Environment and Ritual Setting for The Dumb Supper Observance at Samhain

The Dumb Supper can be an important aspect of the Samhain observance. It can focus your attention on the fact that the time when the veil between the worlds is thinnest has come again.

Keeping in contact with those who have gone before, no matter how long ago or how tenuous that connection may be, is invaluable in one’s daily life in terms of having some wisdom in one’s decision-making and sense of personal responsibility.

Arranging the supper table with an extra place setting and then asking the ancestors to attend the supper is a mark of respect to them. When you can sense they are present, make a point some time during the Dumb Supper to request a sign from them regarding some aspect of your life and how you might approach the concern you have in order to resolve that situation. Often, they will touch your life in your dreams, and they will take you up on your invitation, at this time, to do so. Keep a pen and pad of paper close by your bed for several weeks so that you can write down what you learned, as it will probably be lost quickly when you wake up.

The use of some calming music during the Dumb Supper lends itself, along with silence for all those attending, to maintain a state of meditation, respect and openness to communication with the world beyond. There is no need to hurry the meal as it is also a time of reflection. Just let it take its normal course. At the end of the meal, take a moment to thank the ancestors for attending and then bid them farewell. This is the end of the observance, and your normal routine can return.

Bright Blessings!

Ron Ivins

For Teachers, Parents and Students

This is a reprint of an essay made back in 2000.  It is just as pertinent today as it was back then.

"You have a Pagan in your classroom:"

An essay for school teachers about Paganism by Suzanne "Cecylyna" Egbert,

2000-NOV-2

A student in your school practices a religion with which you may not be familiar. This leaflet is simply to give you information you may need to understand the different experiences this student may share with you, and answer any questions you might have.

What is a Pagan student likely to practice and believe?

Because Pagans generally follow a non-creedal, non-dogmatic spirituality, there may be even more variants between Pagan religious beliefs than there are between denominations of Christianity. The most commonly practiced types of Paganism are Wicca, Asatru, Druidry, or simply Paganism, just as a Christian can be Catholic, Presbyterian, or simply Christian. All of these are somewhat different from each other. Because of this, the following statements may not be true for every Pagan you encounter. However, there are some practices that are generally common among Pagans; the student or his parents will tell you if their practices differ significantly from the following:

A Pagan student will celebrate a nature-based, polytheistic religion:

A Pagan student will honor Divinity as both God and Goddess, sometimes with a feminist emphasis on the Goddess. One effect of this is that the student is likely to treat gender equality as an assumption,

A Pagan student will celebrate religious ceremonies with small groups on Full Moons and at the beginning and midpoint of each season, rather than with large congregations or at a set weekly schedule. These celebrations are often called 'rituals' or 'circles', and the congregations called 'covens', 'groves', 'hearths', or 'circles'. Some of the items commonly found on the altar in a Pagan ceremony are statues of the Goddess or God; candles; crystals; wands; the athame, a blunt-edged dagger used as a symbol and not as a tool with which to cut; cups; cauldrons; incense; and a five-pointed star called the pentagram or pentacle.

A Pagan student may wear a symbol of his or her religion as an item of jewelry. The most common symbol is the pentacle, a five-pointed star in a circle. The misconception of the pentagram as a satanic symbol is based upon its inverted use by those groups, in the same manner in which devil-worshippers may use the Christian cross inverted. The meaning of the pentacle as worn by Pagans is rooted in the beliefs of the Greek Pythagoreans, for whom the pentagram embodied perfect balance and wisdom; inserting the star in the circle adds the symbol of eternity and unity. Other jewelry that may be worn includes Celtic knot work; crosses; triskelions; Thor's hammer; the labrys, a double-headed axe used as a symbol by Greco-Roman worship of Cybele; Goddess figurines; crescent and/or full Moon symbols; the Yin-Yang symbol; or the eye of Horus or horns of Isis from Egyptian mythology.

A Pagan student will view Divinity as immanent in Nature and humanity, and view all things as interconnected. This often leads to a concern with ecology and the environment, and a fascination with the cycle of life.

