SCROLL FROM THE EDITOR
Welcome to the October 2023 edition of The Midnight Sun!
SPOOKY SEASON!
It’s here, I’m ecstatic, and we have an excellent, content-packed edition for you lovely folks this month! BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY!!!
♪♫ It’s the most wonderful tiiiiiiiiime of the year ♫♪
Well, okay - in MY opinion it’s the most wonderful time of the year. Your mileage may vary and I am not here to yuck anybody’s yum, BUT, GUYS! It’s the first October edition of TMS in the new format, and I really wanted this one to be special.
We have two member spotlights, The Ultimate Spooky Playlist Dangerween, Practicing Safe Hex is the chef’s kiss topic of Tea With Hex this month, Suz brings us The Thinning of the Veil and how to engage the energies this time of year. Yours truly has a Soap Box about the Provocation of Spirits, Abri is back with the Tome of the Dark Side Ritualist, M. Belanger shares a recipe for historical Spirit Offering Cakes, and Izzy has a new Contemplation for us around the eclipse!
New this month, we have a whole new section I am thrilled to bring our readers;
Community Spotlight!
We have such a talented, knowledgeable, and creative community, in celebration of our first Spooky Season newsletter of the new format I reached out to these wonderful souls to see what things they might like to share! We have a look at Halloween in Norway by Christopher Northlight, a delightful Mulled Cider Recipe by V.S Nightborn, and Spooky Season Decor submitted by Crow!
If you would like to be a part of the community and submit to the Community Spotlight, join us on Discord for updates and theme announcements!
I hope that you all have a super wonderful October and Spooky Season, a safe Halloween, Blessed Samhain and Celebratory Day of the Dead or a lovely holiday for whatever you celebrate. STAY SPOOKY MY FRIENDS and we will see you next month!
~Miranda (Frick)
Curator and Editor of TMS
HK JAMS - Dangerween
Need something to listen to while you are creating your special Halloween teas and treats? Want something to move your hips to as you prepare to haunt your doorways with containers brimming with treats? Or maybe you are a creature of the night needing some tunes for your ear buds while you stalk the dark forests. No matter what you are up to, we got you covered this month.
Practicing Safe Hex, Part One
Friday, October 13, 2023
10:29 AM
Hello friends! Welcome to our October edition of Tea with Hex. For the spooky season, I wanted to share a workshop I've presented several times at public conventions, and perhaps you'll see it at next year's Gather. Prepare for notions and potions that will blow your mind.
My philosophy regarding baneful magic has always been that of frank honesty. I don't believe in "abstinence-only education", because that's silly. At some point, you're likely going to want to do it. The right circumstances will arise, you'll get that roiling feeling in your stomach, and in that moment, you know what you want. People all over the world do it every day, it's perfectly natural, and it's important that you know what you're doing when the time comes and that moment strikes.
Somebody done pissed you all the way off, and today they're gonna learn. It's time for a hex. And we're going to talk about how to enact one safely and effectively.
First of all, let's talk about power. I've written a few times about the importance of embracing one's power and not running away from it, including the darker aspects. You're a whole being, composed of dark and light, and pretending that if you threw your soul up in the air it would turn into sunshine is vapid and dishonest. If you refuse to accept your darkness, your light is fake. Additionally, you're denying 50% of your own power, and thereby only using your magic at half strength. That's certainly not optimal. For decades, witches, magicians, and will-workers were expected to shackle and hide away the darker aspects of their personal power to make us more palatable to the public (thanks, Satanic Panic, I hate it). But at some point, as a community, we started buying our own press, and if we acknowledged or used our darkness at all, we only did it in secret, in the middle of the night, with the doors locked and the curtains drawn, and we certainly didn't talk about it.
The more things change, the more they stay the same. As the world political climate has shifted, we've had more platforms than ever to talk about our power and how to approach it honestly, but we've also been forced to hide our identities as occult seekers more than we would like. We have more places to exist in relative safety online and to discuss magical topics like this one, but that doesn't mean that it's safe for everybody to live openly in the world as what we are. That does not mean that we should continue to deny our truth to ourselves or to run away from our power.
