Halloween: Customs, Recipes & Spells (Paperback)

~ Silver RavenWolf (Author) "Witches' hats and harvest moon..." (more)
Key Phrases: black votive candle, magickal person, bind rune, Halloween Eve, American Halloween, Mischief Night (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

It's a time for children to dress up as princesses and pirates and go from house to house, calling, "Trick or Treat!" Their eyes will get big as they are rewarded with treasures and sweets. And perhaps you will celebrate Halloween by going to a costume party or a haunted house.

But did you ever wonder where all this holiday gaiety came from and what it means? Silver RavenWolf (I'm sure you know her!) reveals the answers in Halloween.

The book begins by sharing the history of where this harvest holiday came from. Did you know it was originally called Samhain? Samhain means "the end of summer". You'll find out what the ancient people did to celebrate this holiday and how the ideas about it have changed over the years. Did you know it has really become wildly popular in the U.S. only over the last 100 years? It's true! You'll also find out why ghosts and skeletons, jack-o'-lanterns and vampires are associated with October 31 of each year.

Halloween shows you lots of neat stuff you can do, either by yourself or at a party. First you can learn to do divination (or foreseeing the future) in a variety of ways. You can use pumpkin seeds or magick mirrors, nuts or tap water to find out what is going to happen.

There are all sorts of recipes for Halloween treats and fun you can have in the kitchen, making things like "tuna ghouls" or "magickal mice." They're tasty, too!

Next you can do real magick. There are spells here for protection, love, prosperity and much more. Finally, you'll learn rituals to honor the dead.

Honor the spirit of this hallowed harvest holiday with the rituals, recipes, and spells you'll find in Halloween.

From the Publisher

The end of October is one of my favorite times of the year. Here in Minnesota the leaves have turned from green to yellow, orange and red, and blown to the ground, leaving bare trees silhouetted against the autumn sky.  The air, as if sighing in relief from relentless summer heat, has turned to blustery chill. And it's time for one of the most fun holidays of the year, Halloween.

There are two aspects to this holiday, the ancient spiritual traditions and the fun and silliness. Someone may jump out and yell, "Boo!" but the shrieks of surprise and fear turn into shrieks of laughter. All of this is covered in Silver RavenWolf's book Halloween.

Whether you are eight or one-hundred-and-eight, you're going to love this book. If you are interested in the spiritual and historic side of Halloween, you'll find the history and lore of the holiday in these pages, including how the modern traditions evolved from the ancient ones.

And if you're into fun, you'll find it here, too. There are all sorts of easy divinations to find out what the future will bring. You can do them with common items like a bowl of water or the pumpkin seeds from the jack-o'-lantern you carved. The book also gives recipes you can make, including Angel's Dreams and Wishes Pumpkin, Witches' Flying Mix and Sugar Snakes in Graveyard Dust. They're all tasty, easy-to-make, and delicious.

Also included are spells for doing Halloween magick. You'll find love spells and protection spells, house blessing spells, prosperity spells and many more. On a serious note, you'll see how there is a long tradition of honoring the departed on this night of the year. You'll be able to perform these rituals, too.

This is the most complete book ever on Halloween, and I think it is perfect of families and individuals alike.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: Llewellyn Publications (September 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1567187196
• ISBN-13: 978-1567187199
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 7.5 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.9 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (69 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #210,625 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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  #53 in	Books > Nonfiction > Holidays

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

36 of 40 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Magick that doesn't hide behind hocus pocus seriousness..., December 21, 1999

By	"nimue321" (Silverdale, WA) - See all my reviews

I enjoyed this book thoroughly. For the modern practitioner, its important to have books like this to help remind us that magick isn't all about seriousness! I feel this book is legitimate and embraces innocence in life.

Silver proposes wonderful ways to celebrate Halloween in a fun, simple and magickal manner. I'm tired of huffy puffy books that are uptight and oh-so-serious. It's good to see that Silver hasn't fallen to cynicism in both her writing and her magick.

What I really enjoyed was the history on Halloween. She takes you through each age and explains how Halloween was during that time frame, proving that Halloween (though it was not known as such back in the day) is older than Christmas!

Personally, I'm relieved that this book was upbeat and fun. Some call it childish, but it's probably for the better. I'd have the living beegeezus scared outta me if someone chucked a bunch of serious and solemn rituals at me to do on what's been known as the scariest night of the year! This book has helped me see Halloween in a healthier light.

20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Silver reaches people who are not pagans!, October 12, 1999

By A Customer

The halloween book has made it's way respectively into our public library... even a christian librarian reccomended the book. It's a wonderful tool to show people that witches are not evil hags... and it tells perfectly well how the holiday was twisted into haloween. I reccomend this one highly. For those who would call Silver Fluff... yes she writes on a level that is a little fluffy... but it gets people to open their minds about our faith... and it gets people to think about our customs and traditions in a positive light. Silver should be commended for all that she has done and I hope that the Goddess will keep inspiring her. As for the occult bookstore owner. Would you reccomend the farrar's to a christian parent concerned about what their children are getting into? I wouldn't. This is a perfect book to show them... it is written on a level that is comprehendable... and it also gives good recipes and family fun. -- Blessed Be!

27 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Respect For Samhain While Celebrating Halloween Fun, August 6, 2002

By	Terrie (Little Chute, WI USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

This book combines excellent scholarship with creativity and a joyful sense of fun. It explores the popular holiday of Halloween as well as the more serious and spiritual side of the pagan sabbat Samhain. You don't have to be a pagan to enjoy this book because it has many, many lighthearted and clever ideas that will entertain even if Halloween is purely a fun night of make-believe for you. Fortunately it takes Samhain seriously enough to be satisfactory to pagans who require a bit more substance in this holiday's revels. Interspersed with seasonal artwork the book starts out with a thorough look at Samhain and Halloween history. Customs and traditions such as Jack-o-lanterns, trick-or-treating, bonfires, among others are discussed. Superstitions and many Halloween symbols are detailed. The chapter on divination is informative and lots of fun. Colorful kitchen witchery offers up some delicious recipes that are wonderful for parties or just for seasonal family fare. A meaningful and enjoyable section on Halloween Magick shares ideas for spells, blessings, charms, and ritual. An important aspect of Samhain, that of honoring the dead, is discussed with helpful ideas for adding meaning and respectful reflection. Many delightful poems from various sources grace the opening chapter pages and they in turn can be used when crafting one's own sabbat rituals.
This book does not tippy-toe around and pretend to be a book that won't offend anyone. It is a book by a Wiccan for other Wiccans but as always, the door is open, step through and enjoy as you will.