Greetings all, 

Thanks for a rich Samhain session last night...I hope you got a chance to throw a sheet over your head and go and spook your neighbours in exchange for chocolate after our session ;-)

I managed an outdoor fire in the darkness which felt appropriate.

The video from last nights session is linked here:

https://youtu.be/1mo_NlfiMNs?si=0I2Dubm3xr1wecRZ

And the weekly activities include:

Feeding the bears:

Go foraging for food. 

This may require research- what is in season, does it need to be prepared in a particular way? Does it involve lifting a badger into the boot of your car and calling Daan for guidance?(watch video for reference if baffled!)

The berries available in Scotland right now require some preparation i.e. Rowan Jelly or sea buckthorn. See what you can find.

The woodland Trust and Totally wild UK have some online resources.

...p.s. Don't poison yourself!

Host a 'Potlatch'

The Tlingit people who shared this weeks story have a tradition of 'potlatch', inviting everyone to bring a dish to share.

We talked about feeding other people being a good way of lifting the spirits and fostering community relations. It's can offer some vital social richness through the darker months too. It doesn't need to be this week, but maybe pick a date, contact some friends and set something motion.

Ancestors plate

Fitting with the Samhain theme, make a small plate of food and leave it out for the ancestors and spirits that may come closer as the veil is thin. Maybe a word or two of gratitude/prayer come with it, maybe not. This is a common practice amongst many traditional peoples.

The River of Grief

Consider the way we deal with grief and research ideas around processing this difficult, yet prevalent emotion. Subonfu Some, Malidoma Some and Francis Weller are leaders in the field.

Grief quotes:

https://focusing.org/sites/default/files/2021-04/Navigating-grief-and-the-sorrows-of-our-time.pdf

Bear Medicine

Consider the power and poetry of the bear. Find more bear stories and lore. Dream with the bear this week.

Episode of Into the Borderlands Podcast about Scandinavian Bear Lore

https://pod.space/intheborderlands/olle-mollervarn-bear-culture

Get into your body, lumbering and grounded like the bear by practicing Bear Qi Gong

Bear Qi Gong:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SoQ5zoOB-fg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o0OHooCqDpQ

Quite an eclectic array of suggestions this week!

Have fun.

Dougie