Silver knotwork of humankind

I really like creating scrapbooking layouts :-D
Now, I do mine in PSP8, and these are just layouts, no photos attached. (Yeah, yeah, the old song... can't afford... No. I choose to use my money on other things. THAT's what it's all about. Some people choose to buy scrapbooking materials, I choose to buy other things, like books and other kind of art materials. I'm totally addicted to colored pencils :-D)
So, this one - use a nice patterned paper as base, make a cute little pumpkin of small scraps of orange paper, and write some words on it that to you associate to Samhain. I have written "Tradition, Other World, Family, Don't Be Afraid, Harvest".

We use two words in Finnish for "family", "perhe" and "suku" - The first one is for the immediate family, mother, father, siblings, children. The second is for the extended family, grandparents, aunts, uncles, ancestors and grandchildren - the relatives. To me Samhain is the day of the year, when I really feel the silver lines from thousands of years behind me to thousands of years in front of me. Now, I don't have any children, and probably won't ever have any, so there really are no silver lines in front of me, but I'm still connected to the silver lines of my siblings... It's like a wonderful, great Celtic knotwork...

At this time of year I do believe in past lives :-D So the silver knotwork is in two layers - there's the family one, of ancestry and bloodlines, and then there's the one of witchcraft. I believe I am a witch, born witch, and I have always been a witch, that in spite of which bloodline and which culture I'm born in, I will be a witch. A shaman, a healer, a druid, a priestess... who ever works with magic and nature in that current culture and tradition. I believe I carry with me the knowledge

I really like My Ghoul Friday :-)

and The Toymaker :-)

Artsy Mama has always nice things. Like her 13 days of Halloween: garlands.

3600 summer cats...

Some idiot here in Sweden let out 3600 minks from a fur farm. I don't thin k it's ok to raise and kill animals just for luxury furs, but letting the animals out in the cold October... it's like taking kittens in June and then leaving them at the summer cottage alone, to fend for themselves, when Autumn comes and the rest of the family moves back to the city. It's like stealing someone's cat just to take it to wilderness and leave it there.

Now, most of these minks come back home when it's time to eat, but there are always plenty who won't... Most of them will starve to death, some of them will be emptying the countryside from all small life, like mice, causing an imbalance in the nature, stealing food from the natural wildlife that has been regulating the size of the colonies according to the amount of food... which in turn will cause some wild martens, foxes and other small predators to starve to death in Spring.

So "kind" of you, "animal lover". I hope you have nightmares REST OF YOUR MISERABLE, SELFISH, INCONSIDERATE, STUPID LIFE.

But here's a Samhain layout for photos of your black cat ;-)

Triple 10 day

10.10.10.

There must be some significance in "coincidents" like this... I know our reckoning is totally arbitrary, but... what if it isn't?

We are very lucky... we have lived through 01-01-01, 02-02-02, 03-03-03, and probably will live 12-12-12... but then we have to wait for 100 years for this to happen again. My grandfather never experienced 01-01-01... he was born in December 1901, and he died 199--- something. I don't remember anymore. 1992, perhaps?
My father might not see 12-12-12. I hope he does, but only if it's not too painful for him.

Number 10 is the symbol of the matter in harmony - 4 + 6

For Pythagoras, 10 was the symbol of the universe and it also expressed the whole of human knowledge.

Sum of 5 + 5, the number 10 represents the two opposite current directions of the conscience: involution and evolution.

According to H.- P. Blavatsky, the 1 followed by 0 indicates the column and the circle, meaning the principle of the female and male, and this symbol would refer to the Androgynous nature and also to Jehovah, being at the same time male and female.

The zero in the form of circle is a symbol of unit, completing then the meaning of the number 1 to show that the number 10 contains all preceding numbers as a whole contains its parts.

The number ten is regarded as the most perfect of numbers, because it contains the Unit that did it all, and the zero, symbol of the matter and the Chaos, of which all came out; it then includes in its figure the created and the non-created, the beginning and the end, the power and the force, the life and the nothing.

According to Agrippa, "ten is called the number of all or universal, and the complete number marking the full course of life." Also he attributes to it a sence of totality, the achievement, the return to the unit after the development of the cycle of the first nine numbers.

At the Mayas, it represents the end of a cycle and the beginning of another. The ten was regarded as being the number of the life and the death.

In China, the cross represents the number 10 - as the totality of the numbers.

Ten implies completeness of order, nothing lacking and nothing over.

10 signifies that the cycle is complete and that everything is in its proper order. 10 represents the perfection of divine order.

It is our natural, physical bodies with ten fingers and toes that make it "natural" to use a counting system based upon tens.

symbolic dimes

But... I don't know. I don't expect anything special happen today. I have lived the end of one Millennium and the beginning of another, and nothing happened. Nothing happened on the previous triple days either.