A Pagan student will believe in magic, and may spell it 'magick' to differentiate it from stage illusions. This may include belief in personal energy fields like the Chinese concept of chi, and may also include the use of rituals and tools to dramatize and focus positive thinking and visualization techniques. It does not mean that the student is taught that he can wiggle his nose to clean his room, summon spirits or demons, or do anything else that breaks natural laws, though if young, like any child, a Pagan child may pretend these things. It also does not mean that the student is taught to hex or curse; in our ethical structure such actions are believed to rebound on the sender, and therefore are proscribed.

A Pagan student may believe in reincarnation. It is the most common eschatological belief held among Pagans, but is not universal. However, a Pagan student is unlikely to believe in either Heaven or Hell; she may believe in the Celtic Summerland, a place of rest between incarnations, or Valhalla, a realm of honor in Norse religions.

A Pagan student may call herself a Witch, a Wiccan, a Pagan or Neo-Pagan, a Goddess-worshipper, a Druid, an Asatruer, or a Heathen. He is unlikely to call himself a Warlock, as that is believed to come from the Scottish word for 'oathbreaker'. And while a Pagan student may or may not be offended by the stereotype, she is likely to quickly inform you that the green-skinned, warty-nosed caricature displayed at Halloween bears no relation to her religion.

Ethics and rules of behavior:

A Pagan student will be taught ethics emphasizing both personal freedom and personal responsibility. Pagan ethics allow personal freedom within a framework of personal responsibility. The primary basis for Pagan ethics is the understanding that everything is interconnected, that nothing exists without affecting others, and that every action has a consequence.

There is no concept of forgiveness for sin in the Pagan ethical system; the consequences of one's actions must be faced and reparations made as necessary against anyone whom you have harmed.

There are no arbitrary rules about moral issues; instead, every action must be weighed against the awareness of what harm it could cause. Thus, for example, consensual homosexuality would be a null issue morally because it harms no one, but cheating would be wrong because it harms one's self, one's intellect, one's integrity, and takes unfair advantage of the person from whom you are cheating.

The most common forms in which these ethics are stated are:

The Wiccan Rede, "An it harm none, do as thou wilt," and

The Threefold Law, "Whatsoever you do returns to you threefold."

Religious plurality:

A Pagan student will hold a paradigm that embraces plurality.

Because Pagan religious systems hold that theirs is a way among many, not the only road to truth, and because Pagans explore a variety of Deities among their pantheons, both male and female, a Pagan student will be brought up in an atmosphere that discourages discrimination based on differences such as race or gender, and encourages individuality, self-discovery and independent thought.

A Pagan student is also likely to be taught comparative religions. Most Pagans are adamant about not forcing their beliefs on the child but rather teaching them many spiritual systems and letting the child decide when he is of age. However, a Pagan student is unlikely to have an emotional concept of Heaven, Hell, or salvation as taught by Christian religions, though he may know about them intellectually. And a Pagan student will be taught to respect the sacred texts of other religions, but is unlikely to believe them literally where they conflict with scientific theory or purport to be the only truth.

Personal interests:

A Pagan student is likely to enjoy reading, science, and helping professions. Margot Adler, National Public Radio journalist, reported the results of a survey of Pagans in the 1989 edition of her book, Drawing Down the Moon. 1 The results showed that the one thing Pagans hold in common despite their differences is a voracious appetite for reading and learning. Pagans also seem to be represented strongly in the computer and health-care fields, so the Pagan child is likely to be computer-literate from an early age.

Conclusions:

Despite their sometimes misunderstood beliefs, earth-based religions have grown steadily throughout the past few decades, and provide a satisfying spirituality to their practitioners. With the current appreciation of diversity and tolerance, more people now understand that different cultural backgrounds bring perspectives that can be valued instead of feared. It is our hope that as an educator this will provide you with the information you need to be able to facilitate understanding.

References:

Margot Adler, "Drawing down the moon: Witches, Druids, Goddess worshipers and other Pagans in America today," Penguin USA, (1997) Rated by Amazon.com in the top 3,500 of all books sold. Read reviews or order this book safely from Amazon.com online book store

Introductory books on Wicca are listed elsewhere on this web site

Copyright © 1998 Cecylyna Dewr; Reprinted by permission

Distribution is welcome. Please include this notice:

For more information, contact the Pagan Pride Project Executive Director, Cecylyna Dewr:

Web site: http://www.paganpride.org.

Email: paganpride@paganpride.org.

