Samhain is the time of year that most plants die. The trees are starting to look bare and skeletal and in olden times it’s when many animals were slaughtered for the winter. It’s not really hard to put together why this time of year is often associated with death and spirits. There is some kind of primal anxiety this time of year left over from when we worried we wouldn’t have enough food for the winter. I used to always find myself overwhelmed and sad. Then I had an epiphany of sorts… about soil.
Soil is made of millions of years worth of decayed organic matter. Leaves, plants, animals, microbes have all died and become soil. All of this death gives rise to new life. New life couldn’t exist without it. Soil is the backbone of the earth. As an artist I worked almost exclusively with soil for years but this idea of soil as a repository for death and life had never crossed my mind before. Soil is ancient and magic.
Dia de Muertos is a celebration primarily in Mexico that shares many ideas and traditions with Samhain. I love that it is joyful rather than sad, and have always been particularly struck by its connection to the monarch butterfly migration. (We tag and release tons of monarchs every year) The monarchs return to Mexico is viewed as the souls of loved ones returning.
To celebrate these beautiful traditions we made skull shaped seed bombs from soil and milkweed seeds. As they erode and return to the soil they leave behind the seeds of new life. The new milkweed that will grow will support the next generation of monarchs (and souls!) Milkweed won’t grow well without “stratification” which is a fancy way of saying a period of cold. So throw those seed skulls out this weekend, let them decay and sit under the snow all winter so that in the spring you’ll be greeted with new plants!
Milkweed Skull Seed Bombs
I like to use clay that I have dug up for seed bombs, so that the earth can return to the earth. If you don’t have access to backyard clay, you can use a store bought air dry clay, it will just take a bit longer to decompose. The seeds can be gathered or purchased and the mold helps the skulls look somewhat consistent, but you could just as easily form them free hand.
Materials:
- Clay soil (or air dry clay)
- Milkweed seeds
- Compost (optional)
- Fall flowers (optional)
- Skull molds (optional)
Method:
If using natural clay add water until you have a workable consistency. If you are using molds you’ll want it fairly wet so that it will make it into the nooks and crannies of the mold, if you are sculpting by hand you’ll want a playdough type consistency. If it gets too wet, just leave it out for a few days to evaporate. Once your clay is ready, fill the bottom of your mold / form the face of your skull.
Tuck in a bit of compost if you are using it and your seeds.
Fill the rest of the mold / form the back half of the skull making sure in both cases to seal the seeds and compost inside.
Decorate with flowers if desired.
Allow to dry. If using a mold I like to lift them out when they are almost dry but not quite because the dry clay can be brittle.
Toss somewhere that milkweed should grow next year!