Wiccaning/Baby Blessing on Samhain?

[blithespirit]

My daughter was born last week. I want to do a blessing for her soon, and have considered waiting until Samhain to do it. I can't decide if it's an appropriate Sabbat for such a ritual, though! Any thoughts?

[Calen]

Hmmm...good question. One might say that Samhain is all about death and passed spirits and reincarnation, and then, one might say that reincarnation and the afterlife are strongly connected to new lives/incarnations, thus making it quite appropriate.
Personally, I would wait till Yule to do something like that, but more so as not to crowd my Samhain celebrations than anything else.

[Kalika]

I think its totally a personal choice... if All Hallow's is the holiday that you choose to have it on, or that you would really like to have it on... then who's to say its not right for you? Every individual is different. :p

(Yeah, not much of an answer, I know!)

[blithespirit]

I probably should wait until Yule, but I guess I'm getting too excited. :apumpkin:

[Jenett]

In a number of traditions, Samhain is considered to be a bad time for new things - it's often a time of introspection and reflection, before you go into the new year.

For a lot of people, Samhain is also emotional, if you're remembering loved ones who died. While it might be possible to design a ritual of suitable length to let you do that *and* then switch modes (and moods) to a blessing for your daughter, it'd probably be hard. There's two separate goals there, and they're pretty different.

I'd suggest doing the blessing at Yule or even at Imbolc (a time often used for initiations or new beginnings).

If you wanted to tie your work in at Samhain with it, you could use part of the ritual time to ask ancestores or loved ones you've lost to bless her and guide her in wisdom as she grows, or something like that.

[Ron]

Like I've said so many times before, anytime is the best time for a blessing. :)

Though Wiccae & company may associate it with death and spirits, I view it as simply getting into bed before the sleep: ie. taking off your clothes (leaves falling), giving yourself a good wash (rains)... :)

I think personal blessings from each blesser are the best way to go. That way hopefully it will come from the heart and be something very personal :) Just imo.

[ap Dafydd]

There are traditions in which someone born at Samhain was considered to be extremely unlucky, as someone who was cursed with being neither completely in this world nor in the other.

I know it's a blessing rather than a birth that you're talking about, but I'd say pretty much any other time would be better.

What about the first new moon afterwards?

gwyn eich byd

Ffred

[blithespirit]

I think I've decided to wait until either the next new moon or Yule for the blessing. There is something I can do at Samhain that will be more appropriate-she had a twin that died early in the pregnancy. I will use Samhain as the time to honor the one who did not make it, and ask for her to watch over her sister if she so chooses.

Thank you so much for your ideas! I love this place.

[equinox2]

Hi!

That’s cool that you’ll be Saining your baby. It’s good to celebrate our life transitions, and the start of life certainly is one of them!

We did a nice Saining for our son on Ostara (he was born the previous October). One neat thing we did was to have everyone give a small token or just a note, which we gathered up and are keeping them to give him on his 18th birthday. They will be voices from the past – reminding him as a young adult that many people loved him as a baby, and wish him the best as an adult too.

I think a Sabbat date would be best – but I’d use one of the “beginning” Sabbats – Yule, Imbolc, or Ostara. Our 2nd child was born this past year, and his Saining will be on Yule.

Here is the ceremony for our first son’s Sainging (the second ceremony isn’t written yet):


http://www-personal.engin.umich.edu/~leta/ESaining.htm

Oh yeah – you might want to contact the local UU minister. UU ministers are happy to do ceremonies like this, and the church is usually big enough to fit family and friends. Here are all the UU churches in Kentucky: http://www.uua.org/CONG/results.php?s_method=state&state=KY&submit3=GO%21

(I think the Louisville one even has a Pagan group – a CUUPS chapter) _wiz_

May you soar like the hawk-

[Kalika]

I think I've decided to wait until either the next new moon or Yule for the blessing. There is something I can do at Samhain that will be more appropriate-she had a twin that died early in the pregnancy. I will use Samhain as the time to honor the one who did not make it, and ask for her to watch over her sister if she so chooses.

Thank you so much for your ideas! I love this place.


Excellent idea. :hugz:

[Ron]

Just sharing: We bless our offspring at birth and then in the opposite day or night thereafter. Such is for balanced energies.

[Ron]

There are traditions in which someone born at Samhain was considered to be extremely unlucky, as someone who was cursed with being neither completely in this world nor in the other.
It is not my place to mock beliefs, yet one of my best friend was born on October 31st, 1989. She is not only lucky, but she has the perfect life and she is always very lucky with whatever she does.

[Kern]

I think I've decided to wait until either the next new moon or Yule for the blessing. There is something I can do at Samhain that will be more appropriate-she had a twin that died early in the pregnancy. I will use Samhain as the time to honor the one who did not make it, and ask for her to watch over her sister if she so chooses.

Thank you so much for your ideas! I love this place.
I was just going to say if it were me personally that I would do it on the next new moon.New moons for new beginnings.Sorry to hear of the loss and that sounds like a good idea to me to honor the one that is past on Samhain.
Good luck with the wiccaning though w/e you choose to do.