Memories of Loved Ones

My family and I have been touched by the “Falling Leaf” spell, we recently read in Llewellyn’s Spell-A-Day Almanac, written by Mickie Mueller. We’re still trying to catch a falling leaf, which has been harder than one would imagine, but it is so magickal trying to grab one as it falls from a tree.

There’s a sadness that comes with this time of year. As we watch the leaves float down, loss of loved ones, things we’ve lost or discarded, situations that didn’t quite work out come to mind.

For me, I find I am still grieving the passing of our dog, Shadow who crossed over in January.

I don’t know why after 9 months I find myself missing her deeply. Perhaps it’s because she loved this time of year, or maybe it’s because her coat resembled a beautiful Fall day, or maybe it’s because the veil is thinning, and she was a magickal, spirit dog. And perhaps it’s all of these things.

My first Samhain (pronounced Sow (like cow) –in) altar I put up many years ago was in honor of our beloved dog Misty, gone many years now. I was thrilled to find the sacred in Halloween season. I had always believed there was more to the season, than just violence and horror, and being freaked out of your mind. Not that I don’t love Halloween, it was just as a lover of Nature, a believer in the Turn of The Wheel, I knew there had to be more to the Holiday than just goblins and ghosts.

For those of us who practice the Craft as our religion, October 31^st is the night we honor our loved ones who have gone before us. It’s a wonderful way to touch and remember our loved ones on the other side. 

It’s wonderful to have a special night that occurs annually, when we can be with our dearly departed. It keeps their memories alive in a special way. It gives us a chance to be with them in our homes or sacred spaces. And it adds reverence to the night of October 31^st.

There will be several others who will also share our ancestor altar. But this year, the star guest, will be our little dog, Shadow.