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.

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.

Yet, it is important to remember that no matter the weather (be it sunny, cold, rainy, grey, snowy or all of the above!), November is still fall time. Indeed, it is the last full month of this enchantingly lovely season.

Interestingly, back in the days of the ancient Romans, the month that we now know as November was the ninth on their calendar and was called novem – the Latin word for the number nine.

In the aftermath of the glowing blue moon, the thrilling energy of both Halloween and Samhain, and the warmer days of early fall, it’s easy to feel a little melancholy. Or to think that the best that autumn has to offer is behind us already.

Such thoughts and feelings are normal – fear not. I’m here to tell you, however, that while it might not have the lingering heat of September or the distinctly spooky air of October, there are still plenty of reasons to adore November.

Whether you need some convincing of this fact or are already smitten with the penultimate month of the year, read on to discover – or be reminded of – thirty reasons (one for each day of this month) why November is anything but lacklustre and why it deserves a special spot in all of our hearts.

(Note: To my lovely readers who live south of the equator, this list is geared more towards those of us in the Northern Hemisphere. If you reside on the southern side of the world and would like to share some of the ways that you enjoy celebrating November, please feel free to share them in the comment section of this post.)

30 Reasons to Love November

1. Sweater weather: Let’s face it, unless you’re fortunate to live in a particularly toasty climate or your area is experiencing an abnormally warm November, this is the time of the year when many of us dive headfirst into our thickest, coziest layers of woollens, fleeces, velvets, corduroy, and other plush fabrics that help to keep the icy bite of mid to late autumn at bay.

2. Stunning fall colours: Now, admittedly, November’s foliage and the landscapes it calls home isn’t always as richly vibrant and jewel toned as that of September and October in many areas. However, unless your corner of the world is already buried under copious amounts of snow, there may still be plenty of lingering fall hues to delight in.

Around these parts, November tends to be the month of earthy brown, inky red and burgundy, and aged pumpkin hued leaves that continue to cling to their branches a wee bit longer. Trampling merrily over them is a special joy unto itself and one of the elements of November that I look most forward to each year.

3. Scoring great deals on Halloween décor, costumes, and perhaps even (more) candy in the days immediately following October 31^st: This can be especially exciting for those of us who fall into the #Halloween365 camp, live for Halloween, and/or who like to use Halloween decorations as part of year-round home décor.

It can also be a fantastic way to snag next year’s costume a seriously discounted price, thus helping to ensure you’re amply prepared well in advance of the next frightfully fun All Hallows’ Eve.

4. Native American Heritage Month: Starting in 1990, November has been designated as National Native American Heritage Month in the United States.

It is a month to honour, celebrate, and learn more about America’s indigenous peoples and their wonderful cultures, beliefs, traditions, crafts, music, food, and history.

(For my fellow Canadians, we have a month that focuses on First Nations Peoples history as well. It is called National Indigenous History Month and takes place annually in June.)

5. November has a poetic soul: Dark, moody, and draped in the fading hues of autumn, November is a contemplative month with a great deal of beauty to the gradually dying embers of its seasonal fire.

Use November’s soulful loveliness to help inspire you on multiple fronts, from writing to photography, art to crafting, home décor to menu choices.

6. Decorating for the winter holiday season: If you celebrate any holiday(s) during the winter months, chances are you’ll be eager to get a jump on putting out your seasonal décor nice and early. Especially if, like me, you’re one of those people who can never get enough of making our homes extra festive as often as possible.

Some years I begin decorating for Yule and Christmas (I observe both; secularly in the case of the latter) on November 1^st, others, it’s closer to the 30^th, and there’s certainly been plenty of points in between, too.

There’s no right or wrong date to start decorating for the winter holiday season, just what works best for your life and feels like it is in keeping with the rhythms of the seasons for you personally.

7. Crackling fires: Indoors or out, November is the time to pile up some logs – or switch on the gas powered flames – and cozy up with a roaring blaze. The welcome warmth is especially lovely against the backdrop of November’s chill.

It also helps to remind us of the fact that until very recently in human history, fire was an essential component to ensuring that our ancestors did not, quite literally, run the risk of freezing to death come the icy days of late fall, winter, and early spring.

Plus, extra bonus points if marshmallows are involved in your November fire! #smores

8. Ice skating season: If you are a fan of lacing up a pair of blades, now is a fabulous time to connect with this much adored pastime/sport.

You need not be able to spin a perfect triple axle to enjoy ice skating. Simply gliding across the ice, living in the moment, and – if outdoors – savouring these precious days of mid to late fall weather is worthy of an Olympic gold medal unto itself.

