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The Bookwyrm
Crew

PostPosted: Mon Oct 10, 2005 5:50 pm
Tis that time of year again! And my inbox is being flooded with all kinds of wonderful stuff about Samhain, all curtesy of Sea Witches mailing list.

Rather than starting umteen dozen different threads, I figured I'd try to contain everything to one, and organize it as best as possible. It's free for you to take, use and distribute. All I ask is that you credit the material. Nothing irks me more than people plagerizing information (and I watched one memeber of this guild do it last year at this time)!

So, now that I've been a scary Witch, please enjoy these Samhain goodies. ^^


Ritual
Goddess and God Call
Messages from the Otherworld
Ritual for Letting Go
Samhain Ritual to Contact the Spirit World
Plastic Cauldron Scrying
Craft Ancestral Devotion
Honoring Loved Ones at Samhain
Ancestor Invocation 1
Ancestor Invocation 2
Pumpkin Carving Ritual
Halloween Chant
Guided Meditation for Samhain
Communing with Ancestors Meditation

Story
'Twas the Evening of Samhain (Poem)
Halloween By The Signs (humor)

Info
Samhain Superstitions
The Crone
Robin Goodfellow
Communicationg with the Dead
Samhain Lore
Spooky History
Moon Lore
Candle Superstitions
Putting Samhain Back into Halloween
Origins of Halloween
The Great Pumpkin
The Magickal Apple

Crafts
Samhain Tree
Day of the Dead Altar

Snackables
Pumpkin-Pecan Cheesecake
Samhain Apple Dumplings
Witch's Apple Pudding
Apple and Raisin Oatmeal Cookies  
PostPosted: Mon Oct 10, 2005 5:52 pm
Samhain Superstitions



Mirror Superstitions:

Many people in various parts of the world consider it to be extremely
unlucky to look at their reflection in a mirror by candlelight on
Samhain.

Many people also believe that mirrors are the gateways to the other
worlds, and cover mirrors with black cloths to keep the gateway
closed.

Candle Superstitions:

A burning candle placed inside a hollowed out pumpkin or
jack-o-latern on Samhain works to keep evil spirits and demons at bay.

For good luck, burn black and orange candles on Samhain. Black and
Orange are the traditional colors of Samhain and Halloween. On this
day their magickal vibrations are at their peak.

If a candle should suddenly go out by itself on Samhain, as thought
being blown out by wind or by breath, this is said to be a sign that
a ghost has come to call.

Always burn new candles at Samhain to ensure the best of luck.
Likewise, iti s not a good idea to burn Samhain candles at any other
time of the year. To do so may cause you to experience bad luck
and/or strange happenings over which you will have no control.

Gazing into the flame of a candle on Samhain will enable you to peer
into the future. Many witches traditionally scry candle flames on
Samhain to receive clairvoyant visions.

It is believed that if a person lights a new orange-colored candle at
midnight on Samhain and lets it burn until the sun rises, he or she
will be the recipient of good luck. However, according to an old
legend from Europe, any person who bakes bread or journeys after
sunset on Samhain (Halloween) runs the risk of conjuring forth bad
luck in great abundance.

Halloween Moon Omens:

If the moon is new on Samhain, this indicates that the coming year
will be fertile ground for new beginnings to take place, such as the
start of a new project, a new career, or even a new way of thinking.
For those desiring children, a new moon at Samhain is a lucky omen,
indicating a new birth within a year's time.

If the moon is waxing on Samhain, this indicates good luck throughout
the coming year. It also indicates growth and an increase of all
things that are positive nature.

If the moon is full on Samhain, this ensures the that the powers of
all forms of magick and divination practiced on this night will be at
their greatest. A secret wish made at midnight will be realized
within the coming year., and do not be surprised if an experienced of
a psychic nature awaits you in the very near future.

If the moon is waning on Samhain, this can be an omen of either good
or bad consquences. It can indicate the elimination of such things
as bad habits, unhealthy realtionships and obstacles within the coming
year. Or it can point to a decrease (such as in one's health) or a
loss of some kind soon to take place.