I'm really proud of this one :-D

The poem is Sonnet 100 by Lord Brooke Fulke Greville (1633)

In night when colors all to black are cast,
Distinction lost, or gone down with the light;
The eye a watch to inward senses placed,
Not seeing, yet still having powers of sight,

Gives vain alarums to the inward sense,
Where fear stirred up with witty tyranny,
Confounds all powers, and thorough self-offense,
Doth forge and raise impossibility:

Such as in thick depriving darknesses,
Proper reflections of the error be,
And images of self-confusednesses,
Which hurt imaginations only see;

And from this nothing seen, tells news of devils,
Which but expressions be of inward evils.

About peeves

 As I was walking my dog this morning, I realized something: My main peeve with certain people calling themselves Christians is that they are hypocrites.

They tell you you will burn in hell, because you are a Pagan, worship Satan and other things like that (Every Pagan knows the drill)
They do what we do, exactly the same things, but they believe they are going to heaven, because they SAY they are "Christian".

Correct me if I'm wrong, but part of the Christian philosophy is that we, evil people, Pagans, non-Christian, get our reward here and how, by the satisfaction of being judgemental, intolerant, unkind, haughty and other such things, as when the Christians get their reward there and then, in Heaven, Paradise, afterlife, where they will be having lovely time, while we burn in the eternal darkness of hell.
If you do what we do, you too will get your reward here and now, by the satisfaction you get from arguing with people, lying about your opponent, scaring your fellow Christians from doing what YOU think is "wrong", managing to persuade people to leave the religion, faith and God of their people and join yours.

Is it not so that Jesus tells you to expand the 10 commandments, and in stead of not killing people, not hurting them either with your words. "Call your brother a fool, and you deserve to burn", he said. And we are all brothers... Might be that some of us have been adopted into other families, might be that some of us have left the family we were born in, but every human being on this earth was created by One God, so we are all brothers. Might be that you don't like this, might be that you think we are wrong, do wrong, are "bigger sinners" than you are, it doesn't matter one bit.

You are to turn other cheek, give away what is asked of you, you won't need it anyway, because God will provide for you. You are to love your enemies as yourself, because we, Pagans, love our kinsmen and loved ones, so that's what people do. You Christians should be different from all the others. You should shine because of Jesus' blood. If you don't shine, your sins have not been washed away with Jesus' blood. You're still as dirty as the rest of us.

You shine, when all you do expresses love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.
You shine when nothing you do expresses hate, fear, greed, selfishness, injustice, falsehood, jealousy, envy, lamenting, worrying, anxiety, frustration, anger, violence, blame, cruelty, uncompassion, prejudice, cowardice, weakness, mercilessness, pride, unkindness, inconsideration, alienation, coldness, segregation, hostility, argumentativeness, bellicosity, ostracization, dishonesty, passion, immodesty, pretentiousness, excessiveness, criticism, condemnation; the opposites of the Fruits of the Spirit.
If you don't shine, you are just one of us Pagans.

"You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye."

This one is a bit busy. The paper could be a bit more dull, give an impression of a Victorian wallpaper... perhaps. There is a wide ribbon on which two photos are attached, a couple of miniature of old Halloween cards, a silver cat pendant, and text is written on a black tag with a cat on top.
But I like it :-)

P.S. In addition to The Truth about The Truth About Halloween and Being Poisoned

P.P.S. Jesus said: "Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter." The one who shines will enter, totally in spite of what this person says or believes to believe... if a Pagan shines, then she/he is not Pagan... according to Jesus. Perhaps something to think about for some people calling themselves Christians, and writing condemning people right and left.

Why not legalize drugs

Mario Vargas Llosa has been chose to receive the Nobel Prize for literature this year.
Mario Vargas Llosa, with some other big names, have been vocal about "the war on drugs". I have to say it makes sense.

We have no right to tell other people how they are to live their lives. We shouldn't try to forbid smoking cigarettes and drinking alcohol, just because SOME people are hurt, damaged, killed by these things.
We cannot forbid usage of the non-renewable energy sources, we cannot force people to stop using oil and oil products, we cannot force people to stop eating meat.
Why should we be able to forbid drugs and force people to stay clean?

The thing is that I wouldn't use drugs even if they were legal. I don't smoke, I don't drink coffee, and I drink alcohol very moderately, like a class of wine at big family dinners, three times a year.

Most people who don't do drugs, wouldn't even if it was legal. It's still stupid.

Most people who do drugs, are not stopped by the hard drug laws. On the contrary, because people do ANYTHING to get drugs, illegalizing drugs has caused a raise in prostitution and crime, because people WILL lie, steal and sell their body to get drugs. They have to.
We have people who get very rich by providing drugs to people, and a lot of people are hurt by these people.

In the 19th century drugs were legal all over the Western world, and not only that, they were considered useful and good. People recommended the use of drugs. Sherlock Holmes used drugs, Count of Monte Cristo used drugs. The world still turns and the Western Civilization hasn't disappeared. Right now it feels like it never will...