So, for our second lesson in hexcraft, let's discuss secrecy. Sure, your boss at work doesn't need to know you're a big ol' witch, but that's not exactly what I mean here. In Robert Greene's "48 Laws of Power", he outlines 48 tactics which, when practiced with finesse, will help you keep the upper hand in all manner of situations. One of my favorites is number four: "Always say less than necessary." You don't need everybody and their mother to know what you're capable of. Revealing the map of your power to all and sundry will ensure that anyone who's paying attention will know how to counteract your magic easily. The less everyone knows about how your magic works, the more effective it will be. Furthermore, stop talking about the spells you cast, and at whom, and for what purpose; talking about them weakens their potency. For a spell to maintain its maximum effect, when you are finished with it, let it stay between you and your spirits.
One of the tips I share with people is the art of hiding your power in plain sight. What do I mean by that? I make art out of my magic. My home is filled with objects and paintings that are actually wards, sigils that form energetic patterns throughout the space, and various other magical constructions. It's subtle, and effective. Nobody would look at these items and suspect that they contained spells, or that they were maintaining some effect for me. Guests in my home often feel the energy present, but they can't identify where it's coming from. It's child's play to create such a talisman to ward off anyone who wishes you ill intent and place it at the front door, for example. You'll find that guests who are not actually your friends don't stick around long in your house, or in your life, if you work the magic correctly.
Lesson number three: cleanliness is next to godliness. Not just a phrase your gran tossed around when it comes to magic. Negative energy sticks to clutter, chaos, and dirt. If you work baneful magic, this is doubly so. We'll discuss methods of minimizing the "splash zone" of your magical working space in next month's article, but for now, suffice to say that the less disorder you have in your home, the more effective your magic will be, and the "cleaner" your personal energy will stay. No matter what you do, if your house is messy, your energy will be too, and your ability to focus your power will suffer for it.
I highly recommend turning "cleaning house" into a ritual all its own. Wipe down counters with a vervain and salt wash after cleaning them with traditional cleaners, squeeze lemon juice down all your drains, throw a spelled lavender sachet in the dryer with your bedsheets after you wash them. Infuse acts of physical cleaning with magic, and you'll have a space clear of negative energy hanging around, dampening your workings. These practices are crucial after you've been performing baneful magic, because you don't want residual energy from that nasty poppet hex you made for your ex getting all over your carpets.
We've laid the groundwork for some serious exploration of the darker side of spellwork next month. Until then, walk in your power, and be free from the shackles of love and light. Neither darkness nor light can exist without the other, and we need not run from either of them.
House Kheperu Member Spotlight
Shae
I live as a shifting balance between three paths… so I will give you my guiding quotes for each:
Preist: “All knowledge is worth having” - Kushiels Dart, Jacqueline Carey
Counselor: “Opportunities and choices. Opportunities are what we are presented with, what we choose to do with those is our choice” - Sebastian , Anne Bishop
Warrior:
Stone and Sea are deep in life,
Two unalterable symbols of the world:
Permanence at rest, and permanence in motion;
Participants in the Power that remains.” ~Thomas Convenant the Unbeliever, Stephen R Donaldson
What interests you about energy work?
I feel like I have always done energy work to some degree. It is also a survival skill for me. Without being able to work with energy I couldn’t keep my own subtle system in any kind of consistent balance.
It is also something that I have always done intuitively. As a child i would create energy balls and then imagine myself taking a bite like from a candy apple. I would roll the feel of that around in my mouth. Feel the texture, the shape, the solidity of it. Then I would swallow to down and feel moderately better inside. Finally I would take the little that remained… that energetic apples core and reach down to place it into what I called my “thigh pantry”. There it would slowly replenish back into a full ripe fruit as I moved through what I now think of as the regular subtle energy environments of the day. Anytime I needed an energy snack I always had one at my fingertips.
Energy surrounds us at all times. Emotive, solar, radiant heat, artistic passion… there is vibrancy and potential within the ambient chaos of any energetic environment. I enjoy tapping into that chaotic potential and allow Will to give it shape, form, & purpose.
I honestly don’t know if I can go through a day now where I am not consciously interacting with the energetic space around me. After all, we are all catalytic sparks spreading ripples in the pond around us.
What is your favorite movie?
This time of year Night Breed is a film I aways enjoy pulling off the shelf. I still have my original copy and it is one of 3-4 titles that are why I still have a VHS player.
Clive Barkers - Nightbreed, is on the surface a journey of someone seeking to understand themself. It is a tale filled with monsters and creatures who hide themselves away from the world and the light of day. It is also the tale of how these creatures interact with the rest of world and why they find they need to hide away. For though they do not fit in, their skin or particular needs make them rejects from a modern societal world, they just want to live and be who they are without persecution.