If the moon is in the dark phase on Samhain, this is believed to be a
very negative omen. Exercise extrememcaution in all oof your
endeavors within the next twelve months, and it wouldn't hurt to
protect yourself by wearing or carrying any type of amulet or
talismean designed to ward off bad luck and misfortune.
"Condemnation does not liberate, it oppresses."

- C. G. Jung
from 'Psychological Reflections'  

The Bookwyrm
Crew


The Bookwyrm
Crew

PostPosted: Mon Oct 10, 2005 5:57 pm
Goddess and God Call


Goddess:

Great Lady of the coming of Death, I call to you
Open wide your darkest night and swallow mine whole
I beseech you, Great Lady of the Darkness, teach me
Your wiles, your ways, your wisdom
And in that knowledge, release my soul to greater learning
Open the pathways to Avalon and beyond the mists
To the other side, Great Lady, I would pass to learn.
Teach me the way, and allow me to learn
Let me stumble and light my way
Join me in success and failure and suffering
For you ever walk by my side, though I know it not.
Great Lady, join me in this sacred rite.
Blessed Be.

God:

Death walks among us, as you pass your way.
Your time, once again has come, and the wheel turns.
You have been the Spring, the rejoicing Summer, and now the tables turn
You are the sorrow, the sadness and the coming of death to us all.
Back to the Mother who gave you birth
Back to the forest which nurtured you
Back to the womb of the darkest night
Back to the chambers of rebirth
And in that forever sleep which so restores your ancient form
You pass once more, like us all to the Mother to be reborn
Join us now, before you leave us, and rejoice in life
For without it, there is no death and rebirth
And so you are the cycle, and we rejoice in it.
Blessed be.

(C) Rev. Judith Lewis  
PostPosted: Mon Oct 10, 2005 6:01 pm
'Twas the Evening of Samhain



'Twas the evening of Samhain, and all through the place were Pagans preparing the ritual space.

The candles were set in the corners with care, in hopes that the Watchtowers soon would be there.

We all had our robes on (as is habitual) and had just settled down and were starting our ritual when out on the porch there arose such a chorus that we went to the door, and waiting there for us were children in costumes of various kinds with visions of chocolate bright in their minds.

In all of our workings, we'd almost forgot, but we had purchased candy (we'd purchased a LOT),
And so, they flocked from all over the street, they all got some chocolate or something else sweet.

We didn't think twice of delaying our rite,
Kids just don't have this much fun every night.
For hours they came, with the time-honored schtick of giving a choice:
treat or a trick.

As is proper, the parents were there for the games,
Watching the children and calling their names.
"On Vader, on Leia,
On Dexter and DeeDee,
On Xena, on Buffy,
Casper and Tweety!
To the block of apartments on the neighboring road;
You'll get so much candy, you'll have to be TOWED!"

The volume of children eventually dropped, and as it grew darker, it finally stopped.
But as we prepared to return to our rite, one child more stepped out of the night.
She couldn't have been more than twelve or thirteen.
Her hair was deep red, and her robe, forest green with simple gold cord tying off at the waist.
She'd a staff in her hand and a smile on her face.
No make-up, nor mask, or accompanying kitsch, so we asked who she was; she replied "I'm a witch.
And no, I don't fly through the sky on my broom;
I only use that thing for cleaning my room.
My magical powers aren't really that neat, but I won't threaten tricks;
I'll just ask for a treat."

We found it refreshing, so we gave incense cones,
A candle, a crystal, a few other stones,
And the rest of the candy (which might fill a van).
She turned to her father ( a man dressed as Pan) and laughed, "Yes, I know, Dad, it's past time for bed,"
And started to leave, but she first turned and said "I'm sorry for further delaying your rite.
Blessed Samhain to all, and a magical night."

By Cathor Steincamp  

The Bookwyrm
Crew


The Bookwyrm
Crew

PostPosted: Mon Oct 10, 2005 6:10 pm
Messages from the Otherworld

Incense of the day: Sage
Color of the day: Yellow

The ancient wise ones believed in maintaining the harmony and
balance between humankind, earth, and the otherworld. When there is a
readiness to listen and a willingness to understand, wisdom is bestowed.
On a charcoal block, light a white candle. Burn sage for wisdom, oak for
connection to the ancients, and mugwort to open your psychic eye. Focus
on the candle through the smoke of the incense. State these or similar
words:

Voices of the otherworld speak to me.
I long to hear your ageless messages from beyond,
And your wisdom of harmony.

