Jack-O-Lanterns; Old Problem, New Attitude

Anyone out there besides me love jack-o-lanterns? They are just THE Samhain/Halloween symbol for me! Unfortunately the area I live in has a long standing habit of smashing pumpkins. You design and carve for hours only to see your creations reduced to smush in the street. Definitely not the best trick or treat surprise and I eventually gave up on trying to have a jack-o-lantern. At first I tried going back to pagan roots and carved some turnips to replace the jack-o-lanterns. We'll just say the experience wasn't quite the same and leave it at that LOL And yeah, there's those foam plastic type that you can plug in but while those are convenient and safer inside it's just not a real pumpkin that you have carved. So, for a few years now there have been no orange grins on my porch and Samhain didn't have quite the glow and excitement I'd wish. I must be getting a bit wiser though, as the jack-o-lanterns will be returing this year and if they're smashed so much the better!

Why the big change? Hard telling, maybe like the song my attitude just changed. Maybe I've gotten older to the point of accepting that what I get of my wishes might be flawed or not all that I'd hoped for. Or maybe, just maybe, I've gotten clever . . . hehehe

This year my carving will be ritual based and centered on the theme of blessings and abundance. Each pumpkin will not only get a carved face but also a symbol that represents a blessing or hope I have for the year to come. The tealights that I burn in the jack-o-lanterns will be charged to match the symbol and when lit will fill the pumpkin with that energy. And best of all the spell will be set to build and build, releasing only when the pumpkin is smashed! = ) I might even look forward to seeing them covering the street and knowing that my hopes and wishes have been set into motion.