Instructions – Tuesday 24 October 2023

Welcome to Day 2 of the Everyday Folklore 3 Day Challenge! 

Unlike yesterday, today’s folklore task is relatively straightforward and is anchored to the 24^th. Despite leaning heavily towards horror, Halloween actually has a solid reputation for love divination, much more so than dates associated with love such St Dwynwen’s Day or St Valentine’s Day. This is because it’s said the worlds rub up against each other around Halloween making it easier for divinations to work. This task, unlike the others is going to take place every morning between now and the 31^st. But as Take That once told us, it only takes a minute, girl, to fall in love. 

You will need your bay leaves, your pen and your envelope for this one. And the names of five prospective lovers. If you don’t have five prospective lovers, or indeed you are already happily married or partnered up, might I suggest (for the sake of the challenge) going with your Top Five Laminated List. For those unaware of the TFLL, it is the list of your top five celebrity swoons you get a free pass for should you manage to entice them into a bout of horizontal folk dancing.

1. Pick your seven bay leaves (if previously picked, perhaps shuffle them a bit).
2. Allocate a lover’s name to each of your first five leaves, mark the sixth with ‘single’ and draw a question mark on the final leaf. 
3. Pop the bay leaves into your envelope and secrete beneath your pillow. 
4. Then tomorrow morning and every morning until Halloween, pluck a leaf from the envelope and destroy it without looking to see what’s written on it.
5. And the last leaf left on the morning on the 31^st will determine your matrimonial destiny…

Good luck! And see you back here later, although obvs the results won’t be in for a while. If you have any questions, leave a comment below!