November Eve :: Correspondences
| Season | Initiates Winter |
|---|---|
| Time of Day | Darkened evening |
| Direction | Northwest |
| Moon Phase | Waning crescent moon or dark moon |
| Tide | Resting Tide |
| Colors | Black, burgundy, crimson, marroon, orange, russet |
| Flowers | Autumn crocus, mums, periwinkle |
| Animals | Bat, cat, dog, familiars, pig, scorpion, snake |
| Mythological Creatures |
Beansidhe, Harpies, goblins, Medusa, pooka, vampires, werewolves |
| Plants | Broom, dittany of Crete, flax, rowan, yew |
| Herbs | Heather, mugwort, nightshades, wormwood |
| Incenses | Apple bark, frankincense, fumitory, myrrh, patchouli, sage |
| Oils | Basil, camphor, cypress, frankincense, lilac, yarrow |
| Stones | Black sapphire, boji stone, carnelian, jet, obsidian (especially black-red), onyx, ruby |
| Zodiac | Scorpio, the sign of death, regeneration and hidden knowledge |
| Decorations | Apples, balefire, brooms, cauldron, cornstalks, gourds, Indian corn, jack-o-lanterns, masks, mullein torches, oak leaves, pitchfork, pumpkins, scythe, sickle |
| Foods | Apples, beets, breads, ciders, corn, freshly harvested root vegetables, gingerbread, meats (especially pork), mulled red wines, nuts, oats, pomegranates, potatoes, pumpkin, squash, turnips, wassail |
| Teas | Angelica, apple-cinnamon, catnip, hot cider, sage, valerian |
Jack o' Lantern
On this magical night across the British Isles, glowing jack-o-lanterns, carved from turnips or gourds in Ireland and beets in England, were set on porches and in windows to welcome deceased loved ones and to act as protection against malevolent spirits who wandered the earth on November Eve.
The pumpkin is indigenous to the western hemisphere and was completely unknown in Europe before the time of Columbus. In 1584, the French explorer Jacques Cartier reported from the St. Lawrence region that he had found "gros melons", which was translated into English as "ponpions," or pumpkins. In fact, pumpkins were called "isquotersquash" by Native Americans and had been cultivated in America for more than 5,000 years.
When European settlers, particularly the Irish, arrived in America they found the indigenous pumpkin to be larger, easier to carve and it seemed the perfect choice for jack-o-lanterns. Halloween didn't really catch on in America until the late 1800's, but ever since the jack o' latern has been one of the most well known signs of the season.
Continue to November Eve :: Loki
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