And they are persecuted. For what mankind fears it others and hunts. “Get the monsters or they will take more victims”. These people do not conform to what society says is the morally right way to be. They exist as otherkin shunned by humankind and forced into forgotten places. Within the scope of this tale we also find those in authority wearing the face of compassion, ultimately being the source of more horrendous cruelty than anything the “monsters” participate in.
In the end we are left both with the question of who truly are the monsters and who the victims. As well as finding hope that even if we do not belong to some, there are still places and family we can find…can build…that allow us to be our truest most authentic selves.
So join me this season and let’s take in the tale of Nightbreed again. Let us remember what it means to find community, to stand in the face of cruelty, and to live within our own power.
by Suz
Around the world, late October through early November marks a time when the veil between worlds is considered to be very thin and can be breached more easily from either side. The use of the term "veil" signifies the metaphysical barrier between the world of the living and the world of the dead. Many cultures observe this transition with celebrations and holidays to mark the beginning of winter.
Ancient Celts marked Samhain as the most significant of the four quarterly fire festivals, taking place at the midpoint between the Fall Equinox and the Winter Solstice. In Greek mythology, the thinning veil was represented by a door to the underworld that only became accessible at this time of year. Persephone's descent into the underworld represented the changing of the year from light to darkness noted in the change of harvest from Fall to Winter and the lengthening of night. The Mexican celebration of Día de los Muertos observed on November 1 and 2, honors and recognizes the souls of those passed on who are believed to visit their earthly families on these dates. Celebrants decorate elaborate home altars with flowers, candles, and their loved ones’ favorite foods. Festivities extend into cemeteries, where families visit the gravesites of family members, often delivering picnics and playing festive music.
Some cultures believed donning masks and costumes was a way for the living to blend in so that they could move freely among the spirits without being seen, eventually translating into more current Halloween traditions. That same thinning of the veil still occurs today. For those more attuned or aware of spirit all year round it may start as early as June or July. The shifting of sensitivities to spirit begins to show themselves in different ways for different people.
If you’re being affected by the thinning veil, you may feel anxious, nervous, or like you’re being watched. You may also receive messages in dreams. For me, it usually begins with audible voices. Someone calling me from another room or shouting my name when I am sleeping. Other signs for me are seeing people or shadow-people in my peripheral. People that should not be there. It is a time when those who are not usually as sensitive to spirit may find themselves feeling things more acutely.
If you want to embrace the thinning of the veil and try to communicate with spirit there are several ways to do so safely, provided you are respectful and set solid boundaries and protections for your space. Set up an Ancestors Alter Light a candle, set out pictures of loved ones and mementos that remind you of those who have passed. Offer incense or tidbits of a favorite food or drink. Speak to them by name, remind them of fond shared memories. Even if you cannot hear their answers out loud, take note of changes in temperature around you. Feelings and instinctual understanding. Write them down so that you can review things later. Often emotions will surface, let them come. Shed those tears but remember to take note of the feelings of love as well.
If you are new to this, this is not the time to confront or hash out old grudges. That is not what this article is about, that is a different discussion. Please keep that in mind. Set Boundaries When you set energetic boundaries you are simply stating the rules. Let them know this is a visit not a request for a roommate. Thank them for coming and if you are so inclined invite them to return but only when it is agreed upon and consensual. Use Divination Tools There are a lot of divination tools that are beginner-friendly. If Tarot seems too complicated try a pendulum or dowsing rods. Both are tools that will give you yes or no answers and with practice can be very useful. Tarot is a more advanced divination tool.
Reading the Tarot is a way of translating the language of the Universe through symbolism used in the artwork of the cards, their placement, and through intuitive interpretation. A traditional reader must learn the symbolic meanings of the tarot the different layouts or placement of the cards and what they represent. An advanced reader may also include an intuitive reading of the cards and their meanings specific to the person they are reading for, that is why you may hear the rule that you can never read your own cards. You can if you stick to just the traditional symbolism but it is hard to give yourself an intuitive reading that is not clouded with your own wants and wishes. Another divination tool is the spirit board or Ouija board. Marketed as a "game" these are useful tools in the hands of those who know how to protect themselves and those with them. Those who do not know how to shield and protect themselves and others participating should perhaps choose a different way of communication.