I think Mario is right. I think we are only giving money to the different organizations, government bodies, offices, and officers, for nothing substantial. And at the same time, we are giving money to the opposite side, drug lords and exploitation and dehumanizing people in the different phases of drug production and use.

Slippery slope arguments are logical error and bad argumentation.

Why Should We Legalize Drugs by dr. Benson B. Roe
What if we legalized all drugs? by Shirley Skeel
Legalize drugs now! by Walter Block and Meaghan Cussen
LEAP - Law Enforcement Against Prohibition

Today's Scrapbook layout is bright and light - with three different papers, black frame for one picture, some ribbons and stamps and a little lettering done for the subject line :-)

One leg on the other side...

Another really easy layout. You can use also a single color paper as the base. The white paper is for journaling, the grey area is for the photo. A piece of patterned paper, a piece of patterned vellum, stamps or stickers for cat and raven, then staple on some ribbons, and you're ready :-)

I really like simple ribbons like that :-)

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"A dying elderly is like a burning library"

October 1st is the International Day of Older People.

"Let your child spend time with older family members, a grandmother for instance. Encourage your relative to tell your child stories about the family. What is the family history - did someone immigrate from Ireland, Russia, and so forth? Did anyone grow up during the Great Depression? How did grandpa and grandma meet? Share your family stories with your children. Bring out old photos."

I'm sure your grandparents know some good ghost stories :-)

I was born in 1969, my parents 1935 and all my grandparents were born on the first decade of 20th century. They are all dead now, and I feel the void they left behind every time I think about them. I didn't know my mother's father very well, he died before I was born ;-) My father's mother died when I was 13, and I wasn't one of her favorites (to put it mildly), so I didn't know her much either. I like to think I had a warm relation with my mother's mother and my father's father, and I miss them both very much. I didn't really know what to do with grandparents, before now... and now is too late.

So, what to do with grandparents? Listen to them.
They have two lifetimes of experience more than you do, they have met a lot of people, seen much, heard much, thought much...
I would have wanted to know what was my grandfather's favorite book, and what did he think of the "new" inventions, like television... What was it like in the Olympic games in Helsinki 1952. What was it like to travel with my grandmother. I know they went to London and Copenhagen, but that's all I know. How much did he speak English? What did he think about Israel? How did he think about God and spirituality? Did he believe in ancestral spirits?
I will never know.

To something else:

I like this little book. You can make it also by using tape as hinges. I think the doors and mechanical elements fit especially well on Samhain. It makes it kind of a haunted house with surprises :-D

Black and white Halloween decoration.I personally like to add more color; pumpkin, sweet potato, carrot, turnip ;-)
BTW, make a little experiment this year: Make four "pumpkin" pies - of these four vegetables... and see what you like the different flavors.

How to throw a black-and-white ball
Better Homes and Gardens' black and white halloween
Country Home's black and white halloween projects
Hmm... I saw in one of the blogs participating in Samhain Blog Party a course or something about making vintage ghosts...

Halloween spookspiration

Traditions and ancestors

Another simple scrapbook layout.
Nice paper on the bottom, on that a paper of one color, on that another nice patterned paper, on that some stamping (the same used previously - to bind it together), and on that the black base for photos. You can also add white borders around photos, that is add one more white layer. The subject line is stamped or printed on the same color paper as layer #2.


~<--@  ~<--@  ~<--@  ~<--@  ~<--@  ~<--@  ~<--@  ~<--@  ~<--@ 

I feel very close to the Chinese and North Asian spiritual traditions and one of them is Ancestral worship. I believe I come from a long line of witches, and even my non-witch ancestors are out there, capable of influencing this world, able to help me, advice me, mediate with me and Gods - if that was needed - and, just be there for me.

I am not very good at serving my ancestors, but that is one part of my spirituality I wish gets a bigger part in my life. I would very much like to built a Spirit House for my ancestors, similar to Queen Mary's Doll House. :-D After all, I am going to live in it too, one day, or the spiritual counterpart of it.
One thing that comes to mind is the Silent Supper (also Dumb Supper or Mute Supper).

Here's some really nice ideas on how to decorate for Halloween
and here's some more. I really like Country Living :-D


I also adore black-and-white china used with pumpkins and orange tablecloth :-)

I think these candy topiaries are great :-) You could also make a kransekake, or meringue croque-en-bouche as an edible base. And don't GLUE the candy on the cone. Use melt sugar or frosting.

I really hate it when people use edible things just as decoration, not to be eaten. But, I'm poor. Wasting food is a sin. (Not that candy is food, but we had like one box or bag of candy to be divided in 8, when I was a kid. Candy is luxury.)

BTW, don't use spiders or other things like that as dinner table decoration. Some people are really sensitive about food and loose their appetite, and dinner parties are supposed to be enjoyable for all.

Something different:
Blog Rewind: Paper Crave Halloween Freebies
I love these K & Company Autumn and Halloween Paper 
Love these owls
sip on this - Halloween drink serving suggestions