P/WS: Samhain Altar Box

US Only.

This swap will be dealing with Samhain, NOT Halloween as in the commercial aspect of it.

Everyone has their own way of celebrating Samhain, so I won't force specifics out there. But 99% of us probably have the same basic altar set up--black candles, ancestor images, pumpkin fabric for an altar cloth or maybe orange and black, etc.

For this swap, you will be putting together a box that includes items for a Samhain altar. Your partner should be able to open the box and lay out a new altar if she wanted to!!

I am not setting a price on this, but there are just 3 "rules" that could earn you a 3 if not followed:
1. A minimum of 5 items must be included. Minimum of $10.
2. Items must adhere to Samhain and NOT the commercial aspect of Halloween. (i.e. no fake plastic spiders, etc)
3. No junk or used stuff (ie candles). Thrifted stuff or stuff you're passing on is fine. Items do not have to be brand new. What I mean by used is no partially burned candles or incense.

This swap is US only. No 1s or 3s within the past 6 months of partners being assigned. Items sent can be handmade or store bought. This is NOT partner specific, so you can start putting together your box as soon as you want. The only thing allowed for is allergies. If you have any, please list them in the comments. Must be signed in within 2 days of partners being assigned. Must also have be rated for a minimum of 20 Type 3 swaps.

Correspondence of Samhain ~ The Plants and Herbs of Samhain: Apple, Cedar, Cherry, Elder, Eucalyptus, Holly, Horse Chestnut, Lime, Orange, Palm-Date, Oak, Peach, Pear, Pine, Plum, Quince, Rowan, Sandalwood, Willow, Witch Hazel, African Violet, Agaric, Blackberry, Blueberry, Cinnamon, Coconut, Cuckoo-Flower, Cyclamen, Deerstongue, Devil’s Bit, Elderflower, Garlic, Ginger, Grape, Hemp, Huckleberry, Kalbs Cross, Lavender, Liquorice, Mandrake, Mint, Myrrh, Nettle, Nightshade, Pineapple, Pomegranate, Raspberry, Rhubarb, Saffron, Sage, Sarsaparilla, Sassafras, Sloe, Star Anise, Strawberry, Sugar Cane, Tea, Tobacco, Vanilla, Witch Grass, Wolfsbane. Colors associated with Samhain~Halloween: Black, Brown, Gold, Orange, Red, Silver, Yellow

Stones associated with Samhain: Amethyst, Asbestos, Beryl, Bloodstone Cat’s Eye, Coal, Coral, Carnelian, Danburite, Fossil, Herkimer, Jasper, Jet, Marble, Mother of Pearl, Obsidian, Onyx, Petrified Wood, Pumice, Quartz, Rhodonite, Smoky quartz, Salt, Tourmaline-Pink.

Incense and oils you can use any of the following scents, either blended together or alone: Cedar, Cinnamon, Eucalyptus, Ginger, Lavender, Lime, Mint, Myrrh, Orange, Sagebrush, Sandalwood, Copal, mastic resin, benzoin, sweetgrass, wormwood, mugwort, sage, or patchouli.

Animals and mythical beasts:Stag, cat, bat, owl, jackal, elephant, ram, scorpion, heron, crow, robin, Phooka, Goblin, Medusa, Beansidhe, Fylgiar, Peryton, Erlkonig, and Harpies.

Gods and Goddess Associated with Samhain: Any figure of the Goddess in her Crone aspect, as well as Gods of death; such as: Hekate (goddess of fertility, moon magick, and the witches’ protectress, Morrigan (Celtic goddess of death, Cernunnos (Celtic fertility god), Persephone (Greek goddess who dies and is reborn every year after being tricked by Hades), Arawn (Welsh King of Hel), Gywnn Ap Nudd (King of Faeries and of the underworld), Macha(Irish mother of life and death, one of the triple goddesses of Morrigu), Scathach/Scota and Osiris (Egyptian god who dies and is reborn every year. Full Listing of Gods and Goddess Anubis, Arianrhod, Astarte, Baba Yaga Beansidhe (Banshee), Belili, Bran, Cailleach Beara, Cernunnos, Cerridwen, Crone , Dark Lord & Lady, Demeter, Hathor, Hecate, Hel, Horned God, Inanna, Ishtar, Isis, Kali, Kore, Lakshmi, Lilith, the Morrigan, Nephthys, Odin, Osiris, Oya, Persephone, Pomona, Rhiannon, Tlazoteotl

Symbols for Samhain: apples, autumn flowers, acorns, bat, black cat, bones, corn stalks, cauldrons, colored leaves, crows, death/dying, divination and the tools associated with it, ghosts, gourds, Indian corn, jack-o-lantern, nuts , oak leaves, pomegranates, pumpkins, scarecrows, scythes, waning moon.

Foods of Samhain:apples, apple dishes, cider, meat (traditionally this is the meat harvest) especially pork, mulled cider with spices, nuts, pomegranates, potatoes, pumpkins, pumpkin bread, pumpkin pie, roasted pumpkin seeds, roasted pumpkin seeds, squash, corn, cranberry muffins and breads, turnips, beets, ale, herbal tea (mugwort).

Activities of Samhain:On Samhain, Honoring the Dead, Dumb Supper, Carving Jack O’Lanterns (and then baking pumpkin pie!) , Making Masks representing the Gods & Goddesses of Samhain, Making a besom , Divination, And most importantly, don’t forget to leave milk and honey out for the Faerie folk.

Spell Work of Samhain:release of bad habits, banishing, fairy magick, divination of any kind, candle magick, astral projection, past life work, dark moon mysteries, mirror spells (reflection), casting protection, inner work, propitiation, clearing obstacles, uncrossing, inspiration, workings of transitionor culmination, manifesting transformation,creative visualization, contacting those who have departed this plane