9. National Caregivers Appreciation Month: The subject of caregiving and the tireless, compassionate work of carers the world over is near and dear to my heart (and is a subject I explored in detail in my post, Magickal Approaches and Self-Care Tips for Caregivers).

It behoves us all the acknowledge, thank, and try to support those who are take on this important job, and to try and ensure that carers get the support and vital self-care time they need.

This November, why not look into ways you could possibly help to make life easier or more manageable for carers in your own life or local community, or volunteer, where applicable, to take on certain caregiving roles yourself?

10. US Thanksgiving: Up here in the woodsy wilds of Canada, we celebrate our Thanksgiving on the second Monday in October.

Our neighbours to the south do so on the last Thursday in November, and I’ve always adored that they have a major holiday during the 11^th month of the year.

It seems so logical to honour the harvest season well into November and US Thanksgiving certainly helps to do that in its own meaningful ways.

Even if you don’t call America home, there’s no reason why you can’t opt to enjoy a meaningful late harvest season feast, if so desired (any excuse for a pumpkin pie is A-okay in my books! ). Or simply take some time to give the deepest of thanks for the blessings and gifts in your life this autumn.

11. Remembrance Day (Canada and other Commonwealth countries), Armistice Day (various countries), and Veteran’s Day (USA): As these important days share much in common, including the date of November 11^th, I am listing them as one “reason” here in this post.

Each of these annual events honours those who have served their countries during WW1, with Remembrance Day extending this same veneration to those who were involved with other battles such as WW2 and the Korean War.

Canada, like most other European and Commonwealth countries around the globe, does not have a separate day to honour all those who have served their countries, as America does via Memorial Day.

This is primarily why, outside of the US, November 11^th extends to pay tribute and give thanks to the valiant men and women who have fought for our freedom throughout the 20^th and early 21^st century.

12. Halloween and Samhain are just eleven months away: Not everyone eats, breaths, sleeps, and lives for October 31^st all year round, but for those of us who do, often the best way to help cope with the passing of one Halloween/Samhain is to set our sights squarely on the next.

Of course, as detailed in my post 31 Way to Celebrate Halloween All Year Long, you can engage with the spirit and joy of All Hallows’ Eve throughout the entire year, too – November very much included.

13. Friday the 13^th: This November houses a Friday the 13^th, which is the second of two such Fridays in 2020 (the first was in March).

While Friday the 13^th has garnered something of a reputation as a day of superstition, bad luck or misfortune, not everyone – myself and plenty of fellow Pagans/witches included – view it as such.

Quite the opposite. We see much to celebrate about the 13^th day of the month falling on Frigg’s day and often rush to work with the potent energy of this relatively rare calendar event (the next one of which will take on August 13, 2021).

14. World Kindness Day: And speaking of Friday November 13^th, that is precisely when this year’s World Kindness Day takes place.

This special day invites people across the globe to mindfully engage in acts of kindness and compassion, be they random or otherwise.

I’m of the mind that there’s almost no such thing as too much kindness and love that plenty of others feel that way, too.

If you ask me, kindness is one of the key reasons our species has managed to survive as long as we have – and goodness knows after the year we’ve all had in 2020, we could all do with some extra kindness (giving and receiving alike) at the moment.

15. The start of holiday season baking: Without fail, my paternal grandma always begins her plum pudding and fruitcake making in early November. In doing so she is carrying on a centuries old tradition across many nations in which certain holiday season foods are started several weeks in advance of Yule and Christmas.

If December includes sweet treats and/or other special foods that you could begin on advance, why not utilize some of November’s easygoing days to get a jump start on your baking, cooking, or candy making?

Freezing or otherwise safely storing those foods that are not doused in alcohol (such as my gran’s traditional plum pudding), which you’ll be tucking into come the winter holiday season.

16. National Origami Day (in Japan). This annual event transpires on November 11^th and is a time to celebrate, enjoy and, if so desired, create some lovely origami pieces of your own.

While, like many youngsters, I dabbled a touch in origami as when I was little, I make no claims of excelling at this impressive folded paper art form and haven’t tried my hand at it for quite a while now.

Perhaps this National Origami Day, I’ll pick up some lovely squares of folding paper and see if I can master a few more designs than back when I was in grade school.

If you’re intrigued by origami and/or are a fellow paper crafter, why not give this incredible Japanese art form a go yourself as well?

17. The return of plenty of our favourite TV and on demand service shows: Granted, and fully understandably, in the face of the global pandemic this year, not as many series will be returning with new seasons this fall, but thankfully some are still able to do so.