Doors can be easily opened, but you must know how to close them properly and safely and know the safeguards. Movies and television love to illustrate this for us under the guise of entertainment. In turn, if you want to step back from the Thinning Veil and distance yourself from the spirit world you can set energetic boundaries with personal shielding or by doing a house cleansing. Setting boundaries is for the living and the dead alike. People in all stages of life and death are ultimately still human, and they want to be both respected and connected. Asking for space, boundaries, and peaceful coexistence is fine, but demanding that spirits leave the house might make things worse. If you want to use tools to help with cleansing, you can try burning herbs or incense. Palo Santo wood and sweet grass are both excellent and sustainable alternatives to white sage. Saltwater, bells, and crystals can also be used for cleansing, especially for those who are sensitive to smoke.
You can also carry or wear traditional grounding stones like onyx, black tourmaline, tiger's eye, and smoky quartz to help your energy stay rooted and focused. Set one of these stones next to your bed if your dreams feel more active or if you find you’re having trouble surfacing from sleep. Death is not the end of strong bonds with your loved ones and their presence should not frighten you. That tapping sound or the touch of an unseen hand may just be someone who loves you trying to let you know they are still with you, watching over you.
Watch for the subtle things, signs, and symbols that significantly repeat in your life. But most of all, have fun! Connecting across the thinning veil and touching the world of spirit does not need to be scary or anxiety-inducing. Take time for yourself, and take comfort in knowing that spirit is with you, always.
House Kheperu Member Spotlight
M. Belanger
We're all stories, in the end.
What interests you about energy work?
Energy work is spiritual alchemy. It is change we carry within us and doing it changes us. It reveals layers of who we are, who we were, and how we interface with the universe. It is a continually undiscovered country I shall never tire of exploring, mapping, and sharing.
What is your Favorite movie?
Star Wars - the original. I saw it in the theater only a few days before the final heart surgery that would either save my life or end it. As a tiny person (I was four), those opening credits were breath-taking -- magical. The music, the adventure - it was a story I played back in my mind as I went under for the surgery, and it was a glorious story to carry with me as I slipped into the dark.
Provocation of Spirits
Pulls out Soap Box
Alright, pull up a chair, time we had a heart-to-heart.
I’ve done some content creation around this a few times before - on my podcast That Spooky Life, on our Tiktok for House Kheperu, and when I was sitting down with the idea for this column I realized I already had a good solid article for diving into. This, despite it being October, is actually the first Soap Box I thought to pull out and speak to.
You ever seen a Ghost-hunting show where they start yelling at the ghosts to do something, like show themselves? Throw something? Demanding that anything that is present in the space perform for them so that they can ostensibly ‘record evidence’ of the paranormal. This is adjacent to the idea that if a spirit gets angry, it will pull in enough energy to manifest or be able to interact with it’s environment. Then, the demanding parties get all melodramatic and freaked out when there’s just the barest little knock, or item movement. Or heaven forbid, something actually happens.
In my TikTok video, this is the part where I ask the viewer; “Does it piss you off?” Spoiler alert - it pisses me off. While Provocation can at times be a useful tool depending on circumstance, the fact that it for so long became the pre-imminent tactic in modern media, teaching other Freshman and Sophmore Investigators to think that’s just how you’re supposed to do it, since it was so very prominent in modern Ghost Hunting culture? Is infuriating.
Needless to say…Don’t fucking do that.
There can be a time and place for such tactics. Full acknowledged and I am not debating that point. I’ve done it in places before where something that felt malicious was hiding, specifically trying to make others seem like they were lying or avoid notice to sew dissent either with the person who called me in or amongst the crew that I had at the time. I was also willing, in those moments, to make myself the target - more on that later. But full stop, Provocation should not be in the top 3 or even 10 of the tools and techniques you should start with when investigating or documenting the paranormal.
My go-to question is always, “How would you feel if someone came invading your gramma’s house and started screaming at her to prove she was there and throwing things and bullying her?” Because, my friends, that’s what it is. Bullying and it perpetuates that such interactions are acceptable, even outside of the paranormal. Is it the root cause, or even a large contributing factor? No. But when there is SO much media that presents such things, it normalizes that aggressive and forceful interaction with things we don’t understand is an acceptable go-to, first-step means of engagement.
