Samhain
The Wheel of the Year holds several purposes, both theological and practical. Theologically, the story of the Wheel often varies depending on the Tradition. The Wheel gives the accounts of the mythological events that repeat throughout the year as well as a vague "history" of the Gods and Goddesses involved within the pantheon. For the newbies, by "Tradition" we mean "denomination"; for example Wiccan, Celtic, Druid, Native American, etc. On the more practical side, the Wheel trains us to be able to deal with death and the inevitability of re-birth that follows. Paganism teaches that death, a natural function of the universe, is a part of life; a dramatic change that is the beginning of a new experience, and something to be celebrated at the proper time not feared (not condoning Suicide!) Through the ideas of Heaven and Hell, Christianity teaches a deep fear of death, and this spurs our society's horror of death. We are always trying to find new and improved ways to beat death, but we will never succeed. It is sad our society portrays death as such a terrifying experience; we would certainly have less emotional pain and suffering in the world if death could be seen as what it is: a transformation, nothing more.
In this section you will find a rendition of the upcoming quarter of the Wheel of the Year. Included will be the mythological lore and some traditional practices for the celebration, along with some ideas for activities and decorations.
*Date/Name:
October 31, holds the date for the next Sabbat: Samhain (pronounced "sow-EN") or Hallowmas is the Celtic New Year. (April 30 in southern hemisphere.)
*Background Information:
Samhain is the final harvest festival and marks the Celtic New Year. This festival is one of the only surviving holidays of our ancestral culture, many of its traditions shining through into Halloween parties and fun, though usually for reasons slightly distorted from the original. Other Traditions, those outside the celebration aspect, have been almost completely omitted from present day minds, and yet they have such potential to be revived! If you do not know what I mean, you will see shortly. The date of the festival is peculiar in that it does not always (depending on Tradition) reside directly in line with some astrological event. It pointedly sticks out from all other Sabbats, not merely because it is the New Year, but also because, you'll note, it is not named according to a God or Goddess. Rather, its name derives from a combination of words meaning "summer's end." Like its counterpart, Beltaine, the date of Samhain is always set on the calendar and never fluctuates from year to year. The two "stable" holidays originate from times when the seasons were divided not by quarters but by halves, and obviously, before the people had any way of accurately measuring astrological events. For this reason, Samhain always falls on October 31. Some Traditions later decided to reschedule their festival in alignment with an astrological point, when the sun reaches 15 degrees Scorpio. This calculated date is usually called Old Halloween or Halloween Old Style. Perhaps not so surprising, Old Halloween was assimilated by the Church, becoming Martinmas. This Sabbat can also be known as: The Feast of the Dead (Fleadh nan Mairbh), Last Harvest, Brigid's Day, Summer's End, Halloween, Hallowmas, All Hallow's Eve, Festival of the Dead, All Saint's Day, Day of the Dead, Third Festival of Harvest, November Eve, Feast of Apples, Hallows, Shadowfest, Martinmas, Hollantide, All Hallows Tide, and The Great Sabbat.
*Meanings:
Even more than being the final harvest and the New Year, Samhain is a change in season (or was at its origins,) and because of this many events collaborated all on this day. The cultural traditions I will get into shortly, but let it suffice to say that all had a inherent finality and preparation for the future. It therefore stands to reason that the meanings and energies behind this day should align with the finality of one year and the preparation for the next. A time for laying waste to the bad, expelling from your life all the undesirable aspects which may have haunted you during the past year. Beyond this, it is the time to remember the past memories you seek to keep with you. These include not only lessons learned, but loved ones lost yet still cherished. Rituals and celebrations are customarily geared around remembering ancestors and honoring the dead.
Following the basic principle of Balance, while we must look to the past, we must also look to the future. Consideration for projects and goals for the future years are appropriate here. Believe it or not, "New Year's Resolutions" are NOT a new thing! The idea has existed for centuries. Divination and other prophetic-type workings are more likely to meet with success if you were previously having difficulty with them. An understanding of the necessity of death resides over the celebrations, but is countered equally by the realization of continuance; some call it rebirth, some "THE cycle," I call it change. It happens multiple times every year, but being that the average fellow doesn't have time to ponder every change at every instant, we take time out on this day to understand the changes in ourselves and in the world around us.