No matter if your fave shows are back this fall or not, November – with its ingrained chill and sense of wanting to curl up inside as the mercury plummets ever further outside the front door – is just the ticket if you’ve been needing an excuse to have a movie or TV show marathon, binge that series you’ve been meaning to catch for ages now, or simply hunker down with a beloved favourite and your go-to TV watching snacks.

18. Occult Day: Shrouded rather aptly in an air of mystery, various online sources list November 18^th as being Occult Day. A date on which to celebrate and connect with all things occult and esoteric, if so desired.

Just when and where this annual event got its start may be lost to the ethers of time now. However, for anyone whose spirituality relates to such or who otherwise has an interest in these kinds of subjects, this date is an excellent point in November to connect with the enigmatic, ancient, and magickally charged realm of the occult.  

19. Fall scents aplenty!: Be it the unmatchable aroma of nature itself during the heart of autumn, seasonal candles, scrumptious fall foods, or other scented products that celebrate everything from apple pie to pumpkin spice, candy corn to fall leaves, November is the ideal time to lap up as many of this season’s sublime olfactory delights as we possibly can.

20. NaNoWriMo: National Novel Writing Month, often referred to as NaNoWriMo, has been a literary world institution since its inception in 1999. This month encourages creative writers to take on the challenge of writing an entire novel – or at least 50,000 words of it – in a single month, if possible.

While I am not a novelist myself (my writing as an adult has been almost exclusively of a non-fiction and poetry nature), I have many friends around the world who are, some of whom have participated in various NaNoWriMos, and I have a great deal of admiration for anyone who takes on this lofty goal.

21. Cooler weather: While some folks absolutely thrive during the hottest months of the year and genuinely mourn for the end of summer weather, plenty of us prefer our temperatures a little lower and eagerly welcome the nippier days of fall back into our lives.

Even if you’re more of a sunshine season fan, the refreshing coolness of November can still be a welcome pause before we launch into the bone-chillingly heart of wintertime proper.

22. The Frost Moon: November’s full moon goes by many names, with the Frost Moon and Beaver Moon being two of the most common.

The first honours the fact that frost is often present in many parts of the world come November, the latter – that industrious beavers frequently build their winter damns throughout the second half of autumn.

This year, the Frost Moon/Beaver Moon – which, both interesting and logically, the ancient Celts sometimes called the Dark Moon – takes place on November 30, 2020.

Like each full moon of the year, it is a poignant point in the month that invites us to connect in meaningful ways with the power, ancient beauty, and inherent magick of our cherished Luna.

Some of the other names for November’s full moon include the Snow Moon (though this name is also used at times for some of the winter full moons), the Trading Moon, the White Moon, and the Tree Moon.

23. Making holiday season crafts: Like many a crafter, year after year, I vow to start whipping up my homemade holiday season cards and other projects months in advance.

In reality, life has other plans and so that rarely happens. This means that November is quickly designated as the unofficial Christmas, Yule, and New Year’s card making season at my house.

Not only cards, but other festive projects from wreaths to ornaments also tend to happen in November. And as much as I would love to be able to knock out a lot of my winter holiday season makes ages in advance, I’ve come to rather adore that so much crafty goodness often happens this month.

If you’re a crafter or otherwise a creative soul, and if the circumstances of your life permit, November is a stellar time to deep dive into churning out some fabulous new projects for the coming winter festive season.

24. Follow the leaves’ lead and just let go: This year has been heavy. Not “box of old college textbooks heavy”, but heavy as the weight of the planet itself.

In ways both consciously and subconsciously, 2020 has hit most of us hard. It has turned plenty of lives upside, caused profound loss and pain, and forever shaped the trajectory of human history.

This November, as those stunning fall leaves many of us swoon up a storm over come tumbling down, follow their lead and look for areas of your life, your actions, and your thoughts that you can safely part ways with.

Let go. Just let go.

We do not have to hold onto everything that crosses our paths or our mind.

You might just be amazed by how liberating and beautiful a thing it is to let go and move forward with less of that weight holding you back.

25. Wearing all the opaque tights: Okay, probably not at the same time – though that would certainly help to ensure you stayed warm this month!

No, I mean one pair at a time.

Bare legs are great, no two ways about it, but I’m definitely one of those folks who prefer their gams to be wrapped in hosiery. Few things compare, in my books, to a fabulous pair of thick (usually, but not always) black tights on that front.

They’re practical, stylish, versatile, and virtually guaranteed to never go out of fashion.

