Connecting with the Dead

Posted by M - on October 31, 2025

The world ignores past trends and patterns. Yet past has much to teach us if we only pay attention. The dead have much to tell us, if we’d only listen.

If you do something that scares a whole lot of people,
you get an environment that is better for black magic.
– Dead Beat

At Samhain the Veil between the living and the dead is at its thinnest. If you want to contact those who’ve passed – ancestors, loved ones, our pets – now’s the time! The Otherworld is waiting.

Before I reveal the result of my Samhain Tarot spread, let me tell you about a dream I had last night: I rescued a frog and was carrying it with me in my hand (don’t remember which hand). I never dream of frogs.

A positive omen, although some things may not be as they seem.

Emotional transformation and increased spirituality.*

Magick and witchcraft.

*Reflective of a spread I pulled yesterday involving both The Hermit and the Ace of Wands. This combination signifies a time of spiritual quest, inspiration, and creativity. As a Major Arcana card, The Hermit points to long-term influences beyond one’s control.

The dream certainly set the stage for the following:

Skulls (Pentacles) Skulls are associated with matter: physical, craft, home, Earth and Mother Nature.

Represents the person, entity or ghost trying to communicate with you from the other side.
Queen of Scepters
I am her and she is me. Queen of Scepters (Wands) are magical people (the black cat expresses her interest in occult powers and the energy of magic). This card is sometimes referred to as the Witch’s Card in the Tarot. The minute I saw Her I knew I was communicating with myself; therefore, it’s more an ENERGY than an entity.

Represents your understanding of the afterlife
10 of Grails
I am in perfect harmony with it. It is a comfort at times.

The astral “thread” that connects you with the spirit of the ghost trying to communicate with you.
Daughter of Skulls
I drew her just last week.
The black cat in the Queen of Scepters is the thread as it represents the natural world as well as The Other. I often feel Diego around me still. His spirit lives on.

Message from the other side of the Veil.
7 of Skulls
Major transformation going on here. The Vampyress is connected symbolically to the Earth, grounded in her animal origins – yet she clings to past regenerations (Frogs regenerate.) as she waits for the Be-witching. Believe in your visions.

Signifies where you stand in this life, and how you relate to those spirits that have passed on.
Ace of Skulls
The Ace of Skulls is featured in card #3, the Daughter of Skulls.
The skull is symbolic of both the physical and spiritual. You always have one foot on either side of the Veil. You are a Hedge Witch.

Never forget you are Magick.

ℳ –

If Dracula had a cat

Posted by M - on October 31, 2025

Happy Howl-O-Ween
from all of us here at Chez Rock Vixen

ℳ –

Halloween or Samhain?

Posted by M - on October 30, 2025

Halloween, or All Hallow’s Eve, comes from an ancient Celtic festival called Samhain (SOW-in) which predates Christianity. So the origins of Halloween or Samhain (the Irish name for November) are at least a few thousands of years old. The festival of Samhain is traditionally celebrated from October 31 to November 1. According to Celtic folklore, the transitions between seasons are associated with spirits and fairies, when the boundaries between the worlds were at their weakest. At Samhain that veil between the living and the dead dissolves, making it a breeze for spirits to cross over into our world.

It is the dead, not the living, who make the longest demands.

Not until large populations of Irish immigrants came to the United States in the mid-19th century did many of the well-known Halloween customs become popular here.

Like Jack O’ Lanterns, which originated in Ireland. The Irish would carve turnips (or other root vegetables) into lanterns for use in warding off evil spirits. Irish legend holds there was an actual man named Jack, who was “cursed to spend all of time roaming the earth with only a burning coal (inside a carved-out turnip) to light the way as his punishment for trying to trick the devil.”
Handing-out candy or other treats? This is possibly tied to the Celtic custom of offering food and drink to appease spirits crossing over.
Costumes? Mumming and guising were part of the festival from at least the early modern era, whereby people went door-to-door in costume (perhaps impersonating the souls of the dead), reciting verses in exchange for food and promising good fortune. Hence “Trick or Treat.”

For Wiccans, Samhain is one of the Sabbats on our Wheel of the Year.

November 1: All Saints Day, Day of the Dead (Mexico), Day of the Banshees
November 2: All Souls Day

ℳ –

Happy Caturday! (10.25.2025)

Posted by M - on October 25, 2025

By Prince Ramses XII

Im additiom to this beimg Black Cat Awaremess Momth, SHE said I had to get im the spirit of “Halloweem”. I have mo idea what that meamt so SHE had to lemd a hamd im today’s Happy Caturday!

Why Are Black Cats Associated with Halloween?

Prior to the 4th century, cats were held in positive regard around the world. The ancient Egyptians downright revered cats, worshipping and devoting entire cities to feline deities that protected their people from loathsome creatures like snakes and scorpions. As the Egyptian empire fell to the reign of Christianity, the domestic cat spread rapidly into Europe.

Cats were still heavily associated with goddesses when Roman Emperor Theodosius I banned all pagan worship in 391 CE. For the next few centuries, cats, while no longer allowed to be revered and worshiped, were generally left unscathed.

Perhaps the most direct connection between black cats and contemporary Halloween symbols stems from the Celtic festival Samhain. On Samhain, it was believed that the Cat Sìth — a Celtic fairy creature that was said to resemble a large black cat with a white spot on its chest — would bless any house that left a saucer of milk out for it to drink. (Soumds reasomable to me.) Likewise, the Cat Sìth cursed those houses that did not leave out a saucer of milk. (Seems logical.) The association of cats with Samhain likely also carried over into Halloween.

On Samhain Eve, on that one and only night of the year,
hags’ cats turn into mares as black as pitch.
– The Tower of Swallows

I’m sure every ratiomal humam kmows by mow that black cats brimg mothimg but good luck. Accordimg to Welsh folklore, midmight-colored felimes cam brimg good luck amd evem help predict the weather. But SHE tells stories of how shelters (Like the ome I was im whem we met.) refuse to adopt out black cats durimg the momth of October for fear that EVIL humams will use them as sacrifices. Yet you humams have the merve to blame us for bad juju. SHE says they deserve whatever bad stuff happems to them. I agree.

This Halloweem I hope we watch plemty of movies with cats im them. SHE says all the better if witches are imvolved: Bell, Book amd Camdle, Practical Magic, Wild Witch. Here I am watchimg Bell, Book amd Camdle.

Although mot a black cat, Pyewacket is pretty good as Gilliam’s familiar. Cimema Cats is publishimg two daily posts from October 16 to Ocober 30 – amd they all feature black cats!! You should check them out, fur sure.

Maybe SHE amd I will play “Ouija” agaim. That would be fum.

Back im 2021 I dressed up as “Vampurr” for Halloweem.

This year I’m thimkimg of beimg a scary ghost.

SHE seems to happy with this Halloweem editiom of Happy Caturday! amd so am I. Hope you all have a safe Halloweem (keep your kitties imside) – amd remember Momday, October 27th, is Matiomal Black Cat Day.