Another tradition that has survived was to carve lanterns out of pumpkins, which were used to provide light at night. During this "new year" all households let their hearth fires go out and then rekindled them from the new fire from the pumpkin lantern. This was believed to be good luck.

The name "jack-o'-lantern" means "Jack of the Lantern, " and is thought to come from an old Irish tale. Jack was a man who could enter neither heaven nor hell and was condemned to wander through the night with only a candle in a turnip for light. However some speculation arises if this was a bastardized version of the story after the inquisition "changed" the Wiccan history as we commonly know it.

Pumpkins and turnips were commonly grown for food and were plentiful during this time of year. Candles placed in hollowed-out pumpkins or turnips would produce flickering flames, especially on cold nights in October. This visual imagery may have led to the association of spirits living within the lanterns, which later brought about the tradition of carving scary faces on them. There is some survival of the legend that candle flames which flicker on Samhain night are being touched by the spirits of dead ancestors, or "ghosts."

Witches perform rituals to honor the dead and invite their departed loved ones to visit for a time. This is not a "seance" but merely an invitation. The dead are not "summoned" from their hallowed resting places but instead invited for a visit across the veils if their spirit chose to do so.

Dear Matthew,
Thank you for writing! I imagine you are not the only one facing the dilemma of what to do with post-Samhain pumpkin leftovers.

Adding food ingredients to beauty products that are not going to be used right away can be tricky. In inexperienced hands, you could end up with a moldy mess before long. However, there is a facial treatment that you can make as needed that utilizes puree pumpkin, so all is not lost.

Pumpkin Facial
2/3 cup fresh papaya
15 oz. puree pumpkin
1 beaten egg

Be sure that you have pre-washed the face to remove any oil or makeup. Cut the papaya and remove any seeds. Mix the ingredients in a blender until very smooth.

If you tend to have sensitive skin, you may want to test it first on your arm or hand before using it facially. Apply the mixture to the entire face, avoiding the eye area. Since pumpkin has enzymes in it which are natural exfoliants, you may feel some slight tingling as it intereacts with the papaya to remove and scrub away the dead skin cells.

Lay on a flat surface for about 10-15 minutes and then rinse off. You may need to wash off in the kitchen sink if you blended it to be on the thick side.

After thoroughly rinsing off, you can apply your regular toner and moisturizer.

Another recipe I found for a facial mask that uses pumpkin contains condensed milk instead of payaya.

Pumpkin Facial #2
2 Tbsp pumpkin
1 egg yolk
1 tsp condensed milk

Mix together thoroughly and apply to freshly cleansed face. Leave on for 20-30 minutes. Rinse with warm water and follow with your favorite toner.

Many thanks to Blankee by Heidi’s Blankee Bliss for this recipe!

While I was also unable to find any specific soap recipes that called for pumpkin, I was able to find this pumpkin pie spice blend for scenting your home made soaps.

3 parts cinnamon essential oil
2 parts ginger essential oil
1 part nutmeg essential oil
1 part allspice or clove essential oil
1 part vanilla fragrance oil

I have a book on making melt and pour soaps, such as glycerin soap, that says you can add fresh fruit as long as you also add a product called Fruit Fresh as a preservative, so you might want to try adding a bit of the pumpkin puree to this soap for a little bit of color. Let those pumpkin enzymes polish and buff your skin, as an added bonus!

You can take your leftover seeds to make your own skin conditioner. Try using equal parts pumpkin seeds, gourd seeds, and cucumber seeds and grind them together into a powder. Add just enough heavy cream to make a thick paste. You can also add a few drops of lemon oil to the mixture. Massage into skin and leave on for as long as possible, then rinse off with a warm damp washcloth.

I know you’re tired of eating pumpkin, but I search around the net to see if I could find any unusual recipes for pumpkin foods, to give your recipe collection a little variety while still making use of all that pumpkin, and here are a few of the best ones I found.

Pumpkin Jam
If you can this properly, it can make great holiday gifts for your friends!