26. National Peanut Butter Lovers Month: If you are able to safely consume peanuts, then this entry might just be one of your favourite reasons to melt faster than PB on warm toast for the month of November!

Hearty, delicious and endlessly versatile, it’s easy to see how and why peanut butter landed a whole month of appreciation.

Whether you prefer yours crunchy or smooth, partnered with jelly, bananas, chocolate, or eaten straight from the jar, why not celebrate one of the tastiest foods ever invented and spread – pun intended – the love for peanut butter around this month?

27. Foggy days: Granted, fog is rarely the ideal atmospheric condition for things like driving, bird watching, or skiing in. However, if you’re able to safely enjoy it and don’t find that it’s cramping your plans, the wispy, elegant tendrils – or ample lashings – of fog that sometimes call November home can be a welcome and very beautiful sight to behold.  

28. Small Business Saturday: While Black Friday and Cyber Monday often gets the lion’s share of the limelight when it comes to shopping related happenings in November, there’s another commerce related date this month that you should know about: Small Business Saturday.

This annual event encourages consumers to support small and/or local businesses both in their own area and further afield, and takes place on the Saturday immediately following Thanksgiving in the States. Thus, Small Business Saturday 2020 falls on November 28, 2020.

Countless businesses have been profoundly impacted – and often not in a positive way at all – by the global pandemic that has rocked our world this year. If you have the means and wish to do some shopping this year, consider allocating some of those funds to small businesses.

Now, more than ever, the revenue that most small businesses are able to generate can quite literally make or break them. Let’s all do our part and help those whose livelihoods stem from their small businesses stay afloat during these profoundly challenging times.

29. National button day (USA): While this day – which falls on November 16, 2020 – stems from America, one can certainly hop on the celebratory bandwagon no matter where in the world you live.

I’ve loved buttons my whole life and have enjoyed both (casually) collecting and (frequently) crafting with them since childhood.

Buttons are a common go-to item for me when paper crafting, doing needlework, or otherwise whipping up various handmade products – just as they are for scores of us around the world.

Buttons also play a role in some of my witchy workings and (usually displayed in pretty jars or dishes) as part of our home décor as well.

No matter if you craft with or collect buttons, nearly all of us use this wonderfully handy invention on a regular basis via our wardrobe.

Buttons as we know them today in terms of shapes and functions, date back to at least 13^th Germany, though their origins stretch considerably further in time (it is believed that earlier buttons were usually more ornamental or used as seals).

So why not use National Button Day as a great excuse to sew or craft with buttons, display some of your faves, or slip on a garment whose buttons you particularly adore?

30. The return of holiday season music: I will readily cop to playing Christmas tunes prior to November 1^st, but like many of us, tend to amp up the amount of airplay they get come the 11^th month of the year.

Whether you’re cueing up your favourite festive song playlists, delighting in hearing a treasured tune overhead while out shopping, or attending live holiday season musical performances, November is the ideal time to reconnect with all of the holly, jolly music that stirs up sweet nostalgia and makes our hearts smile warmly in the process.

Is November the best month of the year?

Objectively, it is very difficult to quantify or determine if one month of the year is vastly better than others.

Each has its joys and charms, challenges and perks, reasons to smile, and rightful place in the annual turning of the Wheel of the Year that has gone on since time immemorial.

November is certainly no exception there, as the entries in this post help to demonstrate.

Most of us have a favourite month or two (or twelve!).

For me personally, that month is October. I genuinely feel a sense of sorrow and loss when it passes us by for another year – capping off, enchantingly, with Samhain/Halloween on October 31^st.

I used to get very down when October ended – a sort of heavy mid-fall funk falling over me for a spell. I still experience that to a lesser degree sometimes.

However, over the years I’ve come to adore and appreciate November in countless ways and to wholeheartedly delight in the wonders of this splendid month.

After all, for a Canadian lass like me, the fact that November is still a full month of autumn is worth cheering for on that fact alone!

We’re in for a long stretch of sub-zero temps, mile high snowfalls, and plenty of icy morns and even chiller nights over the next few months.

Just as a good many people in various corners are the globe are as well, of course.

Before we turn hot cocoa into a food group unto itself, bundle up like arctic explorers, and deck the halls with mistletoe and holly once more, let’s celebrate the often overlooked and underappreciated perks and joys of November.

It might not have October’s pizzazz and haunting spirit, but it is still a gorgeous chapter of the year and one that allows us to savour our treasured fall for a few more weeks.

If that isn’t worth raising a pumpkin spice latte in celebration of, I don’t know what is!

Which of these reasons to love November is your favourite? What are some others that never fail to make you happy to see the 11^th month of the year return again?

