Skip Navigation

Samhain Blessings Gentle Readers!

It's that wonderful, mysterious and hauntingly beautiful time of year again! Autumn! The Season of the Witch! Days are shorter, nights getting longer and the Thinning of the Veil can easily be felt as we draw closer to All Hallow's Eve; Samhain!

It's a time for trick-or-treating,  pumpkins, witches, scarecrows, cinnamon, vanilla and other comforting aromas permeating throughout the house. We begin our decent into the Darkest part of the Year and in Honor of Samhain this Issue focuses on the Crone Goddess. Mysterious, full of Wisdom and a time for Death. Death of our gardens as we continue to prepare for Winter, in addition to old patterns, and old behaviors and old ways that no longer serve our Highest Good.

Cover Art by Lynda S. Mihaly

As quoted from Ellen Lorenzi-Prince from her website Croneways.com, "The Crone is the ancient holy one. She is grandmother, witch and hag. She has been ignored, trivialized, blamed and feared, for she holds powers that others deny. Powers of time and transformation. Powers we may fear, but would do better to understand.

 The Crone is the Mother of all Mothers. She knows all your bedtime stories, and all your worst nightmares. 

 She is the One Who Knows Death. She will introduce you to your shadow. She can free you from your fears. The Crone is She Who Has Gone Beyond.

She has lived many years and many lives. Her feet know the paths of the Ancestors. Through her we can touch those who have gone before. She has lived for love, for power, for grace. Now she lives for herself and her journey. She travels new roads and dares the unknown.

She is ancient, but not always aged. She may be beautiful, but she's not pretty. She Who Has Gone Beyond goes beyond our idea of what a deity or a woman may be." ~Tarot of the Crone

Our Cover Story written by Lady Abagail delves into the Path of the Crone with her beautifully written article, "Autumn: The Croning Time". Lady Abagail  has also contributed a few more articles within this Issue that Honors the Crone and this Season of the Witch. What a mesmerizing writer!

Our Gallery of Witch Artists is filled with all New Artists to Ye Olde Witches Brew and what an amazing journey it was to find these eclectic, talented and warmhearted people. From Grim, to Vintage, to Eccentric; it's all here awaiting for your visit into the Gallery.

Ye Olde Witches Brew would like to welcome Author, Jacqueline Ciminelli Korda  to our Writer's Den Department. See what's brewin' with this Gothic/Erotic/Horror Author!

Read about the Baba Yaga, an informative and beautifully written article about this Russian Folktale which is probably where the infamous sterotype about witches eating small children came from.

Don't forget to browse and read our Columns and Other Departments filling your Samhain Holiday with everything from Crafts, Recipes, Rituals, Magick and Beautifully Haunting Tales from our amazing Writers and Contributors~

Have a Very Blessed Samhain!

 

Cover Story

Autumn: The Croning Time

Autumn: The Croning Time

by Lady Abagail

Wed, Sep 16, 2009

"Now that Autumn is here and Samhain is quickly approaching, I cannot help but remember the magick I felt and still feel today in this time of changing. The energy seems to rise within my spirit, as it sparks and dances across the essence of my soul. It touches me in memories and stories shared as my Great Grandmother would teach the old ways and the understanding of the Seasons of Life. In this, I again feel I can soar above the treetops in the arms of Autumn...." Artwork by Ron Byrum All Rights Reserved Copyrighted 2009 www.ronbyrum.com

Lead Stories

Women and the Dark Moon

Women and the Dark Moon

by Lady Hecate

Wed, Sep 16, 2009

I call Upon You, Oh Crone so wise~ One Who rules the darkest skies. Come and be my treasured Guest~ And Aid me on the most magickal quest.

Dumb Supper Traditions
Baba Yaga~The Black Goddess

Baba Yaga~The Black Goddess

by Anonymous

Sat, Sep 12, 2009

"I have been thinking and thinking about the image and story of Baba Yaga now for months and wondering how girls and women can resolve the seemingly paradoxical story of a bony heartless witch with the image of innocence of a rejected and abandoned girl. The following essay outlines how we use myth and story to perpetuate unconscious mindsets and it also unveils the gifts that these stories unfold in our inner psyche...."

Columns : ~Walking the Solitary Path~

Embracing the Crone Ritual

Embracing the Crone Ritual

by Lee Hutchings

Thu, Sep 17, 2009

"The Crone is a symbol of inherent wisdom that comes from experience. She has lived through love, sorrow, hope, and fear, coming out of it all a wise and confident spirit. Through these experiences she has learned the secrets of life and death and of the mysteries beyond this world. She has tasted death itself and watched those she loved make the journey before her. It is through her mourning that she faces death, grows to understand it, and becomes the gatekeeper between worlds...." ~Lee Hutchings from Crone Wisdom Artwork by Lora-Craig Gaddis~All Rights Reserved~Copyrighted 2009~http://www.pookapages.com/

Samhain Ritual For The Solitary

Samhain Ritual For The Solitary

by Anonymous

Wed, Sep 16, 2009

Artwork by Micki Mueller

The Lore of the Door

The Lore of the Door

by Wren

Sat, Sep 12, 2009

"If the doors of perception were cleansed, everything would appear as it is-infinite." - (Wm Blake)

Columns : ~Spiritual Journeys~The Path of Parenting with the God and Goddess~

Samhain/Halloween Games/Activities for Kids

Columns : ~Garden Witchery~

Create A Halloween Garden

Create A Halloween Garden

by Johann Erickson

Sat, Sep 12, 2009

With Halloween approaching, gardeners may need some new ideas on what features to add to their yard to make it spooky. This article discusses which animals add that creepy feeling and how to attract them

Columns : ~Earthwalk~

Celebrating(or not) Under the Light of the Samhain Moon

Columns : ~Follow Your Bliss~

How to Live the Life of your Dreams: 4 Steps to Freedom

How to Live the Life of your Dreams: 4 Steps to Freedom

by Karen Mehringer

Sat, Sep 12, 2009

Surrounded by royal blue water extending beyond the horizon in all directions, no land in sight, I gaze at the path of diamonds dancing on the ocean’s surface. The sun radiating on my skin feels like a warm cashmere sweater. It is August 19, 1998, and I am on my first ocean passage of a life-transforming journey, a journey leading to a more authentic and purposeful life.

Columns : ~WishCraft~

Creating Your Treasure Map