this case, I used kraft, but white, cream, light brown, or even black could have worked here as well (had I gone with black, I likely would have swapped the glossy black cardstock for a different paper or cardstock).

-Turn square-shaped dies into diamond-shaped ones by rotating the angle of the square when you adhere it to your project.

-Not all leaves need flowers and vice versa. While we often associate the two as going together like peanut butter and jelly, either can look spectacular in its own right – especially if you use two or more colours to help them stand out all the more.

-Curve your sentiment strips. Whether they’re premade or handmade, cardstock, paper, vellum, cork or another type of pliable material, curving your sentiments lends a great sense of dimension to your make.

-Use a patterned paper as the background for your shaker – especially if you’ve primarily, or solely, used solid colours elsewhere on your project.

Patterned paper from smaller sized pads, such as 6×6 inch and 8×8 inch pads, with their inherently smaller sized prints often work especially well for the relatively modest sized amount of space available behind your sequins or other shaker elements (this background are is also a fun spot to place part, or all, of your sentiment – provided it can be read when the card is at rest).

-If you don’t have glossy paper or cardstock, but want the look for your sentiments or other elements of your project, top them with clear embossing powder (Wow Clear Embossing Powder is a good option), Glossy Accents, or a similar clear glaze product that dries to a translucent finish.

Products to help you recreate this Bat Sequins Shaker Thank You Card

-Cardstock in kraft (you could use taupe or light brown instead), dark orange, olive green, and medium green.

-Glossy black cardstock – I used Tonic Studio Glossy Black Mirror Cardstock

-Bat and skull flower print papers – I used two prints from the 6×6 inch DCWV Curiosities Mat Stack

-Sentiment strip – I used a die cut piece from Gracious Elements Die Cuts by Authentique

-Corresponding ink in a shade just slightly darker than that of your cardstock leaves – I used Morocco and Pistachio from Tsukineko’s Memento line of ink pads

-Ink to edge some of the paper and cardstock layers – I used Cottage Ivy and Toffee Crunch from Tsukineko’s Memento line of ink pads

-Pinking shears or pinking edge decorative scissors – I used Fiskars Paper Edgers in Mini Pinking

-Set of deckle-edged square shaped nesting dies

-Thank you sentiment mental die (or use stamps, stickers, rub-ons, or sentiment die cut pieces instead)

-Leaf-shaped metal dies

-Stitched heart-shaped metal die

-Round and heart-shaped dark golden yellow rhinestones (gems) – mine are from the “Crafts” brand sold at Dollarama stores

-Small black rhinestones (gems)

-Black tulle

-Green, orange, and gold round sequins

-Black bat shaped sequins

-Dimensional foam, pop dots, or similar to elevate some of your layers

-Adhesive, such as a tape runner, of your choice (I often use my Scotch Tape Glider)

Halloween cards, not just for Halloween

Naturally, there are some recipients who would be more welcoming of an October 31^st themed card in the final weeks of winter than others.

I personally feel it is important to be respectful of peoples’ taste, beliefs and interests (if such information is already known to you) when creating projects that you’ll be giving away.

Many individuals live for Halloween and if you fall into that camp, chances are some of your nearest and dearest already know this about you and may quickly understand why there’s holding a bat themed card before the Easter Bunny has come calling yet.

If you have people in your life who adore fall, Halloween and/or Samhain, consider adding a fabulous touch of autumn to their day outside of October by creating a sweet, spooky, silly, or otherwise sensational All Hallows’ Eve related make for them at this point in the year.

Naturally, you can replicate or take inspiration from this design and use other types of materials here as well. This same general design could be used for a ton of different occasions – Valentine’s Day included.

All cards are card maps unto themselves.

And if you didn’t want to go this overtly Halloweeny, you could use a small dose of October perfect products instead. Say pumpkins, a scarecrow, a black cat, bats flying across a full moon, bare-branched trees, a Victorian-style gate, or a pair of pointy-toed witches boots, for example.

If you prefer to make and give Halloween cards when jewel-toned leaves are falling, that is completely okay, too. You could either put together a card like this now and tuck it away for later or save the project idea in your inspiration file or on Pinterest to create come autumn.

Crafting is a year-round activity that grants us the ability to connect with any holiday or special occasion that we desire whenever the urge strikes.

If you want to make Christmas or Yule cards in June, go for it! Canada Day or Independence Day cards in November, why not?

Or, as in this case, Halloween paper crafting projects in February. Have at it!

Life is too short and the giving of cards to those we care about too important not to create what we want, when we want – no matter the current season.

Show me your paper crafting makes!

If you make a project based on or inspired by this card – or want to share any of your other handmade crafts with me – please use the hashtags #WitchcraftedLife and #WitchcraftedLifeMakes on social media so that I see your beautiful creations.

Project share

Pin the image below – or any other in this post – to Pinterest, pop it into your Instagram Stories, post in on Twitter or Facebook, or share it anywhere else you wish to help yourself find it again and to inspire others at the same time.

The post Heartfelt Thanks Bat Sequins Shaker Card appeared first on Witchcrafted Life.