Address: Pagan Pride Project, PMB 119, 133 W Market St., Indianapolis, IN 46204.

Phone: 317.916.9115

Clean Your Altar. Yes, you.

"In a dark room a table sits, covered with the trappings a witch.  The chalice and blade once sparkled in brilliance like the morning dawn.  Candles that once burned brightly now sit dark and shadowy.  Forgotten is the power that once flowed freely as spell was spoke and ritual performed.  Absent are the deities and elements that journeyed at a plea or an offering.  Now a fine layer of dust has covered those symbols of the craft like a soft cloth and obscured them from the view of those that would use them.”

I imagine this might describe an altar or two out there.  I know it has described mine at least once maybe twice.

We all have lives outside of the craft and at times our altars can get relegated to becoming just another spot for the car keys or the loose change from your last soda or mineral water purchase.  Unless your altar is in secluded sanctuary where no one ever sees it then don’t be surprised if it accumulates items other then what is supposed to be there.  I myself have absently placed all sorts of mundane items on my altar, from keys to clothes.  Yes, clothes.  No I wasn’t using a t-shirt as an altar cloth.  No matter how hard you try there will eventually be something on your altar that shouldn’t be there and you may not have done it.

I have found some items on my altar that I have no idea how they got there and I can only assume that my lovely house fae have helped out again. 

So…

You have found your altar under a pile of stuff, now what.  (Even if your altar isn’t buried it can still benefit from a good cleaning.)

First get a small bowl or bucket with a cleaning solution mixed with fresh water.  I prefer to use a solution that I make myself that way I know it won’t damage any of the items I wipe off.  Also remove all the items off the altar, including the cloth if you use one.

Clean the cloth/surface

If you use and altar cloth remove it and if it is washable then give it a once through in the olde washing machine.  If it is a commercially made cloth be sure to read the cleaning instructions.  If you have a cloth that is not able to be machine washed then perhaps a hand washing with a Woolite type product would be better.  Again, check the cleaning instructions.

Not everyone uses an altar cloth and if you are one of those people, and you know who you are, just give the surface of the altar a good wipe down with the cleaning solution you have.  Don’t forget to gently scrape of any wax from those nice candles.  Dry the surface with a clean towel. 

I like to press my altar cloths so they look crisp.  I have also heard it is nice to use a lavender water spray as you iron.

Replace the cloth on the altar as you choose.

Clean the tools

Now that the surface of the altar is clean and ready for our tools it is time to clean those tools.

Using the cleaning solution gently wipe down all of your tools.  This includes any statues that you may have.  Any porous items should be wiped with a clean dry rag and in the case of wood items a good wood cleaner could be used.  Be sure to dry all items with a clean towel before replacing them on the altar.

If you have a nice silver chalice you might notice that it is not as silver as it used to be.  Fingerprints cover the surface from all the times you have held it in a toast to the Goddess.  So how to do you get it back to the bright polished silver?  Toothpaste.  Yes, I said toothpaste.  It is an inexpensive way to polish your silver items.  Now before you run to the bathroom and grab the tube from the medicine cabinet you need to know one thing.  It has to be the true toothpaste, not a gel or mixture thereof.  It is best to get a brand like the traditional Colgate© or a natural toothpaste from your natural grocers.

“To clean off tarnish, coat the silver with toothpaste, then run it under warm water, work it into foam, and rinse it off. For stubborn stains or intricate grooves, use an old soft-bristled toothbrush.”

Be sure to empty all the ashes from your incense burners too.  Many times I light a charcoal disk and realize that I am smelling incense when I haven’t placed any yet.  It was actually the unburned incense that had fallen through the screen and is resting on the ashes from the previous time.  Some people would say to dump the ashes outside, I just empty them into the trash since all the power of the incense has been spent and sent.  Of course, don’t dump hot ash in the trash.  DUH!

Empty out your offering bowl.  This should be done outside to make one final offering.  Wipe out the bowl and dry it with a clean towel. 

Mirrors, crystal balls, and scrying bowls, wipe them off so that you can again see clearly what you are being shown.

If you have any other items that you place on your altar be sure they are clean and fresh.

