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Down the Samhain Road
I think, for me at least, the time of Samhain played a large role in my witchy path. The many stories of powerful women – whether that power was malignant or positive in nature – was something that addressed a feeling of discontented powerlessness within my own young life. From the positive vibes and good-hearted nature of Samantha in re-runs of Bewitched to Anjelica Huston’s evil “Grand High Witch” in the 1990 adaptation of Roald Dahl’s The Witches, I found myself obsessed with finding more stories about powerful women – powerful witches – and many of these came out, premiered (or where introduced to me personally) during this season.
As our regular readers know, I have from time to time made recommendations about witchy books here in our Wheel of the Year newsletter, but this time I want to make a recommendation within a different media format. I have long been a fan of witchy TV shows – one of my all-time favorites being the original Charmed, which ran from 1998-2006. To be honest though, it isn’t until recently that I have found a witchy television show that has captured my interest in the same profound, crave-for-repeat-viewings way that Charmed did all those years ago. But here we are, and the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s (MCU’s), Agatha All Along has put me under its spell.
To be honest, I did not have very high hopes for Agatha All Along, I am not an MCU devotee (nerdy though I am about many things), but it was a show about witches, which for me, is really all that is necessary to at least give it a try. Heck, WandaVision had been on my “to watch” list for quite sometime because I knew it was about MCU’s Scarlet Witch, but I still hadn’t gotten around to it. Agatha All Along though had a distinctly witchy vibe in the previews I had seen that WandaVision had not, so I figured I would start there (rather than with WandaVision, which had been on my “to watch” list longer). Most MCU items, though they have connections to the greater universe are typically insular enough to enjoy as individual media items, so I was not too concerned about Agatha All Along being an extension of WandaVision.
I was hooked after the first episode, but the second gave me an additional obsession – the song “Witch’s Road.” The set design, storytelling, and depth to the characters are all incredible. If you are looking for a guilty pleasure watch for the Samhain season (and happen to have a Disney+ subscription), I highly recommend giving Agatha All Along a chance.
I made the mistake of starting the series when only 3-4 episodes had been released, so I can confirm that I finally watched WandaVision to satiate my appetite for more. The final two episodes come out 10/30/2024, and I am not ashamed to say that I took a vacation day on the following day so I can stay up late to watch them more than once each (as I already have for the episodes released to date).
Have our witchy friends and readers had any witchy shows, movies, or books they have recently come upon that you think I should watch/read/etc? Let me know in the comments!
The Pumpkin Cycle: A Samhain Ritual
This Samhain, embrace the cyclical nature of life and the magic of transformation with a ritual that uses pumpkins over the course of time, and reflecting the transition from the old year to the new. Begin by selecting your pumpkin with intention, seeing it as a vessel for the energies you wish to release and the dreams you want to plant for the coming year.
Under the moonlight, decorate it with symbols that represent your intentions—protection, abundance, love, or peace—using non-toxic paint, or natural elements like leaves and flowers.
Either at the time of decorating (or once you are done displaying if you paint or use other decorative elements, carve open the pumpkin and save the seeds. Offer a few back to the earth as a gift to the spirits, then clean and bake the rest (perhaps adding an herb/spice mix appropriate to your intentions), savoring them as a grounding reminder of Samhain’s abundance. Reflect on what you’re “releasing” with each seed you eat, letting go of past energies.
Place your pumpkin at your doorstep or altar, inviting in positive energies and warding off anything unwelcome.
On Samhain night complete the ritual: gather around your decorated pumpkin and set the intention to honor what has passed while welcoming what’s to come. Acknowledge the life and energy within the pumpkin itself as a symbol of the harvest season, representing life’s fullness before winter’s quiet.
As the pumpkin’s use completes, return its remains to the earth through composting, symbolizing rebirth. In doing so, you honor the lifecycle and acknowledge Samhain as the witch’s new year, where what ends gives rise to what begins anew. This cycle—from decoration to nourishment and, finally, to earth—celebrates the idea that each ending is also a beginning.
Blessed be!
A Samhain Shadow Work Prompt
At Samhain, pumpkins symbolize transformation, protection, and the veil between life and death as they light the path through the dark season.
Think of the different masks or faces you present to the world, much like a Halloween mask or a carved pumpkin’s face. What part of you is hidden behind this mask, and why?
Reflect on an aspect of yourself that you may have been keeping in the shadows. What would it mean to let this hidden part come to light, even if only for yourself?
Write about the fears or insecurities that shape these masks. How might you transform these feelings to better embrace your authentic self so you no longer feel the need to wear your masks?
Southern Hemisphere Shout Out: Beltane
Beltane blessings to our witchy friends in the Southern hemisphere. May the new growth remind you that an abundant harvest season will be upon you in the coming months. If you are interested to see how we celebrated Beltane here in the North, you can check out our Beltane newsletter from earlier this year!
Pumpkin Coloring Club
It is a time of jack-o-lanterns, so this turn of the wheel we have two pumpkin coloring pages for you to choose from (or do both if you so desire). We would love to see how you “decorate” (i.e. color) your pumpkin! Print (or load into your design program), color, and share a picture (or screenshot) of your creation with us on social media! Tag us (@midwestcovencast) or use the hashtag #midwestcovencast.
Shop Small for the forthcoming Yule Season
Consider gifting a copy of one (or all) of Midwest Coven Cast’s children’s books to a young witch in your life.
Our “Witch Tales” series uses a fairy-tale like structure to bring positive, realistic tales of witches to life. The plot-lines teach important lessons without centering romance.
Marilyn’s “Witch Shanty Sing-along” book is a collage-art companion to her viral “Witch Shanty” song, which can make story-time with your little witch a little extra fun (and musical).
If you have older witchy friends - we also have companion e-texts available for Midwest Coven Cast Presents: Weekend Reads seasons 3 and 4. The text has the full public domain text available with hundreds of footnotes and links to additional information (provided by MCCP:WR host, Marilyn.
Giving your loved ones our books this Yule will help support our work (keep our website up, pay our hosting fees for the podcast, small business expenses, etc.). You can get them by clicking here.
Patreon THANKS
As always, a huge thanks must go out to our Patreon subscribers - especially Steve D. and anonymous - who help us keep this little operation going. From the Wheel of the Year Newsletter, to our website hosting, to our yearly business fees, our patreon coven helps keep this little dream of ours alive. THANK YOU!
CALENDAR
31 October Samhain begins
01 November Samhain ends
New Moon (7:47am CST)
08 November Midwest Coven Cast Presents: Weekend Reads (Season 4, Episode 3)
15 November Full Beaver Moon (3:28pm CST)
22 November Midwest Coven Cast Presents: Weekend Reads (Season 4, Episode 4)
01 December New Moon (12:21am CST)
06 December Midwest Coven Cast Presents: Weekend Reads (Season 4, Episode 5)
15 December Full Cold Moon (3:01am CST)
20 December Midwest Coven Cast Presents: Weekend Reads (Season 4, Episode 6)
21 December Yule Begins
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