The post 30 Reasons to Love November 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.

Indeed, if anything, it deepens and matures like a fine wine. Getting better and holding more allure the longer time elapses from its creation to the present moment.

Broadly speaking, I’ve never been what, in modern parlance, is often referred to a “fangirl” when it comes to, well, most anything.

Sure, I love a good many things with a ceaseless passion, but I don’t feel the need to buy every last piece of merchandise pertaining to my favourite books, TV shows, movies, bands, and so forth.

I don’t cosplay, I’ve only ever written one piece of fan fiction (an alternative ending, penned when I was about 13 years old to Titanic in which both Rose and Jack survive), and I’ve not yet stepped foot at a US amusement park such a Disneyland or Universal Studios.

Yet, like most rules, this one is broken for a select few favourites. None, and I mean absolutely none, of them ranks higher for me than Disney’s 1993 Halloween themed classic, Hocus Pocus.

When it comes to Hocus Pocus, all bets are off. I fangirl like my life depended on it and – as many fans do – like to think of myself as something as a 4^th Sanderson sister.

In 2017, scarcely more than a year after the terrible arson house fire we experienced, I fulfilled a dream that was, at the time, twenty-four years in the making, when I dressed up as none other than Hocus Pocus’ Winifred Sanderson (played in the movie by the Divine Miss M herself, Bette Milder). Complete with a stunning Book prop that I purchased from Etsy seller Pixie Painting.

I’ve lost track of how many times I’ve watched Hocus Pocus over the years. If the number is anything less than 75, I’d be shocked. Chances are, it’s well above a hundred. Only the 1966 Halloween TV special, It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown comes even close in terms of the number of times I’ve watched the same show or film.

I was nine years old when Hocus Pocus was released and from my very first viewing, I was wholly and completely enamoured. Much like Sarah Sanderson enchants children to follow her hauntingly melodic voice and follow her, so too did Hocus Pocus cast its alluring siren’s song over me.

At the time of its 1993 release, Hocus Pocus wasn’t a gigantic box office success (the fact that it was released in July, not September or October likely didn’t help matters one iota) and more than a few critics were quick to show it about as much love as most kids have for the boxes of raisins they receive in their trick-or—treat loot bags.

However, thankfully, there were some critics and reviewer – and no shortage of fans – who “got” what Hocus Pocus was about and who saw the merits of a film that while seeped in literary, folkloric, and Hollywood inspiration, was a trailblazing movie in its own right.

In more recent years, as Gen Xs and Millennials have reached adulthood and a mighty wave of nostalgic has swept across the pop culture landscape, Hocus Pocus has found both new and renewed popularity with fans who adored it back in the day, as well as those – of any age – who are just seeing it now for the first time.

I would even go so far as to argue that the greater widespread awareness and, to a degree, acceptance in some parts of the world of witchcraft, Wicca, and Paganism may have helped to bolster Hocus Pocus’ popularity.

Not so much because the witchery that most actual witches practise today is authentically represented in the movie, but because the ability to openly be a witch/Pagan or adore witches – a point that many other Hollywood and literary contributions, very much including the Harry Potter franchise bolstered as well – has arguably never been more possible.

Much like Billy Butcherson says of the graveyard in Salem, for myself and many others, the movie Hocus Pocus is sacred ground.

As such, it was with more than a little grain of salt (say, the kind Allison used for protection in the film) then that I approached reading author Aaron Wallace’s fan guide, Hocus Pocus in Focus.

After all, this is Hocus Pocus we’re talking about.

As the only book to date written specifically about this beloved Halloween film, I knew that the author – or any author, for that matter – would have to step up to the plate and then some.

This wasn’t the time or place for “just’ another list, like the plethora that exist online, of things you might not know about Hocus Pocus, nor was it for a simple screenplay with a smattering of viewer commentary.

No, in my eyes – and likely those of most diehard Hocus Pocus fans – this book needed to dig deeper than Billy’s grave, it had to – much as if we’d drunk some of the very youth-restoring potion that the Sanderson Sisters connected – turn back the hands of time to the early 1990s. And it needed to explore facets of the movie that many of us might not have pondered before.

I can say in no uncertain terms that Aaron Wallace’s Hocus Pocus in Focus nailed each of those points and more.

Spoiler alert head’s up: Please be aware that while a detailed breakdown of the plot of Hocus Pocus is not explored in this book review post, certain elements of the movie are touched on that would, IMO, fall under the header of being “spoilers”. Thus, if you have not seen the movie and wish to remain unfamiliar with its plot and/or ending, you may want to return to this post after you’ve watched Hocus Pocus.