The Little Thing

Here is one thing that everyone should do when they are setting up their altar. (Or at least I think so) 

Candle wicks.  New candles come with long wicks as a rule and many people just light that long wick and move on.  Most candle makers say that the wick should be cut to about ¼ inch in length. Why? Well I have found that if I do this then the candle burns more evenly. The wick should be trimmed whenever it gets very long.  If have a torch when you light the candle it is time to trim the wick.  Be careful when trimming a used wick as you can inadvertently break the wick down to the wax and then the candle is finished.

Finishing up

Now that the surface of your altar is clean and dry and your altar cloth is places as you like it is time to reset your altar.  How you do this is completely up to you, there isn’t a right or wrong way to set up an altar. 

After I have set my altar I like to give it a quick smudging and blessings with my favorite incense.

Keep it clean.  The best way to do this is to use it.  Your altar is less likely to gather dust and cobwebs if you are using it daily or every other day.  If you notice a bit of dust on an item, give it a quick brushing with a cloth or even a Swiffer Duster©, they work great for altars.  A complete wash down should be done at least once a month or as you feel the grime accumulating.

Remember…

Keep it clean and let the power flow.

Rituals and Ceremonies -- Cleansing a space.

In most Pagan traditions it is very important to purify or cleanse a space prior to beginning any sort of ritual. Although there are a different ways of doing this, how you do it will depend on the tradition you follow as well as what you feel comfortable with.

Usually, when ritually purifying an area, most do it deosil and spiraling inwards to the center. There are times when moving in a widdershins direction is appropriate, most notably for Banishing Ritual.


These methods are some examples of common ways to cleanse a space for ritual.

Smudging

Smudging uses smoke, which will carry negative energy away from the area. Traditionally White Sage is used, however, other dried herbs can be added, such as Cilantro, Cedar, Lavender and Mugwort. The herbs are bound with string into a bundle, which is commonly referred to as a “stick”.

When lighting the bundle, try to make it flame for a moment if possible, then blow the flame out. This will leave you with a smoldering, smoking herb bundle. Once you have achieved the smoldering bundle stage it is time to smudge the house.

Now you don’t take the bundle and rub it on the walls and other things in the room, which would make a mess and probably ruin a few things and maybe even start a nice fire. What you do is this. Hold the smoldering bundle in one hand or in a heatproof object, like a shell. With either a fan or your free hand you waft the smoke to the edges of the room, making sure to get it into the corners.

When you have finished smudging you can either snuff out the smoldering end of the bundle by setting it into some sand or by crushing the end. An alternative method is to douse it under a bit of water, making sure to let it dry completely before attempting to use it again.

Sweeping
By long tradition, the broom is associated with cleaning and purification. The broom can be either a special one used solely for ritual cleansing or even your household broom. Use a broom or besom going around the edges of the space, with your intent being to sweep negativity away as you go. Here's a good idea. Start and finish near a door--that way, negative energy is swept outside, rather quite literally.

Asperging
Asperging is the sprinkling with a liquid in order to effect spiritual and magical cleansing. Most people will associate Asperging with the Catholic Church, however the practice is also widely used by pagans for cleansing prior to rituals.

It can be accomplished in many ways. The simplest of these is to have a premixed liquid of your choice and bundle of fresh herbs that you can dip into the water. Then you take the herbs, dip them in the liquid and with a quick flick you throw the liquid off the herb and into area or onto the object to be cleansed. You don’t want or need to have a lot of liquid being thrown though. Just small droplets are perfect. Herbs that are prefect to use are Sage, Lavender, Vervain, Hyssop, Pine, Rue and Rosemary.


Another option that can be used quite effectively to cleanse a space is the use of incense. This can be either in cone form, stick, or powder and charcoal. The incense should be for working with cleaning, purification and even protection if you want to add that bit into the cleansing.

During your cleansing and purification of your space you can also include a little chant to augment the process. There are many to be found on the Internet as well as in books. You might even have one in mind already, in that case write it down so you will remember it for the next time you want to cleanse a room.

In addition to the above, I also ensure that the space is physically cleaned as well. I try to use a non-toxic homemade cleanser to do this. How you physically clean is of course up to you.


I would be remiss if I didn’t do a shameless plug for our online store where we carry many items that are perfect for what I have just talked about. Stop by Grove of the Ancients Pagan Marketplace today and order cleansing supplies.

Blessed Be!