Natural energies are aligned toward finality, reconciliation, and stability, as well as divination, preparation, and development. When planning a ritual, you should attempt to work in aspects that will address both past and future, finality and preparation, and include a remembrance of ancestry. Many Traditions believe this to be the night when the Veil that separates the two planes, astral and physical, is thinnest. (Others argue it is on Walpurgisnacht that the Veil is thinnest... I agree with these folks, their right. *wink*) Some Traditions even consider the time between Samhain and Yule to exist only on the astral plane, calling it "the time which is not time," and as we will see in the customs and activities, considered a perilous time due to the abundance of spirits that may now freely move through the world. Not all spirits should be considered bad though: Who knows? Perhaps your great grandfather will pay a visit to you during your celebrations. You may have more to talk about than you think.
*History/Mythology -- Celtic:Be ready for some serious Info!
Well now, where to begin?? Actually, there is not much myth surrounding this holiday. The Sun God Lugh, who was maimed by Tanist at Lughnasadh, dies on this day, and Tanist, the God of Misrule, or dark half, takes the throne. Tanist is the cruel King who shines through the Winter months but offers no warmth or comfort to the planet. The lack of warmth, combined with the breath of Cailleach Bheare, the Crone, make for the hard Winter months and the balance of Summer. Lugh returns to his mothers womb on Samhain to await rebirth at Yule, and will eventually rise up as his mother's champion to slay Tanist, his other self, and retake the throne again. The cycle of life, death, and rebirth continues.
Other lore tells of the Fairy Gates opening, and the Lands of the Sidhe (pronounced "shee") becoming accessible. Irish heroes long dead are said to make gallant raids into the Otherworld, however, they must return to their proper resting places by the first cock crow.
What this holiday has more than others is an abundance of traditional practices and customs that I will lay out for you. Like all Celtic festivals, Samhain hosted a time of family reunion and reaffirming ties of friendship and social bonds. Also, in the agricultural communities, this was the time to bring in all the live stock from the hills and slaughter those animals that would not survive pasture for the Winter. Consequently, spirits often return on this night to visit their kin and friends during the celebrations should they wish to do so; many customs revolve around the return of spirits, as you will see. It was a natural thought that the approach of winter should drive the poor, shivering, hungry ghosts from the bare fields and the leafless woodlands to the shelter of the cottage with its familiar fireside.
Burial cairns are opened and the village folk light torches lining the walls and path out so the dead can safely navigate their way out. Candles are set in the windows to guide spirits safely to the house (some say as a guide to Summerland); elemental beacons. Plates of food and drink are left outside for the souls of the dead, and apples or pears are buried in the Earth to nourish those who have died but chosen not to rise. In more than a few regions, additional places are laid at the table for dead family so that when they come to visit, they will feel at home and not go hungry. Clement A. Miles, author of Chrismas Customs and Traditions, tells us of ways the people of Brittany commune with the dead on this day:
... the crowd pours into the Churchyard at evening, to kneel barefoot at the grave of dead kinsfolk, to fill the hollow of the tombstone with holy water, or to pour libations of milk upon it... In no household that night is the cloth removed, for the supper must be left for the souls to come and take their part, nor must the fire be put out, where they will come and warm themselves... *
and,
In the Vosges mountains... the beds are uncovered and [the windows are opened] in order that the poor souls may enter and rest. *
In the organized clans of these warrior folk, a Feast of the Dead was held to honor the slain warriors and heroes. This is not to imply that singular families did not hold similar Feasts, however, they are less recorded in the oral tradition because of their comparative size. The spirits of those past and yet to be walk among the living, and celebrated along with their clan at the Feast. The feast lasted a duration of Nine Days! What a party!
On the darker side of the spirit materialization, Samhain was considered a dangerous time to expose your soul (i.e. during a ritual that leaves you vulnerable for attack) lest you attract and assaulted by some Otherworld fiend. This original line of though soon spread to encompass the dangers of Anyone being exposed, even physically, during the night. From this fear of attack sprang the Jack O' Lantern.
It is unknown exactly where the Jack O' Lantern originated. It is known to be a carved turnip or gourd carved into a hideous face and carried by travelers at night to guard against evil spirits or fairies (or any creature) that would misdirect the travelers. The use of pumpkins didn't come about until the discovery of the New World when the settlers sought to continue the tradition here. (Given, pumpkins are more attractive and convenient than gourds or turnips, so it has nearly wiped out any competition in the Jack O' Lantern market.) The Jack was soon to be found on porches and in windows to grant protection over the house from similar malicious spirits. And of course, children carried them on their merry way during Trick or Treat fun!
