The Sacred Herbs of Samhain

Author Ellen Evert Hopman, herbalist and Druid, gave me the pleasure of a sneak peek into her latest herbal tome, The Sacred Herbs of Samhain.

Covering 216 pages, this book starts with some herbal basics and then moves on to categories such as herbs of protection, herbs to contact the spirits, herbs to communicate with the otherworld, herbs to communicate with and be protected from the mischief of the good neighbors (the Sidhe), herbs to communicate with the dead, visionary herbs, herbs to release the dead, ritual herbs for Samhain offerings, and herbs for funerals. e.

The Sacred Herbs of Samhain is a delightful collection of herbal knowledge and Celtic lore for Samhain. Ellen provides complete instructions for a Samhain ritual and also a traditional Dumb Supper. Her easy-to-follow recipes for soup, breads, soul cake, dumb cake, magical ink, and even dandelion wine complete this gem.

The publication date is currently set for summer 2019. Destiny Books is the publisher.

Book Review: The Halloween Tree

The Halloween Tree by Ray Bradbury
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Outstanding. I have the audio version, which is narrated by Bronson Pinchot. I didn't recognize his voice and had to look him up on the web to make sure he was who I thought he was! What a voice talent! From the gravely Mr. Moundshroud to the young boys of Halloween night and all Halloween creatures in between, he is absolutely convincing -- and chilling.

I'm going to make this a yearly listening adventure. Maybe next year I'll be able to catch more of Bradbury's poetic prose. This year the sheer thrill of it, and Bronson's execution, distracted me.

My only nitpick: I don't know where Bradbury came up with the idea that Samhain is a god of the dead; in all I've read, Samhain is the name of an ancient Gaelic pagan festival, not a god of the Druids, but maybe Bradbury had different source material. Doesn't matter; this is fiction, after all.

View all my reviews

“With Love, from Salem – the documentary” to debut at Cinema Salem

I'm posting this press release because I know the director personally and am greatly impressed with what he can do with a minimal amount of funding.

If you're planning to go to Salem, Massachusetts in October, you might want to check it out.

Press Release

“With Love, from Salem – the documentary” to debut at Cinema Salem

September 24, 2013

Salem, MA – Producers of the long anticipated Salem based documentary “With Love, From Salem” have finalized plans for the film’s debut with Cinema Salem, located in the heart of the historic city. The film will be featured at the Cinema from Friday October 25 through Sunday October 27, 2013. Details regarding showtimes will be announced shortly on the theater’s website www.cinemasalem.com.

The documentary (written, directed and produced by Karagan Cratty Griffith and featuring Gypsy and Richard Ravish, High Priestess and High Priest of Salem’s Temple of Nine Wells) chronicles the 20th Anniversary of the Temple’s Annual Samhain Ritual on Gallows Hill, an annual event that attracts hundreds of participants from around the world every October 31st.

Preview screenings of the film have received an overwhelmingly positive audience and critical response. The world premiere of the documentary was held on September 22, 2013 and included viewers from the UK, Portugal, Brazil and the Philippines.

The producers of the film, Logios/Red Bird Productions, are excited to partner with Cinema Salem, the North Shore’s most loved theater, to bring the experience of “With Love, from Salem” to the general public for the first time.

About “With Love, from Salem”

Salem, Massachusetts. The very mention of the town’s name conjures up thoughts of magic and witchcraft. Despite its proud place in American history, the year of 1692 was a time of suffering and injustice - 19 innocent people, condemned to death for crimes against God, died at the hands of their accusers on a bleak hill just outside the town.

The Temple of Nine Wells, a public Wiccan congregation administrated by The Rev. Richard Ravish, H.P and the Rev. Amy 'Gypsy' Ravish, HPs, has been walking to Gallows Hill on Samhain night for more than 20 years to honor the victims of the witch hunting hysteria of 1692. 

Every year on All Hallow's Eve, as darkness settles over the streets, hundreds of people gather in Salem from all over the world to join the Temple of Nine Wells on their annual journey to Gallows Hill. A few become many. Moved by the beating of the witch’s drum and lured by the gentle cadence of their chants, people set aside for one night their mundane cares and join the others on their walk. A simple pilgrimage becomes not only an act of remembrance, but also a celebration of life, of hope, and of love.

Through this beautiful and evocative film, you, too, can share in this truly magical experience, from preparation to the final ritual itself. And in the process you may gain a deeper understanding of contemporary witchcraft, as well as the significance of Samhain and the difference between it and the better-known festival of Halloween. Visually stunning and emotionally charged, “With Love, From Salem” provides a rare and precious glimpse of Samhain night in Salem, a night when witches still make magic as they dance the wheel of the year from darkness into light.

"Hauntingly beautiful, engaging, inspiring, and enchanting." 

Orion Foxwood, Founding Elder of Foxwood Temple of the Old Religion, Founder of the House of Brigh Faery Seership Institute, Co-founder of Conjure-Crossroads, author of "The Faery Teachings", USA

"With Love, From Salem is a true magical tale of how Witches and Pagans today have crafted an annual Samhain tradition of remembrance, healing, and hope at a place where Witch persecutions once happened."  

Rev. Selena Fox, Senior Minister, Circle Sanctuary, USA

"With Love from Salem is a fascinating, important and timely film that sets out to educate and interest."
Paul Pearson, editor of Greenmantle Magazine, UK.

“Ultimately, With Love, From Salem is a time capsule, a document of a couple who quietly served a community since the 1970’s, a fixed point where seekers and the curious could experience Witchcraft in a “land of ghosts.” It is about mortality and remembrance, not just for the victims of the Salem Witch Trials, but for our own elders as they age and pass on.”Jason Pitzi-Waters,The Wild Hunt

Contact

To learn more about this film, please contact Media Relations
Logios/ Projects/Red Bird Productions www.logios.biz
Theatrical Teaser: http://youtu.be/Nio_8FWt2RY
Official Trailer: http://youtu.be/LFDyebNQ3N8