Make a straw man from the
remnants of your garden.
© Patti Wigington
If you're in the Northern Hemisphere, and gearing up for Samhain, then your garden is probably close to being finished for the year. Now's a good time to gather up all that detritus that's lying around. Back when Julius Caesar was busy conquering the British Isles, he noted in his
Commentaries that the Druids had a penchant for human sacrifice. Whether this was true or not is up for scholarly debate - after all, the victor writes history -- but it does leave us with a bit of a custom that has carried over into modern times. The burning of a wicker or straw man is a popular tradition in many Pagan and Wiccan belief systems. This figure is created from the leavings of the garden at the time of harvest's end, so while you're out clearing all that dead growth from your garden, save a little to
make a Straw Man for Samhain.
Sign up for the Samhain Seven Day Sabbat Class,
Get Ready for Samhain!
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