The majority of us are aware of the traditional Irish Halloween traditions of dressing up in disguise, participating in games like "snap apple," and eating dishes like barmbrack and colcannon. Some of the Irish Halloween spellsand divination that can be used may not be very well known but are very effective. Anyone could do it in the comfort of their own homes; you didn't have to be a skilled witch or wizard to perform these Halloween spells. Such practices were regarded as having a higher likelihood of success if carried out around specific "liminal" times of the year, such as Halloween, when it was thought that powerful supernatural powers were active.
Trying to predict the future is what is meant by "divination." People tried to make predictions about their future spouses, the weather, the next family member to pass away, and other things. Even if the Roman Catholic Church forbade such behaviors, people continued to engage in them.
The ring hidden in a barmbrack is still the most common Halloween marriage divination method in use today. Next to get married was whoever received the slice with the ring. In the past, bracks had a variety of additional symbols baked into them to predict the future: a rag denoted lack of wealth, a coin wealth, and so forth.
Beyond the bark, traditional Halloween marriage divination involved a vast array of customs and beliefs, some of which you can still practice today.
If specific items, such as a bit of iron, a cabbage leaf, or a piece of yarrow were placed under the pillow on Halloween night, it was thought that one's future husband or wife may make an appearance in a dream.
Before going to bed, it was thought that if you ate a lot of salty food, your future spouse would show up in your dreams and bring you a sip of water.
On Halloween night, the face of a girl's future husband would appear on a piece of fabric that she had washed in a brook and hung from a thorn bush.
It was thought that casting spells, for either good or negative reasons, was best done around Halloween. According to renowned scholar John O'Donovan (1806–1861), "magic exists, and it is still practiced in Ireland today."
On Halloween night, it was thought that if one was ready to crawl through a briar that was rooted at both ends, they may summon bad spirits to aid them in their evil actions. There were many spells that promised to make the individual invisible, including one that was very difficult and involved 13 metal plates to collect fern seeds.
Simple (and mutual) love spells in Irish traditions involved holding a mint twig in the palm of one's hand, taking the hand of the person you love, and keeping the two hands clasped over the mint for a brief period of time without speaking.
Some love spells were thought to be extremely dangerous to prepare and cast:
- Ten hemlock leaves, powdered and dried, made up one love potion. It was then mixed in secret into the victim's food in order to charm them.
- If dried, crushed, and added to a beverage, black cat liver was thought to have aphrodisiac properties.
In Quaint Irish Customs and Superstitions, Lady Jane Wilde referred to the fairly gruesome spell known as Drimial agus Thorialas being used throughout the year in Ireland. It could only be done by a woman who was determined enough to meticulously cut off a chunk of a dead man's flesh and exhume the body.
Along with Irish culture, Samhain Magic also contains a compilation of seasonal-inspired spells, rites, potions, and more that perfectly encapsulate the Halloween atmosphere.
Anyone who practices magic, including those who practice Wicca, Paganism, New Age, Spirituality, many forms of Witchcraft, and many more can try Samhain Halloween spells.