Curate, connect, and discover
Samhain - Blog Posts
This is where I’m heading right now to lose myself in the woods and the timelessness for three days and three nights of you know what
Manannán mac Lir getting ready to remove someone's head.
Co. Galway, October 2023
Celtober 2023 Days 10, 11 and 12: Siblings, Medicine, Sacrifice
Now Núadu was being treated, and Dían Cécht put a silver hand on him which had the movement of any other hand. But his son Míach did not like that. He went to the hand and said ‘joint to joint of it, and sinew to sinew’; and he healed it in nine days and nights. The first three days he carried it against his side, and it became covered with skin. The second three days he carried it against his chest. The third three days he would cast white wisps of black bulrushes after they had been blackened in a fire.
Dían Cécht did not like that cure. He hurled a sword at the crown of his son's head and cut his skin to the flesh. The young man healed it by means of his skill. He struck him again and cut his flesh until he reached the bone. The young man healed it by the same means. He struck the third blow and reached the membrane of his brain. The young man healed this too by the same means. Then he struck the fourth blow and cut out the brain, so that Míach died; and Dían Cécht said that no physician could heal him of that blow.
After that, Míach was buried by Dían Cécht, and three hundred and sixty-five herbs grew through the grave, corresponding to the number of his joints and sinews. Then Airmed spread her cloak and uprooted those herbs according to their properties.
Cath Maige Tuired
I did not like the official Inktober 2023 prompt list much, so I made my own one based on Irish mythology, for fellow Celticists and otherwise enjoyers. Everyone is welcome to share and join!
The background is designed after a gold lunula found in Killarney (~2000 BC).
🍂 What I personally did for Samhain 🕯️
✪ Lit up my colored leds and fairy lights for a cosy atmosphere
✪ Cleaned up my altar
✪ Took a moment to reminisce about my passed loved ones
✪ End of year review
✪ Letter to the Universe: gratitude, what I'm leaving behind, and manifesting the the new year
✪ Renewing my money bowl offering to Lord Hades with a written prayer
I usually get too overwhelmed or straight up forget to celebrate the sabbats, so this is pretty much a first celebration outside of just my morning coffee brewing spell being adapted to the sabbat!