Hallowe'en/Samhain

Oct 27 15:07 UTC 1995

Hello all!  I found this on Netscape earlier and thought you may find it
kind of neat.  It gives the Pagan Federation's view on the story and
traditions of Hallowe'en.  <shrug> I thought it was kind of neat, and it's
time we had a discussion on Hallowe'en/Samhain.  What does everyone else
usually do for it?  Do you have any traditions that you would like to
share?  Well, here's the text: 

There are some people who find Hallowe'en a frightening time. We as Pagans
appreciate it as a time of positive celebration to be enjoyed. Most Pagans
refer to it by its Celtic name, Samhain (pronounced sow-en) It is the
season when cold winter approaches, the trees become bare and the nights
darker. This was the Celtic equivalent of New Year's Eve, a natural time
for looking back at who had died in the previous year and making
divinations to see what the New Year might bring. In a time when not all
cattle could be overwintered, the remainder would be slaughtered,
providing a surplus of meat. The resulting feast would help put on some
fat to see one through the winter. 

When Britain converted to Christianity, many of the old festivals and
religious sites were taken over and renamed. Thus the All Saints (All
Hallows) festival remember the dead at the same period as the old Samhain
and on the continent many Christians picnic at their family tombs. 

As Pagans we celebrate life, but recognise that death is a part of that
cycle of natural seasons, each to be remembered in turn. Thus the hag /
crone aspect of the Goddess associated with Samhain should be balanced
with the Maiden and Mother aspects at Spring and Summer respectively.
There are just as important but not commented upon so much in general. The
festival survives in many native folk songs and traditions, from the
burning barrels of Ottery St. Mary in Devon to the Antrobus Soul Cakers of
Cheshire. We believe that remembering the dead is more sinister than
Remembrance Day and that children should be allowed to confront the
concept of death in a safe way, just as they do by watching slightly scary
TV programmes. This does not mean that we support indiscriminate 'trick or
treating' to the elderly or strangers. We consider it better that schools
and families arrange safe exchange visits under adult supervision. It is
good to see the revival of traditional activities such as ducking for
apples and pumpkin lanterns. 

Adults can join in the fun as too, with this an appropraite time (between
one year and the net) for divination, be it by astrology, tarot, runes or
other methods. It is a favourite time for fancy dress parties as well. We
want young and old to enjoy this time of year, but not to forget its
origins. 

For Pagans it is a major religious festival, at which they connect into
their personal vision of the God and Goddess. Pagans follow a variety of
paths but generally love and respect the natural world, acknowledge a
Goddess as well as a God and try not to harm anyone in either thought,
word or deed. 

Okay...there we go...comments?  In light of the previous articles about
Hallowe'en and Samhain, I happen to like this one.  :-)

response 2 of 36:

Nov 5 17:22 UTC 1995

        Um.. no, this one she put in in the proper format.

response 4 of 36:

Dec 4 18:43 UTC 1995

        As an aside, for you Gnosticism fans, there's a huge archive in both
Germany and the Netherlands including the Coptic Gospel of St. Thomas and 
the Qabbalah and several commentaries on it.  I'll dig up the URL if anyone's
interested.

response 6 of 36:

Aug 27 03:21 UTC 1998

Oh, great!  So there's no avoiding a conflict between trick-or-treating, a
Wiccan Samhain ritual, and a Druid one, depending on who uses which date. 
Cloning, anyone?  <sigh>

response 8 of 36:

Aug 27 17:06 UTC 1998

rather than cloning, why not simply go to planning meetings and suggest that
certain dates be avoided?

response 10 of 36:

Aug 29 19:05 UTC 1998

My parents have given the go-ahead for the ritual, with the stipulation that
we aren't to scare the trick-or-treaters.  I don't think that will be a
problem since the fire pit is in the back yard AND behind the forest.

E-mail me and I will send written invitations with more detailed information
about when we'll get started.  I hope to have planned an Agenda for the ritual
by then.  Just a reminder, if there a fewer than four people, including me,
then the ritual is off.

response 12 of 36:

Aug 30 17:02 UTC 1998

Not allowed to scare them due to what we will be doing in the ritual that is.
But she didn't even need to say that.  It's not like I'd even think of saying,
"O, we're having a human sacrifice."

response 14 of 36:

Sep 1 23:54 UTC 1998

        Mmmm, you don't seem to be in a position to "forbid" me anything, but
nonethelss, yippie skip.

response 16 of 36:

Sep 3 06:35 UTC 1998

People are more than entitled to forbid others from being around them.
It's called a no-contact order.
*shrug*

response 18 of 36:

Sep 4 14:49 UTC 1998

He didn't. He forbade John from coming around him IRL. 

response 20 of 36:

Sep 5 14:23 UTC 1998

        It's somewhat redundant, however.

response 22 of 36:

Sep 6 19:47 UTC 1998

Despite the fact that my twit filter for conferences isn't working, I think
I have had enough cool down time.  I hope the same can be said for those I
made angry.

response 24 of 36:

Sep 8 13:02 UTC 1998

Wow a samhaine ritual soon eh??? Well I also have a Heceta Night comming up
too. The important thing to do is to contact the local police and tell them
that you are having a ritual if it is outside even in the back yard. other
wise it is possible to have a Cop raid if the police are called by the
neighbors. It is good to talk to the cops and explain what is hap;pening so
the best thing other wise I can tell you storys of cop raids that are not fun
to be in. I was involved in the raid on a local crafters ritual in the back
yard of there tralor park lot. We had a screen tent up and no one called them
to tell them what twas happening and the neighbor hood teens made up wildd
storys and we ended up lookeing into the bad end of a few cops guns.