From the Circle: The Moon of Shadows

The Ancestral Moon: Walking the Threshold

The October full moon crowns the fields and burns above the darkening wood. It is a moon of endings and beginnings, of fullness and surrender, of memory and of vow. In older times, this was the light that marked the year’s turning, the last full lantern before Samhain night opened its gates.

We call this the Moon of Shadows, not because it hides, but because it reveals. This moon throws its silver fire across the veil, and the veil answers. Under this moon, the ancestors stir, the land exhales, and we are reminded that we stand not only in our own story, but in theirs.

This moon asks: What do you carry into the dark of the year?​
And also: What must you release into the fire so that you do not stumble beneath its weight?

To walk the witch’s path at Samhain is to walk a paradox. We are mourners and torchbearers, guardians and saboteurs, rooted in death and yet alive with fierce, unbroken breath. The witch does not walk alone at this season. She walks with the dead at her back, the harvest at her feet, and the moon above her as both mirror and guide.

Ritual Spell: The Ancestor’s Flame

You will need:

• A candle (white, black, or deep red)
• An apple or pomegranate (traditional Samhain fruit)
• A slip of paper and pen

To work:

1. Place the candle at the center of your altar or window, where the moonlight may touch it.
2. Cut the fruit in half. Place it as an offering, a gift to the Beloved Dead.
3. Write the name of one you honor (ancestor of blood, of spirit, or of craft). If no name comes, write: “Beloved Dead, known and unknown.”
4. Place the slip of paper beneath the candle. Light the flame and speak:

Let the candle burn as long as is safe. When it is done, bury the slip of paper along with the fruit in the earth, returning both to the ancestors.

Recipe: Soul Cakes for the Season

In medieval Britain, people baked small round cakes, Soul Cakes, as offerings for the dead. They were also given to children and wanderers who went “souling” from door to door, carrying prayers for those who had passed.

Soul Cakes Recipe (makes about 12 small cakes):

Ingredients:

• 1 cup butter (softened)
• 1 cup sugar (brown sugar works beautifully)
• 3 egg yolks
• 2 cups flour
• 2 tsp mixed spices (nutmeg, cinnamon, allspice)
• ½ tsp salt
• 2 tbsp milk
• Optional: currants or raisins for decoration

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
2. Cream the butter and sugar together until light.
3. Beat in the egg yolks one at a time.
4. Mix flour, spices, and salt in a separate bowl. Add gradually to butter mixture.
5. Stir in milk to form a soft dough.
6. Roll out dough to about ¼ inch thick. Cut into rounds.
7. Place on a baking sheet. Mark each cake with a simple cross, and press a raisin into the center if desired.
8. Bake for 15 minutes, until golden.

To serve:

• Offer the first cake to the Dead (place it outside or on the ancestor altar).
• Share the rest with your circle, each bite is a blessing of memory and harvest.

From the Wild Blackthorn Grove

As the veil thins, we too are opening new doors within our Tradition.

• ​Patreon is now live - a hearthfire where seekers and companions may walk deeper into mystery. There you will find paths as Pathfinder, Lorekeeper, Thornbearer, and Thorncrowned. Each step opens more lore, ritual, and communion with the heart of our work.
• Our website has been refreshed, its paths cleared and its hearthstones reset. May it serve as a gateway for those who seek us.
• Discord continues to grow as the living circle of the Blackthorn, a place where companions meet, rituals are shared, and questions find their echo. This is where most of our offerings will be placed, tier by tier, and where the real weaving of community takes root.

These are extensions of our work. They are the branches of the same Blackthorn tree, reaching outward, rooted deep.

At My Fireside

This moon, I cannot help but reflect on the passing of Jane Goodall. Though not a witch in name, she lived like one in soul: listening to the voices the world told her were not worth hearing, standing beside creatures others dismissed, carrying truth in the face of ridicule.

Her life reminds me that to be true to one’s calling is to follow the heart with unwavering faith, whether in the forest, the circle, or the public square. She taught us that to listen deeply is to resist despair. She carried fire in gentleness, and made a vow with her life that will ripple through generations.

In this Samhain season, when we call to the ancestors, I will call her name.

And I ask you, beloved reader: whose name will you call?

​

From the Blog: Where the Blackthorn Grows Wild

On the night of the full moon, a new blog post will rise with it:

​Witchfire at Samhain's Full Moon​
A reflection on thresholds, ancestors, and the opening of our Patreon hearth.

You will also find the ongoing series Walking the Edge, exploring risk, power, and the danger of stagnation.

Read and walk with us: Where the Blackthorn Grows Wild

Elsewhere in the Circle

• Instagram → ritual snippets, moon musings, and altar stills
  🔗 @thewildblackthorn​
• Facebook / Threads → sacred rants and magical questions
  🔗 Join the Conversation → The Wild Blackthorn Page​
• Discord → our living circle. If you join Patreon, this is where the roles will unfold: Pathfinder, Lorekeeper, Thornbearer, Thorncrowned.
• ​The Wild Blackthorn → We have refreashed our website completly, as well as adding a list of classes which will be upcoming through Patreon or more about our Tradition for those who feel called to it.
• Book Project Updates → Shadows of Our Ancestors: Witchcraft, Reckoning, and the Power to Heal a Broken World. If you attended or participated in the rituals of 2012 or 2023, your voice matters. We are still gathering stories.
  🔗 Email details: Nyt@thewildblackthorn.com
• Blackthorn Academy – Priory of the Thorne​
  Seekers Classes continue; Novitiates await the next step.

A Blessing for This Moon

As the Moon of Shadows crowns the sky, may you find yourself with fire in your hands and ancestors at your back.
May the veil be a comfort, not a fear.
May you walk into the season of Samhain with courage, and may the circle of the Blackthorn hold you close.

The doors are open. The fire is lit. The circle waits.

Step through when you are ready.

With blessing and flame,
​Nyt Ravensworth​
​The Wild Blackthorn