Happy October!

October Greetings,

Mama's Readers!

Some facts: October is the tenth month of the year in both the Julian and Gregorian Calendars. It's name derives from the Latin "octo" meaning "eight," because it was the eighth month in the old Roman calendar (January and February were inserted later).

October plays host to numerous holidays, both lesser known (National Fire Prevention Week, Children's Book Week, World Animal Day) and popular, with the best-known being our beloved Halloween.

Mineral skulls, coyote and owl fetishes, and a large jade toad all
make additions to your Halloween decor or craft projects!

Halloween and its cousins Samhain and El Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) sit neatly at the end of the harvest season, reminding us of their agricultural roots. While Halloween in many places is now about dressing up and trick-or-treating, its derivations are far older: while some scholars debate its origins, it's pretty safe to say Halloween evolved out of European festivals that combined celebrating a bountiful year with honoring those that had died during the previous solar cycle. Samhain (pronounced SAH-win or SOW-in) was the "summer's end" celebration that did just that, and is still celebrated by NeoPagans today.

Skull beads at Mama's can make Halloween fun!

In the Southwest, we are lucky enough to be able to celebrate the Day of the Dead alongside Halloween, although they are not the same holiday. El Día is a Mexican holiday celebrated around the world, gathering family and friends to honor the dead in a festive, loving atmosphere. Fun and beautiful sugar skulls, calaveras (skeleton figures posed in every day activities), and personal altars (which often include marigolds, pictures of dead loved-ones and things they liked) all serve to remind celebrants of the joy, fragility, nobility, and preciousness of life.

At Mama's Minerals, we always have things to celebrate whatever version of these holidays you like: mineral skulls, skull beads galore, crystal balls, various Zuni fetishes (sometimes we have bats,cats, and wolves!), metaphysical supplies, and a host of other things to complete your holiday. Come see us, and . . .

Happy Halloween!

Blessed Samhain!

and a Día de los Muertos filled with fond memories of your loved ones!

~the staff at Mama's Minerals.