by Literata
Gryphon’s Moon Coven is having our October full moon ritual on Saturday, Oct 19th. I apologize that this is going up after the moment of the full moon being exact has passed; the lead-up to Samhain is always rather tumultuous. But fear not; this ritual can be done now, and any time through Samhain itself.
There’s a long history of masks being used in religious rituals, including in those that gave rise to Greek theater in the ancient Greek city-states. And as any of the dozens of articles with clickbait headlines like “learn the Celtic origins of Halloween!” that sprout at this time of year sure as dandelions in the spring will tell you, there are traditions of wearing masks to hide from or blend in with the otherworldly beings who walk between the worlds at the turning points of the year.
But for this ritual, we’re suggesting something that draws more from the modern trick-or-treat sense of playfulness. If you want to take it more seriously, you certainly can! And please note that this isn’t intended or designed as a full celebration of Samhain. If you need more guidance for creating your own Samhain ritual, reach out to me, and we’ll talk!
The materials you’ll need for this ritual are a mirror in which you can look at your own face, and a Halloween-type mask, or some other way to change your appearance in order to take on a temporary magical persona.
At the in-person ritual, we’re going to do a slightly more involved version of this ritual with masks, and you can use anything from a repurposed scarf to an expensive piece of wearable art, but you could also do this with a piece of jewelry or a magical robe or outfit. You’ll want to be able to put it on and take it off relatively easily, and you need to be able to see the difference in your reflection, so for clothing you would need to have a bigger mirror, but simple makeup (a quick swipe of lipstick or guyliner?) or pinning a necklace into your hair as a circlet are easy options.
Once you have your appearance change settled, come up with a name for your temporary magical persona! It doesn’t have to be a permanent magical name. It might be something you just want to play with for inhabiting, like a character in a skit. Part of the magic of Halloween is that, for better and worse, identities can be fluid. You get to try something on, and break the usual rules, in a time where the year is turning, and the usual rules are suspended.
The most challenging part of this ritual is a grounding and centering that seems simple at first. Get a mirror, and gaze at yourself in the mirror. That’s it. Make eye contact with your own reflection; don’t critique your appearance or bring words into it. Be present with yourself. That’s it. That’s what’s hard.
When you feel grounded in an open and honest contemplation of yourself, then change your appearance with your mask or whatever you’ve chosen, and face your persona. Introduce yourself, in character, with the name you’ve chosen. And be as silly, grand, or serious as you like! Contemplate your own gaze again, in your changed face, and feel how that changes your sense of yourself and your connection with the world around you. Do you stand differently? Breathe differently? Maybe even challenge yourself by striving to see both your underlying reality and the persona you are overlaying at the same time.
Stay in character as long as is good for you; maybe just a few minutes, or maybe longer. You could do a journaling exercise or a Tarot reading for your persona while you’re inhabiting the character, and see how different the experience might be from your day-to-day self.
When you’re ready, thank the character, and return your appearance to your usual self. Gaze into your own eyes, and accept yourself as you are, in all your many forms. Call yourself by your usual name, whether magical or legal or both, and then finish by grounding and centering as you usually do.
Blessed Samhain!