Lady Luck's Color: Orange!

It is wise not to burn a sweet Gurley orange such as this, because watching that would make me very sad!

And so begins day twenty~five, leading up to the biggest 31st of the year: All~Hallows~Even! Yes, amazed I am, as, likely, you are too, at how extraordinarily Hallowe'en~magickal the clock's tick~tocks now do make their sounds!

Going mere days back, the door on The Whimsical Cottage opened and from its threshold Miss Danni made pre~holiday mentions: "Time we got out our broomsticks and candlesticks and tell each other spooky stories around the fire. And, because so many of you played along and I had so much fun last year, I'm throwing another Countdown to Hallowe'en blog party this year! If you missed it last year, here's what you need to know to play along:

Do something Autumny or Halloweeny every day throughout the month of October, ending with the big event on the 31st. It need not be anything difficult or eleborate, just a little something to get you in the spirit. Share what you've been up to on your blogs either daily, every few days, weekly... whenever you're able! All I ask is you have a maniacally good time!"

You'll join us then? Please say you will? (If your schedule nods in approval, give "click" to the Halloween countdown invitation, pictured, above.) Grand! I'm simply delighted, and I am certain that is what Miss Danni will be, too, soonly after you favorably RSVP!

My 8 October Countdown contribution
and "prepare~ahead":

To make luck come bountifully into your life (Or, mayhapsly, it be all about replenishing your suddenly dwindling stash? Because, "How did I let it get away on me?" you're asking yourself.), take a freshly owned orange~colored candle that has yet to have a glowing match put to it, and anoint it thricely with three driplets of cinnamon oil, three driplets of clove oil, and three driplets of lotus oil, because it is rumored that belonging to each of these integrals are vibrations of the luck~attracting kind.

Dancing Bear is one of Momsy's favorite people!

Whilst Grandfather busies himself with counting out loud to twelve, thus turning the world into midnight, three times impart the following incantation:

BRIMSTONE, MOON, AND WITCH'S FIRE
CANDLELIGHT'S BRIGHT SPELL
GOOD LUCK SHALL I NOW AQUIRE,
WORK THY MAGICK WELL.
MIDNIGHT TWELVE, THE WITCHING HOUR,
BRING THE LUCK I SEEK.
BY WAX AND WICK NOW WORK THY POWER
AS THESE WORDS I SPEAK.
HARMING NONE, THIS SPELL IS DONE.
BY LAW OF THREE, SO MOTE IT BE!

Gaze into the flame of the candle, same~timing with thinks and thoughts good lucky. Give pulse to a lucky feel that is real, as if indeed it was you who had just won a prize!

As mind~pictures paint a Wheel of Fortune especially spinning for you, remember, too, this reminder: To achieve an outcome that is at its best, cup~runneth~overly magnify this newly conjured euphoria. But, oh, I do ask begs of thee: BE WATCHFUL! NEVER, ever (and dotted with a plentiful sprinkling of whatsoever) doubt the power of the spell! Even the smallest crumb of skeptical will recklessly upside down its effectiveness.

And for certain and most importantly, do NOT stop the candle's "burn~brightly," until 1 November becomes the day, because as Grandfather's speaks of Wee Morning, so shall the spell be fixed. (Take heed, please, witches in need of beauty sleep: a bathtub safely holds a lit taper all night long unattended.) And, if Sunrise finds the candle NOT "out," put to use a moistened two~finger wick~pinch, as it is the only acceptible snuff. Because NEVER LET HUMAN BREATH CEASE THE FLAME OR ALL OF YOUR GOOD LUCK WILL BLOW AWAY.

And if a past~annointed orange candle be at your fingertips, enjoy prediction:

To peer into the future (or visit Realms Unknown), before a mirror at the stroke of Halloween midnight, middle yourself betwix a midnight~complected candle placed leftmost and the spelled orange candle on your right. "Match" each hand to light the candles at a moment that is the same to both of them, whilst you give a gaze to your own eyes in the mirror. Concentrate upon that which you desire to know, until an often times misty vision looks back at you from the glass. Within this vision your answer will be found!

Whichy Witchy Woman are You?

From Across the Pond a postcard that is Halloween~fancy, Postal Carrier Thomas (and my cookie still!) this morning did deliver! Gemmama, whose house I keep a home while she is making Far Aways to visit her dearest friend

Luella living a Welsh life,
sent this timely to me:

Tenth Month Greetings, Sweet E.!

