Creeping Into The Witch's New Year

October 1st - and the leaves here in Southwest Ohio have begun to get crimson edges. The days are still warm, but the crisp, apple scented morning frost is slowly giving way to a heavy cinnamon frost. And I - I have begun to prepare for Samhain.

I actually began my Samhain Incense and Samhain Oil infusion not long after celebrating Lughnasadh. By the time Mabon came, my oil was taking on a richer scent, and the loose incense was starting to get the depth of aroma I prefer. I checked both recently while preparing for the Full Moon, and found them close to being the ripeness I want. By Samhain, both will be hearty and full of heavy scent.

The first few years I tried making my own incense and oils, this didn't happen. I always forgot to start early enough - or there was some insane ingredient I couldn't find. (This is before the rise of the internet and the ability to find anything you can imagine with just a few keystrokes.) That's right: back then I had to attend *psychic* fairs in obscure places to meet with one or two merchants with a very limited selection, and hopefully network to find other merchants - only to send away for a catalog, then make decisions, place an order by mail, write a check out - and wait. And wait. And wait some more.

All of this was further compounded by not getting the timing of the whole cycle down. I knew the dates of every sabbat and full moon. That wasn't the problem. I didn't have the triggers down to do what needed to be done - when they needed to be done. (Sort of the way the day after Thanksgiving is a trigger to get ready for Christmas) And - let's call a black cauldron a REALLY black cauldron; I was as unorganized as anyone could possibly be and still manage to drag themselves out of bed and feed themselves daily. No. Really.

I'm going to try to help anyone else starting out with this blog. I don't claim to be the Grand Pooh-Bah of anything, or that I know every last thing, or that I necessarily know what is correct according to certain traditions or covens. I am solitary - I've been flying this broomstick solo since 1990, so I definitely do things my own way - but any and all of it can be translated for your way.

The biggest confusions for me when I started:
Stocking my magical cabinet - What can I find easily, and when? Or when is it cheapest?
When to start my.... - Incense? Oil?
How much should I have on hand of...  - Ritual salt? Esbat incense? Altar Oil?
What if I don't have/ can't find.... - Eye of Newt? Hair of Frog? Bat wings and other stuff?
My BOS!  - Do I really need a cool leather book? Or should I just print everything out I can find?
Crap! I forgot to get (item) last (fall, winter, spring, summer)  - when it had just fallen to the ground, or my neighbor trimmed her ivy, when it was growing everywhere, etc.

Those were my biggest stumbling blocks. For some people it seems to come easy. For others (like me!) it's just short of being as confusing as neuro-science. (All you neurosurgeons out there - quiet!)


Welcome to taking it One Sabbat At A Time!