Practical Magic
A Samhain gathering of herbs, hearth & sisterhood
Sunday 25 October 2026 · 4–7pm
Mother of the Woods Retreat, Co. Down
Sunday 25 October 2026, 4–7pm
Mother of the Woods Retreat, Co. Down
As October’s full Blood Moon draws near and Samhain approaches, we gather at the threshold between the light and the dark.
There is an old kind of magic that has little to do with spells and everything to do with what we make, gather, remember and pass on.
The herbs growing at the hedge.
The fire burning at the hearth.
The candle in the window.
The bundle hung above the door.
The stories carried through generations.
The women who gather together as the year turns towards winter.
This is Practical Magic.
A three-hour Samhain gathering at Mother of the Woods, rooted in Irish folklore, seasonal herb lore, fire, ritual, making and the simple magic of gathering together.
Samhain has long been a threshold in the Irish seasonal calendar, marking the beginning of winter and a time when the boundaries between the worlds were believed to become especially thin. It was a time for fires, feasting, divination, protection and remembering those who had gone before.
Rather than recreating the past, we will draw inspiration from these traditions and explore what they might mean to us now.
There’s a little witch in all of us
Herbs, folklore & practical magic
We will spend time learning about some of the plants that have gathered stories around them over generations, including rosemary, mugwort, yarrow and rowan, exploring their place in folklore, seasonal tradition and household magic.
Then we will put that knowledge into our hands.
You will create your own Samhain threshold bundle, made with herbs and natural materials, inspired by the old tradition of placing protective charms above the doorway as winter approached. Something beautiful and practical to take home and hang at your own threshold.
Because perhaps this is where much of the old magic really lived: not in grand ceremonies, but in the everyday acts of tending the hearth, gathering plants, making something with your hands and caring for the home and the people within it.
Mugwort, dreams & the liminal
As the afternoon gives way to dusk, we will gather around the fire for mugwort tea before moving into a deeply restful Yoga Nidra ceremony.
Samhain is a liminal time, and Yoga Nidra offers its own doorway into the spaces between waking and dreaming, activity and rest, holding on and letting go.
You will be guided through a seasonal Nidra inspired by the land, the turning wheel and the threshold of winter. A chance to soften, listen inwardly and consider what you are ready to leave behind, what you want to carry with you, and what you are willing to make space for in the darker half of the year.
Fire, sisterhood & the turning wheel
We will close around the fire, with space for reflection, connection and a simple Samhain blessing.
There will be stories, seasonal ritual, herbs, making, warmth, good food and the kind of conversation that happens when people gather without needing to perform.
And because no Practical Magic gathering would be complete without a little nod to the beloved film, there will be chocolate brownies too.
This is not about becoming a witch for the evening, nor do you need any previous experience with ritual, folklore or spiritual practice.
You do not need to believe in magic.
You simply need to be curious.
Curious about the old stories.
Curious about the plants growing around us.
Curious about what happens when we slow down enough to notice the turning of the year.
Come with your witches, or come alone.
There is room for you at the fire.
What we’ll share
• Samhain folklore and Irish seasonal traditions
• Stories and folklore of herbs including mugwort, rosemary, yarrow and rowan
• A hands-on Samhain threshold-making ritual
• Mugwort tea and seasonal treats
• A deeply restful Yoga Nidra ceremony
• Fire and seasonal reflection
• A simple sisterhood blessing as we cross the threshold into winter
• Chocolate brownies, because some magic should always be delicious
This Samhain Women’s Event is held at my beautiful Georgian farmhouse nestled in 2.5 acres of ancient trees and wild meadows, in the rolling hills of Co Down.
I am located on a small townland just outside of Belfast called Cargacreevy which translate from old Irish ‘Carraig na craoibhe’ as ‘Rock of the great tree’. Trees were sacred to the ancient ancestors and central to Celtic mythology and spirituality, and rocks were often gathering places for worship, which makes this old townland quite special.
20 minutes from Belfast city centre, 10 minutes from Carryduff, Saintfield and Ballynahinch centre and a short 8 minute scoot from the Lisburn M1 junction (Saintfield road roundabout). The full address will be sent out automatically on booking.
Samhain Practical Magic
Sunday 25 October 2026, 4–7pm
Mother of the Woods Retreat, Co. Down
£35 per witch
Come and spend an autumn evening at the threshold, beneath the October moon, with herbs in your hands, fire at your feet and good company around you. No previous experience necessary.