When this message finds you, we will be gathering barely here-and-there Scabious (a teasel known to remedy Itchies, and that also answers to Devil's-bit because, as one "relic," an ancient crone whose name escapes me, once clued me,'The greater part of the root seemeth to be bitten away; old fantastick charmers report that the divel did bite it for envie, because it is an herbe that hath so many good vertues and it is so beneficial to mankinde.') and Red Dead Nettle (good to remove a jinx --or add to floor wash, afterwhich expect a mighty fine shine to look back at you. Go figure?! Tee-hee!) And when it's not about that, blackberries fill out buckets! Then we will bring home nice long necklaces of bright scarlet (Another tee-hee! truly is in order as this particular month inspires me to spell it "scare"let!) berries of the Black Bryony to herald in Autumn's crisp and the spookiful days and nights of October!

Eary BOO! to you!
Love, G. and L.

P.S. Yellow-Hammers are feeding in the stubble!

Quickly, I be putting postal note aside
and then immediately, and

naturally, I did bake a pie!

"Hello, October, full of merry glee!" I out loudly spoke to the sky outside my window, where it watched me watch it unfold into a brand new Season of the Witch! With the pie~point I'd forked from my blackberried slice held highly, I continued to give hail: "O Yellow Month, from the fading of the leaf,The wall calendar today announces that you finally belong to the world. Aah! This day, your first, is generous with warm and bright! Truly, you be the frosting on the cake we call "Today"!

And so begins the thirty days that lead up to the biggest thirty~oneth of the year: All~Hallows~Even! Yes, Hallowe'en approaches! How extraordinarily magickical the clock's tick~tocks are now sounding!

*offers warm~still piece of blackberry pie (and don't forget to first make a wish on its point before you make eats of it!)*
Have some bites and chews whilst Miss Danni
from The Whimsical Cottage extends this invitation:

"Time we got out our broomsticks and candlesticks and tell each other spooky stories around the fire. And, because so many of you played along and I had so much fun last year, I'm throwing another Countdown to Hallowe'en blog party this year! If you missed it last year, here's what you need to know to play along:

Do something Autumny or Halloweeny every day throughout the month of October, ending with the big event on the 31st. It need not be anything difficult or eleborate, just a little something to get you in the spirit. Share what you've been up to on your blogs either daily, every few days, weekly... whenever you're able! All I ask is you have a maniacally good time!"

You'll join us then, please say you will? Grand! I'm simply delighted, and I am certain that is what Miss Danni will be, soonly after you favorably RSVP!

My 1 October Countdown contribution is sort of kooky~spooky,

Dr.Jekyll and Mr. Hyde~y
looksee, which is to say it is merely a fun~meme and lightly are the bumps in the night that are sprinkled upon it:

Scientists, be they mad or no, assert that within each and and every one of us our opposite side lurks! (Our personal antonyms may cheat while we remain faithful, spends the night dancing while we are home choring, curses at annoyers while we smile and hold our tongue, etcetera.)

On this day that starts October, then liberate, perhaps? About yourself give filler to the blanks in sentences below. (Feel free to add new descriptives as they occur to you.) Then complete the same statements in their opposite way, because you'd be surprised!

And please do, too, remember that "Evil Twin" need not be naughty words. Plenty are the times our opposite self (alter ego) isn't always worse in some way than we are. The "bad witch" is generally accomplished at the very things we think we are failures at. (If you are shy, she is a grandiose flirt. If you oversleep, she is Sunrise's alarm clock. If you are afraid--heaven forbid--of flying, she invented the broom, and so on.)

October's First Day asks:

Bangles by Jessica Kagan CushmanImage credit: Squidoo
Are you a Good Witch or a Bad Witch?

1. I am a (choose one:) night/morning owl. Hoo! Hoo!

2. I am as as happy as a little bird with a french fry when my life is (chose one:) settled/swirling.

3. My favorite kind of music is ____________.

4. I would describe my style of clothes as ____________ .

5. My idea of a perfect evening is ____________ .

6. My idea of a perfect job is ____________ .

7. If I found a wounded sparrow, I would ____________ .

8. The best place in the world to live is ____________ .

9. If I found a wallet with money in it, I would ____________ .

10. My relationship with my parents is/was ____________ .

(You're welcome to tell all how you turned out in my comment section. Thank you ahead! I soonly will do likewise.)