Most people don’t realize that Halloween in Salem starts somewhere around mid-September. From shop owners to street vendors, everyone starts to prepare by the end of summer—some even earlier than that.
Dodging tourists and choosing to walk for miles instead of trying to park downtown becomes commonplace for visitors and locals alike.
In the October madness, many found refuge in the quiet, homey vibe HausWitch is known for. The calendar of events was vast and included more than the usual workshops, from magical history to fabric dyeing and everything between.
Here’s just a taste of HausWitch’s October of 2016:
Dye It Black
The Wax and Wane Fiber folks Ashton and Claire came up all the way from Baltimore to drop some dyeing knowledge. Scarves were made in all sorts of patterns and Wax and Wane’s resident color historian, Ashton, outlined the history of black fabric. Did you know that black fabric from Salem's time of the witch trials could have been made by the settlers themselves, but was likely dyed by pirates and sold to the Puritans? Since it was so hard to create the rich, dark color pirates cashed in by creating cheaper versions of the richer and more expensive fabric. Those rascals!
Basic Shamanism for Witches
Zhanna, a witch and shaman, provided a workshop for practicing witches to learn how to properly respect the land we live and work on. When you take a leaf from the woods or even a dip in a pond, you can connect with that land and thank it for its gifts. She talked about how shamanism in one form or another appears in many cultures and its close association to witchcraft.
Curses
Dr. Lakshmi Ramgopal is a visiting Professor of the Classics at Trinity College and an ancient historian well-versed in Greek and Roman curses and magic. That era is a staple of elementary education, but you probably didn’t cover this topic in grade school! Everyone from more noble folk to your average farmer performed spells and practiced magic during this time. Check out this rubbing of an old spell we talked about during her workshop:
Astrology
There’s a little more to your daily horoscope than simply your Sun sign—an entire chart of planets above your head telling a story of your life’s path before you even open your eyes. All who participated received their detailed birth chart and learned the tools for deciphering what the planets were trying to tell them the day they entered the world. This is another lovely class taught by one of our favorite energy workers, Grace Harrington Murdoch.
Above/Below Jewelry Pop-up
We had a daylong visit from Above/Below Jewelry and were able to ogle all her custom-cut stones and gems. Every single stone is purposefully sliced and broken giving each wearer a unique look.
Tarot Salon
Tarot cards are a way to not only examine what the future might bring, but a fantastic meditative aid. As the Tarot Salon group goes through the Major Arcana each month, so don’t miss the next one! We’ll be exploring the energy of The High Priestess. Bring your deck!
New Moon Meditation
What better way to end October than with a massive exhalation of all the stress this time of year can bring? Visitors from all over attended the meditation circle led by Jess Jones Lavoie. It felt like a time for celebrating the transformation of the moon in Scorpio. Everyone in attendance was left with a sense of calm.
Missed all the October fun? No fear, November is here! There will be more events in the coming months for you to make or learn something new. Just keep an eye on our events page and be sure to sign up online so you don’t miss out.
See you soon!