Book specs

Name: Hocus Pocus in Focus

Author: Aaron Wallace

Page count: 206

Publisher: Pensive Pen Publishing

Binding: Softcover

A must-read book for any Hocus Pocus fan

At 206 pages, Hocus Pocus in Focus is not the largest book ever. Yet, within those two hundred-odd pages, Mr. Wallace does a superb job of whisking us away off to a multitude of places.

We’re transported back to the 1990s – a time when many of Hocus Pocus’ most ardent fans were children, teens or young adults, whisked to late 17^th century Salem, Massachusetts where some of the film’s scenes are set, to the magic of Hollywood that made this movie possible, and spirited away to October 31^st itself – which takes on an unofficial starring role in this movie.

While Hocus Pocus in Focus is apt to appeal more to those who have seen the movie Hocus Pocus (and/or read the 2018 book adaptation, complete with sequel, by A. W. Jantha) at least once, author Aaron Wallace does such a superb job of providing a detailed overview and insightful assessment of Hocus Pocus that I’d venture that those who enjoy Halloween movies but haven’t yet seen this one might still really enjoy this book.  

That said, it’s a safe bet that the majority of those who pick up a copy of Hocus Pocus in Focus will have seen the movie before and some, perhaps even plenty, of readers will be fellow Hocus Pocus obsessed fans of all ages and walks of life.

It is clear from the very first pages that Aaron Wallace is a fellow Hocus Pocusian (Pocusite?). His love of this film shines through every page with the same sort of force as the glowing orange beam of light that radiates out from Book in the movie.

The author of multiple fan guides to different movies, founder of the popular Disney related podcast On Main Street, and a fellow blogger (amongst his many diverse talents), Wallace knows his way around a movie plot. He excels at weaving witty, intelligent, and insightful points into his overview of Hocus Pocus and the many influences it both had, and in turn, has subsequently created.

Hocus Pocus in Focus begins with a beautiful forward penned by none other than actor Thora Birch, who played one of the movie’s lead characters: Dani Dennison. And, as the book winds down, it’s afterward is provided by the Mick Garris, the film’s writer and producer.

The rest of the content is straight-up Wallace. Laid out across twelve chapters, along with an epilogue, bonus material, notes, and index, Hocus Pocus in Focus presents us with a treasure trove worth of little-known information about the movie and those involved with its making.

As well, along the way, it presents us with some seriously interesting theories about different facets of the movie.

Amongst which one finds a very fair and highly perceptive look at the roles that subjects such as virginity and sexuality had in this Disney family film.

Feminism as it pertains to Hocus Pocus and (though not an overriding focus) the Salem Witch Trials also make appearances throughout the book.

As does a wonderfully engaging array of trivia, a Kevin Bacon worthy degree of linking various movies, actors, directors and other movie industry professions to Hocus Pocus (including Steven Spielberg’s ties to Hocus Pocus), an exploration of Disney’s relationship with both witches and Halloween, and the meaningful place that Hocus Pocus has in the lives of countless fans around the world.

Hocus Pocus is Focus is a very well-researched book. Its narrative weaves and winds fluidly, leading readers through both the movie and the premises Wallace lays out with equal skill and appeal.

Time and thought is devoted to all of the major characters in Hocus Pocus, including but not limited to, Thackery Binx, Emily Binx, Max Dennison, Dani Dennison, Allison, Billy Butcherson, Winifred Sanderson, Mary Sanderson, and Sarah Sanderson.

Just as it is to many of the supporting characters (such as the Dennison parents, Jay and Ice, and even Max and Allison’s teacher, Miss Olin), as well as various lead production staff on the film, including director Kenny Ortega.

Some of the filming locations (including the stunning Sanderson Sister Cottage shown above), as well a set and prop construction, costuming, musical score, and special effects are also explored in an instantly captivating way that leaves you feeling as though your Disney adoring BFF has just let you in on the juiciest Hocus Pocus trivia around.

Because, dear readers, that is precisely what Aaron Wallace does in this slam dunk of a fan guide to Hocus Pocus.

How Hocus Pocus in Focus rates with me

Whereas the Sanderson Sisters had to wait three hundred years for a virgin to light the black flame candle, Hocus Pocus fans had to wait patiently for 23 years between when the film first hit theatres and the release of Hocus Pocus in Focus in 2016.

Let me tell you, this was a book worth waiting for.

Smart, charming, jam packed with trivia, insightfully perceptive, and just plain fun, Hocus Pocus in Focus does justice to the movie it centers on and is apt to leave you yearning – just as many Hocus Pocus fans have for a sequel to the movie – for even more of Aaron Wallace’s take on this awesome Halloween flick.