Spoiler alert; it’s not. Not to spirits, not to people, rarely ever. Defend yourself, sure, but be the aggressor without first exhausting other options available? No.
Now, there are times, like I said above, that it can be necessary. I’ve seen professional Investigators for whom I have a lot of respect use Provocation in situations. Sometimes if you’re trying to determine what kind of energy a spirit, ghost, or egregore might have, or thrive in, or determining what type of entity it even is - Provocation can tell you if this paranormal experience is brought on by aggressive emotions, or that maybe it’s poltergeist activity. It has its uses. And yet even when the respectable experts in the field use it? Go back and watch those episodes again. Even after everything that was dropped to the editing room floor (as it were, since no one uses actual film anymore), it was STILL not the FIRST tactic they used. Like, not even top 5 or 10.
If you kick in the door and start shouting, and there’s just some quiet, confused spirit accidentally moving things, just trying to peacefully interact with their family and don’t understand how to not be spooky? You probably won’t get much. Or, say there is a demon. It’s not gonna show itself on command. Worse, if you do manage to piss off a powerful malevolent spirit, what then? Now, you have a malicious force focused on you, that can influence your mood, mind, and energy.
Good job.
Not to mentions, powerful malicious entities that most would think of as “demons” feed on that kind of vibe - so likely, you’re just making them stronger and opening yourself up for them to nom on you or those around you. All the while, there’s no award for being the biggest jerk, but the consolation prize can be disruptive and harmful to more than just you.
Your family
Your friends
And lest we not forget the people that either work or live at the location you’ve just stirred. You can leave - they might not be able to. That’d the biggest jerk move. The worst cases are the ones where a new group comes in because a family or collection of folks is having an intensely bad paranormal experience, only to find out that they’re not the first, there’s broken trust with investigators over the first group that came in “because they stirred it up and then left”. Likely, because they came in, used a bunch of unnecessary Provocation, and then dipped.
It’s rude as hell, and in some extreme cases, dangerous.
So allow me to assure you once more it is not, nor should it be, your go-to method of investigating the paranormal. Because even in the instances it’s not dangerous?
It still makes you look like an asshole.
Puts soapbox away
Keep it Honest, my friends.
~Frick
Im Mesheru
Time of Dusk
Liminal Gates to Change: Excerpt from the Tome of the Darkside Ritualist
We need not confine our aspirations for change to specific times of the year; the power to undergo transformation lies within us, accessible at any moment we choose to embrace it. The intricate tapestry of our destinies rests firmly in our hands, woven with the choices we make in the fabric of our daily lives. So, why do we often fixate on designated moments in time as the catalyst for change? I believe it boils down to intention.
Recently, House Kheperu marked the occasion of our transition from the Lightside to the Darkside of the year. This transition, while significant, has historically been a subdued ritual, centered around acknowledging the shift, reminiscing about the Lightside, and setting intentions for the Darkside. However, as our ritual unfolded, and I assumed the role of Darkside ritualist, a profound sensation enveloped me.
This Darkside period feels poised to usher in profound transformations. We anticipate challenges as we embrace the extended, shadowy nights of winter. The intricate threads of countless human lives, in constant motion, form patterns—a series of waves, ripples, and events that reverberate through many of us, leaving their indelible marks. They change us, forcing us to confront the shifting sands of existence.
While it may all appear somewhat abstract, here is the essential takeaway: when faced with sudden and overwhelming change, remember to center yourself. When anxiety fills your mind with the static of countless possibilities and thoughts, find your grounding. Recognize your innate strength, and acknowledge your capacity to meet the challenges that may arise during this Darkside season. Equally important, do not let anger or frustration with these changes be directed outward toward others, nor let them consume you from within. Channel that potent energy—frustration, anger, rage, and overwhelm—into constructive actions. Engage in cleaning, creating, seeking new experiences, or embarking on adventures that help you navigate the shifting currents of life with purpose and resilience.
— Cat ‘Abri’ Rogers
Darkside Ritualist, House Kheperu
Spirit Offering Cakes
by M. Belanger
As we approach the Pagan holiday of Samhain on my side of the world, some practitioners may find themselves scaring up recipes for soul cakes or other food offerings for spirits and ancestors. As someone with Irish ancestry, soul cakes have always intrigued me. Recipes vary and are worth exploring. You can start with the one hosted at foodireland.com.