5 pounds fresh or canned pumpkin
1 pound dried apricots
1 pound seedless raisins
2-1/2 pounds sugar
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons chopped crystallized ginger

If fresh pumpkin is used, peel, remove seeds, and cut into cubes. Cook pumpkin, mash and sieve. Mix in sugar and let stand for 12 hours. Wash and cut apricots into pieces the size of raisins and add to the pumpkin. Add raisins, lemon juice, and ginger. Cook slowly until the mixture is thick. Seal, and process in boiling water bath 10 minutes.

Pumpkin Créme Caramel
You might consider a change in your Thanksgiving menu after tasting this luscious caramel-drenched pumpkin custard. Be sure to used canned solid pack pumpkin, not pumpkin-pie mix for this recipe.

6 strips (3" by 1" each) orange peel
1 1/4 cups sugar
1/4 cup water
1 can (12 ounces) evaporated milk
1 cup heavy or whipping cream
1 cup solid pack pumpkin (not pumpkin-pie mix)
6 large eggs
1/4 cup orange-flavored liqueur
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
pinch ground nutmeg
pinch salt

In 1-quart saucepan, heat orange peel, 3/4 cup sugar, and water to boiling over high heat; cover and cook 10 minutes. With fork, remove orange peel and discard. Continue cooking sugar mixture about 3 minutes longer, until amber in color. Pour caramel into 9" by 5" loaf pan, swirling to coat bottom. (Hold pan with pot holders to protect hands from heat of caramel.) Set pan aside.

In heavy 2-quart saucepan, heat evaporated milk, cream, and remaining 1/2 cup sugar just to boiling over medium-high heat.

Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350¼ F. In large bowl with wire whisk, mix pumpkin eggs, liqueur, vanilla, cinnamon nutmeg, and salt until combined.

Gradually whisk hot milk mixture into pumpkin mixture until combined. Pour pumpkin mixture through medium-mesh sieve into prepared loaf pan. Place loaf pan in 13" by 9" roasting pan; place in oven. Carefully pour boiling water into roasting pan to come three-quarters up side of loaf pan. Bake 55 minutes, or until knife inserted 1 inch from edge of custard comes out clean (center will jiggle slightly). Remove loaf pan from roasting pan to cool on wire rack 1 hour. Cover and refrigerate créme caramel overnight.

To unmold, run small metal spatula around sides of loaf pan; invert créme caramel onto serving plate, allowing caramel syrup to drip from pan onto loaf (some caramel may remain in loaf pan). Makes 12 servings.

Pumpkin Candy
1 quart pumpkin meat; fresh cut into 1-by-1-1/2-inch pieces
2-1/2 cups water
1 cup brown or maple sugar
1 cup granulated maple or raw sugar

Place the cubed pumpkin in a saucepan and cover it with water, about 2 to 2-1/2 cups. Bring it to a boil and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, uncovered, until the pumpkin is just tender. Remove the pumpkin with a slotted spoon. There should be about 1-1/2 cups of liquid remaining. Add the brown or maple sugar and dissolve over low heat. Place the pumpkin pieces back in the pan and bring slowly back to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Let the pumpkin pieces stand in the syrup overnight.

The next day, bring the mixture back to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove the pumpkin pieces from the syrup and spread them out on a wire rack so the pieces are not touching one another. Let them stand in a warm place or in a 140-degree oven for 3 to 4 hours to dry. Roll each piece in the maple or raw sugar, and store them in a dry, cool place. This recipe makes about two pounds.

This can also be made with acorn squash, but the pumpkin gives the candy a more vivid color. The flavor is about the same. (From: Chef Lawrence Forgione, An American Place Restaurant, Lexington, New York, USA)

Many thanks to the Home Cooking web site for these tasty recipes!

Cinka, of Dark Culture Magazine also wrote to us:

Dear Cinka, Thank you so much for your advice! There’s nothing better than some more great remedies to try to get rid of the unbearable pain of migraines. The steam method must work wonders! I will definitely try that one next time.

Thanks for reading! Feel free to drop a line to ask your pagan/herbal related questions or share your homemade remedies.