I may have gone into reading the book with a fangirl’s natural level of trepidation that Hocus Pocus in Focus might fail to do the movie justice, but by the end of the first chapter, any such concerns had crumbled faster than the Sanderson Sisters as the sun rose on November 1^st.

Much like the movie at its heart, I adored Hocus Pocus in Focus.

Wallace delves deep, presents smart and engaging commentary, celebrates both the plot and the players involved in bringing this incredible Disney cult classic to life, and clearly has an unending passion for Hocus Pocus.

Fittingly, Hocus Pocus in Focus casts a spell over its readers and is, in my humble opinion, a BooOOOoook! that most Hocus Pocus fans would be delighted to have residing on their shelves – or witchy cottage ceiling beams.

Working on a scale of 1 – 5, with five being the highest possible rating, I would give this book 5 stars out of 5.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Have you read Hocus Pocus in Focus? Are you a fellow fan of the bewitching Disney movie behind the book?

The post Book Review: Hocus Pocus in Focus by Aaron Wallace appeared first on Witchcrafted Life.

On the Pagan front, you could create it to give for any of the fall harvest season sabbats. Be it Lammas, Mabon, or Samhain.

In a more secular sense, it works fabulously from the Fall Equinox, Canadian Thanksgiving, American Thanksgiving, and even Halloween – particularly if your recipient favours sweet to spooky.

Of course, one of the best and most meaningful reasons to give a card is “just because”. This festively hued and themed card would be a gorgeous way to let anyone know that they’re in your thoughts this fall.

A message that holds all the more importance and meaning given the way 2020 has unfolded and the continued self-isolation and/or social distancing that many of us are adhering to this season.

As well, you could easily keep the design, but swap out (or add to) the sentiment and make this a really charming birthday, retirement, congratulations, anniversary, encouragement, or fall wedding card.

Blessed harvest season card for any fall time event

Autumn is my favourite and most cherished chapter of the year. I love to celebrate that lifelong passion with my papercrafts, often reach for classic colour palettes and choices of imagery when creating fall time makes.

This card goes to town on that front! All it needs now is a ride in a vintage pickup truck to the nearest pumpkin patch, corn maze, or apple orchard!

As I didn’t create this card with one specific person or fall event in mind, I left its design fairly wide open. This helps to ensure that I can give it for a number of possible events or reasons, as touched on above.

One thing it instantly made me think of is the awesome produce stands, spilling over with pumpkins, squash, ears of corn, apples, pears, and other seasonal delights that my family visited when I was growing up.

I still try to get out to at least one or two each year myself, though currently live over three hours north of the region’s epicenter for produce stands, so that can prove a little trickier some years.

Thankfully though, there are some smaller ones closer to home and we love to brake for them all season long.

Putting this festive autumn card together

To create this elegant harvest season card, I began with a base of timeless kraft cardstock. This was topped with a piece of darker brown card cardstock, which I used a border punch on the north and south sides of.

They might not see as much paper crafting play as they did a number of years back, but paper punches – be they border or shape – remain some of my favourite and most frequently used paper crafting supplies to this day.

Next, I inked the edges of a neutral coloured patterned paper, which I topped with a fairly wide piece of natural burlap and a die cut gold metallic paper frame. This was then topped by a band of fall coloured plaid ribbon towards the bottom of the card, and the central design elements in the middle.

A jaunty bow made from the same red, orange and gold plaid ribbon adds visual interest to the top of the card design, as to the coppery-gold hued sequins sprinkled throughout the design.

For the central panel, I used pre-platted dark chocolate brown coloured ribbon, but you could certainly pleat your own ribbon, paper, vellum, burlap, or other material for a similar effect.

A die cut oval shaped wreath of leaves in kraft and die cut sheaves of wheat in both flax-y light brown and metallic gold cardstock join the wreath to help emphasis the fall harvest message of this greeting.

As does the lovely golden wheat print paper used behind the sentiment.

The Simple Stories Fall Farmhouse collection die cuts with their wonderfully pretty pumpkins, leaves, and sheaves of wheat all sing with the spirit of the fall harvest season as well.

The sentiment is comprised of two different word stickers (which I lightly inked the edges of with dark brown ink) and a cute little heart sticker – a nod both to my passion for fall and the love this card transmits to its future recipient.

This card is sweet and sophisticated, undeniably autumnal and oodles of fun at the same time. You could give it to most anyone, or, if so desired, use it as a piece of handmade seasonal décor in your own home.