Ahhhh... the fabulous night of Trick or Treating, when children are allowed to defy their elders and collect bags full of sweets! In Celtic times, however, this fun filled romping was by no means confined to only those of the younger generation. Adults and children alike dressed in scary costumes and ran from door to door in wondrous amusement. Furthermore, the "treat" part of the surprises was usually in the form of spirits; not the ghostly kind, but rather the alcoholic kind -- quite a change in present times. And what would a Holiday be without singing? The Gods know the Celtic folk took pride in their exceptional singing and lyrical intrigue! As at Yule, roving minstrels traveled through villages belting out hearty tune accompanied by fair damsels with soft bell-like voices. Truly, this singing from door to door was an enjoyment of every holiday, and not just confined to Yule as it has been in present days.
The principle of Costumes has been altered from ancient times. It was previously common for folks to cross dress, especially in Scotland and some regions of Ireland. Today, the children compete to see how scary or cute they can be and there is no real sense of fear (except about the weirdoes that we all seek to avoid.) The reason for this odd attire can only be guessed at by using folklore and oral tradition as a basis. Within the classic tales you will find a consistent pattern of malignant spirits and ghostly hunters. I belief costumes go along with the purpose of the Jack O' Lantern, as a means of confusing and hiding from evil spirits; they wouldn't think to look for their male enemy in a dress! Some would ask: "How are their loved one supposed to find them then?" Well, if you are asking this, you've just answered you own question. Love, the strongest bond of all. One of my favorite quotes delivered to the world from the pen of Kahlil Gibran:
Love is stronger than Death, and Death is stronger than Life;
it is sad men divide among themselves.
We've seen the traditions that revolve around the past and the present, so now we make our way towards the future. All forms of Divination are practiced on this day of Balance, but I'll not go into the common forms, since you can easily find a book on them. Let's go through some of the less popular ways of foretelling the future that were practiced within the old-world Celtic villages. As with many Celtic festivals, many of the traditional divination techniques and fortune tools are related to Fire. Before we get into the divination techniques, perhaps it would be better to first look at the significance of Fire in Celtic culture.
Bonfire rituals are a long part of Celtic celebration, but even more personal, the family hearth was as much a symbol of the family's fortune as the bonfires for the community. At the New Year celebration, the fire from the previous year was extinguished and a new one lit to guide the way to prosperity in the New Year. (There was only other day this was done, Beltaine, and for the same reason.) If the fire failed at any other time during the year, it was considered extremely bad luck and misfortune on the way!
In Ireland, a new fire used to be kindled every year on Hallowe'en or the Eve of Samhain, and from this sacred flame all the fires in Ireland were rekindled. To historians, such a custom points strongly to Samhain as the New Year's Day (duh!) since the annual kindling of a new fire takes place most naturally at the beginning of the year, in order that the blessed influence of the fresh fire may last throughout the whole period of twelve months.
Frazer writes:
Amongst the things which in the Highlands of Scotland contributed to invest the festival with romantic beauty were the bonfires which used to blaze at frequent intervals on the heights. "On the last day of autumn children gathered ferns, tar-barrels, the long thin stalks called ga'inisg, and everything suitable for a bonfire. These were placed in a heap on some eminence near the house, and in the evening set fire to. The fires were called Samhnagan. There was one for each house, and it was an object of ambition who should have the biggest. Whole districts were brilliant with bonfires, and their glare across a Highland loch, and from many eminencies, formed an exceedingly picturesque scene." **
Numerous other instances of the use of Fire in celebration can be sited, but overwhelming masses imply that there is some reason for fire to be used. I'll briefly relay that, so that you may have a fuller understanding of the significance of bonfires in the New Year divination.
Observation of any point in history will show Fire to be an extremely finalizing process to remove waste and initiate change. When the dead had to be disposed of, they were burned. What comes of the Fire is smoke, carrying the essence of the dead to other planes; smoke is therefore seen as purifier. However, because one cannot harvest smoke, bonfires and ashes (which were once considered nothing more than grounded smoke) were used as means of causing change and purifying. In the Isles of Man, and many other Celtic countries, Hallowe'en was celebrated down to the nineteenth century by the kindling of fires, accompanied with all the usual ceremonies designed to prevent the baneful influence of fairies and witches, who were of course, marked as evil by the Church.