But if you're willing to dig a little deeper into the past, there is a culinary adventure to be had in recreating offering cakes that are arguably the oldest recorded food recipe found on an Egyptian tomb (15th century BCE).
Made of tiger nut flour and shaped by hand into cones, these are simple and unexpectedly tasty treats to share with the spirits of your choice. Note: despite being made of tiger nut flour, they contain neither nuts nor wheat gluten. Tiger nuts are actually the rhizomes of cyperus grass. They are hard and dense, aromatic, and posses a nutty, mildly sweet flavor. They can be roasted or boiled, eaten raw, or ground into a coarse meal. The ancients used them not only as food but as medicine and also in incense-making: they're one of the ingredients named in a surviving recipe for the precious temple incense, Kyphi.
To recreate these offering cakes, you can pick up some quality tiger nut flour here, then all you'll need is a little honey and, if desired, ground cinnamon or cardamom (add a splash of rose water if you're feeling really fancy).
As a vegan alternative, it is possible to substitute blackstrap molasses or date syrup, but be aware: the honey in the recipe is not merely there as a culinary sweetener. It functions as a binding agent and a preservative, but more than that, it was a sacred substance. The inclusion of honey in these offering cakes is very intentional. Replace it if you must, but take some time to appreciate what it meant to the originators of this recipe.
Here's how to make these simple, soulful cakes:
Ingredients
1 cup tiger nut flour
2 tablespoons honey (approximate)*
optional: cinnamon and/or cardomom to taste
*if substituting molasses or date syrup, add the liquid very slowly as both change the dough's consistency considerably.
Creation
Prepare a clean, dry surface for kneading and rolling the dough. A sheet of baking parchment on a large cutting board can be handy for this, as the dough gets sticky and it makes cleanup much easier.
In a mixing bowl, measure out a cup of tiger nut flour. Add any ground cinnamon or cardamom now, if desired. Mix the dry ingredients together.
Make a little well in the center of the dry mixture and drizzle in about a tablespoon of honey (or molasses). Begin kneading the dough with your fingers, folding in the honey and adding additional small drizzles a little at a time until all the flour is moist and has the consistency of Playdough. If your mixture gets too tacky, add a little more tiger nut flour and work it in. This is a recipe that does not have to be exact.
Baking
These cakes are baked at a very low heat, just enough to get them to set. After experimenting, 250-275 degrees F, depending on the oven, seems to be the sweet spot.
Shape the dough into little pyramidal cones with your fingers and arrange them on a baking sheet. Place this into the oven and set a timer for twelve minutes. The dough will very slightly change color as the cakes cook, getting a slightly darker skin on the outside. Baking times for cakes made with molasses or date syrup may be a little longer. When they are properly cooked, they are dense and chewy, not crunchy.
If you prepare the cakes with honey, you can leave them on your altar indefinitely as the honey acts as a preservative. But, if your family spirits are anything like mine, they'll want the opportunity to enjoy a cake or two through you, so be adventurous and enjoy this taste of the past as you honor the people whose lives came before our own.
An Operation of the Silent Sun
Hello, readers! I have been in a reflective mood here of late, and this month I’m planning on something magickal, as there is an interesting event coming to pass over the weekend. On October 14th, there will be a total solar eclipse over my area in the USA, so I plan on inviting this moment of silence with a special rite to welcome the changing of Light Side to the Dark Side. The intention behind this ritual is to welcome the aspects of Winter that I find appealing – the silence, serenity, and acceptance of the cold beauty that it brings.
I will share a rite this month dedicated to the acknowledgment, invocation, and welcoming of that silence. I call it The Operation of the Silent Sun.
Components
3 Candles.
Visual safety for viewing the solar eclipse during its pinnacle.
Noise Cancelling headphones.
A comfortable, quiet area where one won’t be disturbed.
Directions
Preparations for the rite should include setting sacred space in the manner of your choice. This is to have a welcoming, serene, and accepting quality for this interaction, what we are inviting is the calm, still certainty of silence, and welcoming the transition from the Light to the Dark, and what that means to you, personally. The rite is to be conducted in total silence. We observe, we acknowledge, and welcome what changes this eclipse will bring, but without any input from ourselves. Sit back, experience, and document what the eclipse brings you!
Don your headphones and viewing protection, arrange the candles before you in a straight row, and wait the coming of the Silent Sun.
Phase One – In the minutes before the eclipse, you will light the far-left candle. Settle into your body, take some deep breaths. Get comfortable, and ready to receive the energy of the eclipse.