Card making tips and ideas from this project

–Kraft cardstock is one of the most versatile products any paper crafter can have in their stash. I reach for it year-round, but tend to lean on it all the more come fall.

The neutral base that kraft cardstock provides means that it will usually work awesomely with a wide range of other colours – especially, but not limited to, those in the both the earthy and rich jewel toned palettes of autumn.

Consider using kraft in one or more of your fall cards, layouts, mini albums, tags, or other paper crafting projects this season. (It also looks fantastic with colours such as black, white, orange, and lime green for Halloween or Samhain.)

-When creating fall time makes, bring rustic elements of the season into your designs. Materials such burlap (aka, hessian), raffia, cork, rough or nubby textured fabrics, felt, acorns, and real or artificial dried leaves, seed pods, flowers, and straw can all work wonders in this capacity.

-Symmetrical designs are a winning classic. While the two haves of this card are not an exact mirror image of each other, they’re certainly close. The subtle variation between each side catches the eye, while the cohesive symmetry gives the design a timeless quality.

-Drive home themes, be they seasonal or otherwise, with subtle uses of printed papers that are in keeping with said theme. In this case, the wheat sheaf print paper behind the sentiment helps to do just that.

Other printed (or stamped, etc) papers that could have worked nicely here as well include leaf, pumpkin, corn, and wildflower designs.

-Wreaths are a beloved décor staple the whole year through. Like many folks, I tend to utilize them all the more come fall and winter, though, and was thinking about autumn wreaths when designing this card.

Why not create a wreath or take a design cue from one when putting together a fall time card of your own?

-If you don’t have pre-pleated ribbon on hand, you can make your own by sewing, stapling (mini staples often work better than standard sizes ones), or gluing ribbon, trim, burlap, felt, paper, or cardstock in the desired pleated design of your choice.

I recommending testing out any glues or adhesives on a scrap piece of the same material first, to see if they A) hold the pleat in place and B) if they bleed through the paper/cardstock/fabric or not. If they do, reduce the amount used or try a different adhesive instead.

Products used to create this lovely fall card

-Kraft, dark brown, and light flax/taupe brown coloured cardstock

-Gold metallic cardstock – Special Bright Gold Metallic Cardstock from Kodamaa

-Wheat sheaf print paper – Gracious Bundle 8×8 Inch Collection from Authentique

-Earthy cream and brown printed paper

-Ornate/fancy frame metal die (used here with the gold metallic cardstock)

-Scrolling edge border punch – Upper Crest Border Punch from Fiskars

-Dark brown ink – Dew Drop Rich Cocoa Brown Ink from Memento

-Dark yellow ink – Street Light Surface Ink from Pink & Main

-Fall themed die cuts – Fall Farmhouse Bits & Pieces from Simple Stories

-Word and heart stickers – Fall Farmhouse Mini Sticker Tablet from Simple Stories

-Natural brown burlap – Burlap Mat Stack from DCWV

-Dark brown pleated ribbon

-Orange, red and gold plaid ribbon (this one is from Michael’s Celebrate It line, purchased a year or two ago)

-Coppery gold coloured 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)

Looking ahead to the second and third months of autumn

As hard as it may be to believe, we’ve experienced more than a full month of fall at this point. How quickly the soulful, gorgeous days of this beloved season tumble by like crisp leaves waltzing on a nippy autumn breeze.

The local farms that call our rural community home have brought in their harvests for the year or will soon wrap up doing so. Countless ears of corn and bushels of hay will now go out into the world for all manner of purposes.

With the meaningful day that is Canadian Thanksgiving having transpired again two Mondays ago, it’s safe to say that my thoughts are squarely focused on Halloween/Samhain at this point.

Come November, I plan to post at least one more fall/harvest season project before we start to transition into other paper crafting themes – including winter/Yule/Christmas related makes.

The second half of October is such an enchanting, magickal and poignant chapter of the year. Each day fills my heart with glee and leads my soul to feel all the more aligned and connected to the universe.

Personally, I see these days as part of the larger celebration that is Halloween and Samhain. They’ll be gone faster than the beating of a bat’s wings and while I actively keep the spirit of Halloween going strong in my life all year through, there’s nothing quite like the highly charged magnificence of late October itself.

May this be a time of joy and meaning, abundant fall blessings, cherished nostalgia and wonderful new memories alike – no matter how or what this Halloween/Samhain season looks like for you in 2020.  

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The post Blessed Harvest Season Card for Lammas, Mabon, Samhain, Thanksgiving, or any fall event! appeared first on Witchcrafted Life.