Harvesting

All the focus right now is of course, on Samhain.

For me, this means a last minute wild dash to check our small oak trees outside - are they the perfect color to pick some leaves for my altar? In my case - YES!

So this weekend I will be busy collecting several things on my Stock the Cabinet list.

• Oak leaves - in full color
• Acorns (my oaks are still babies, but I know a few nearby parks with some ancient oaks and a plethora of acorns to be had!)
• Trimming the ivy growing up the side of my house. (Nothing can send your cookie-cutter, new-home-suburban neighbors wilder than letting ivy grow on your brick house. More on that in another post)
• Harvesting the last of the herbs that have held on - most notably my potted rosemary outside. 

That's enough for this weekend with all the other commitments that we have on our calendar. It seems like a lot, but it isn't very time consuming. The oaks, the ivy and the herbs are outside my door - 30 minutes tops for everything. The trip to a nearby park can be a quick stop while on our way to the grocery this weekend. Another 20 minute stop. So, less than an hour's worth of 'work' for a year's worth of stocked items.

I will be on the lookout for black candles this year, as always - but I have to say something about purchasing black candles at Halloween.

They are almost never solid black candles. And you can't always tell until you burn them.

Making solid black wax is very dye-intensive. I know, because that's what I've resorted to doing for the last decade or so. Most of the black candles you will find at big box retailers will be white candles dipped in a couple coatings of wax. They also typically smell like black licorice or nothing at all. Choosing the scent is another perk to making the candle yourself.

If you have no other alternative - use them. I have many years, and have had no adverse affects. I know some out there will howl like hungry wolves on a winter's night about this, but I am not one of them. I've faced the reality of very limited funds and even fewer options to buy a black candle.

If you do find a solid black candle at a local store, I would highly advise you to buy all your finances and storage space will allow. Don't assume that they will carry them again next year - I made that mistake. I went back to *x* retailer that had fabulously rich solid black candles the year before (I noted it in my BOS) and without inspecting them too closely, I bought a year's worth of those candles from that same vendor. I walked out of there feeling like I'd hit the lottery.

I had planned. I had saved up. Look at me go! All organized and frugal. Yeah.

(que the disappointing wah-wah-sound here)

You guessed it. They had changed those candles to the black-dipped variety. So there I was with a year's worth of black-dipped candles, an empty *Witch Kitty Account* (my term for the money I squirrel away for my magical supplies) and Samhain looming in front of me.

You'd better believe I used those candles. You can, too. Honest. It isn't preferable, but if you have no choice, do what you can. Intent is always your biggest ally. Always.