Speak
“I welcome you, Silent Sun. Show me what it is, that you want me to know.”
As the eclipse builds, quiet your mind and let the impressions come. Feel the environment, the change in the air, the energy of the event build. Keep an open mind. Whatever comes, take note of it.
Phase Two – At the zenith of the eclipse, when the black sphere of the moon is completely visible, light the second candle.
Do not speak. Do not think. Only listen. The thoughts are a distraction. Let the Silent Sun speak to you without words. Remember. Accept. Document. Bask in the presence of the event, and simply BE.
Phase Three – As the moon’s shadow departs the sun’s field, light the third candle. Continue to accept the impressions that come, from within and from without. Find your voice again, let your thoughts flow, let your emotions come back online.
Speak
“Thank you, Silent Sun, for sharing what it is you wanted me to know.”
Let the candles burn all the way down. Bask in the reset of the experience, and enjoy the lovely view!
In December of 2022, we did a hard re-formatting of The Midnight Sun and moved it here to our website, we enlisted a new editor, and in December 2023 it will be our one-year celebration of the new format. We're not quite there yet, but the new format has brought about new capabilities, and a number of other firsts with these changes. And this month is one that we are all very excited about!
First Spooky Season Midnight Sun in New Format!!!
We are thrilled to share how creative, fun, talented, and spooky you have all worked to be, and hope to include more community spotlights going forward in future newsletters!
Halloween In Norway
Community Spotlight submission by Christopher Northlight
Halloween in Norway?
What may we see?
Witches, ghosts and warlocks, or a troll having tea?
A fun night of treats or a mischievous child, running amok with devilish smiles?
Or perhaps a more reverent remembrance of time, of our past loved ones whom we visit when the clock chimes.
Over the mantel or in a mound give thanks to the ones who have come before and honor their ground.
Halloween in Norway is a relatively new phenomenon, as it was not widely celebrated until the late 1990s. It was introduced by American influences, such as movies, TV shows, and commercial products. However, Norway already has its own traditions related to death and the supernatural, such as All Saints’ Day on November 1st and All Souls’ Day on November 2nd. These days are observed by visiting cemeteries, lighting candles, and placing flowers on the graves of loved ones.
It is similar to Halloween in the USA in some ways, such as dressing up in costumes, carving pumpkins, and decorating houses with spooky-related items such as cobwebs and lights. However, there are also some differences.
For example, trick-or-treating is not as common or widespread as in the USA. Instead, some children may go to organized events or parties at schools or community centers. Another difference is that Halloween in Norway is more influenced by Scandinavian culture and folklore than by Celtic or Christian traditions as is the case in the United States. Some of the typical costumes that Norwegian children wear are vikings, princesses, pirates, superheroes, and various animals.
Regardless of where it is celebrated or how, Halloween is here to stay and may the holiday add a little spookiness to your day!
MULLED CIDER
Community Spotlight submission by V.S. Nightborn
Mulled Cider Recipe
-1 apple, sliced
-3 blood orange slices
-3, 6, or 9 sticks of cinnamon
-whole cloves
-Whole allspice
-Hawthorn berries
-Rose hips
-3, 6, or 9 star anise
-whole cardamom
-Fresh pomegranate seeds (can be swapped for whole cranberries during winter)
-Local honey (or brown sugar if you prefer)
-A small amount of Pomegranate, orange, or cranberry juice
-Apple cider (or red wine if that’s your vibe and you are of age)
I don’t offer too many measurements because I have a tendency to change the flavor balance as the mood strikes, as the seasons shifts, or if I am mulling something other than an apple cider. In autumn I tend to lean heavier on the cinnamon, allspice and clove. In winter, I tend to be heavier on the cardamom, anise, and rosehips.
Personally, cider mulling always becomes an act of magic and I enchant my cider for connection, coziness, abundance, and security, and I occasionally add different spices or florals if I feel the need to switch up the vibe or have different goals.
I always start by toasting the spaces in the pot a little, then I add a small amount of cider plus the desired amount of honey or sugar. I bring that to a boil and then add in the rest of the cider and the fruit ingredients. I keep it in really low heat for about an hour before serving. If you don’t want the fruit to get too mushy, you can add that in in the last 10 or so minutes on the stovetop/in the slow cooker.
Spooky season decor
by Crow