Let your mind open to the messages. The unconscious brain will
receive the messages initially. Your conscious brain may interpret the
messages over a period of time. Thank the ancients and leave an offering
in their honor.

By: Karen Follett  
PostPosted: Mon Oct 10, 2005 6:16 pm
Ritual for Letting Go


((I thought this was fitting, since Samhain is the Celtic New Year, and I;ve always had a much easier time doing banishing/healing work at this time. ~ Gypsy))

(Note from TC: I highly recommend ceremonies like this if you are drawn
to fire. In fact, all the elements can be incorporated well into this.
*smiles*)

Shed Old Burdens: A Ceremony of Letting Go
By Cait Johnson, author of Earth, Water, Fire, and Air (Skylight Paths,
2003).

Simple Solution

The old year is only just over: it's the perfect time to do a little
ceremonial letting-go of the disappointments or burdens of the past so
we can enter the New Year lightly and with hope.

Nearly every spiritual tradition on the planet has practiced this
technique, for millennia, and with meaningful results.

Find out the simple, easy steps for this ancient and very powerful
releasing ceremony:

Who knew something so simple could be so effective and liberating? But
it is. There's
just nothing more powerful than watching your unwanted "stuff" going up
in flames.

1. First, find a well-ventilated place where it's safe to burn things,
and a non-flammable container. If you don't have a fire-pit, an outdoor
barbecue grill works well. Apartment-dwellers can use an ashtray placed
underneath the stove-fan. Be sure to have
water nearby just in case things get out of control.

2. Give this some thought, then write on a small piece of paper whatever
it is you most passionately want to burn out of your life. (Examples:
bad habits, like cigarette-smoking, self-destructive obsessions,
distressing behaviors or memories, or a quality--like insecurity or
self-doubt--that you'd like to be free of.) Now crumple the paper, or
use both hands to figuratively wring its neck. (This feels very
satisfying.)

3. Light a match and--focusing on your desire to be free of this
thing--light a corner of your paper. Place the paper in the container
and give your issue up to the fire. Watch the smoke rising, the paper
burning to ash, and allow yourself to feel lighter. As you enjoy the
flames' bright beauty, imagine your life feeling different, once this
has gone out of your life.

4. Compost the cooled ashes or give them to a houseplant as fertilizer.
Making a conscious effort to change can truly help things grow.  

The Bookwyrm
Crew


The Bookwyrm
Crew

PostPosted: Mon Oct 10, 2005 6:20 pm
Halloween by the Signs


Here's how to tell what sign those lil trick or
treaters are--without any effort!

~ Aries pushes the others aside to get to the door
first.

~ Taurus will only eat the finest of Swiss chocolates.

~ Gemini goes around the neighborhood once, changes
costumes and goes around again.

~ Cancer stays at home and gives hand made candy to the
other trick-or-treaters.

~ Leos plan their costume for months, then won't go out
because someone else had the same idea.

~ Virgo wears a neatly-pressed suit and tells everyone
they're a bookkeeper.

~ Libra is still standing in front of the closet trying
to decide on a costume.

~ Scorpio isn't in it for the candy.

~ Sagittarius will manage to wander to the next town.

~ Capricorn makes a list of all the houses that give
good candy and the optimal route to take.

~ Aquarius builds the costume out of spare flashlights
and spends all night tinkering when it shorts.


~ Pisces skips the whole thing to compose poetry to the
Moon.  
PostPosted: Mon Oct 10, 2005 6:23 pm
The Crone


The Crone

"I am the silence of midnight, and black velvet skies.
I am the shadow of vision that tempers your eyes.

I am the darkness of secrets that draw the veil thin,
The coldness of winter that shakes on your skin.

I am Grandmother, Weaver, Enchantress and Crone,
The Knowledge of Justice that strikes at the bone.

Destruction is mine when its time comes to be;
Death to the living, who all come to me.

Mine is the hand of the spinning of fates,
Mine is the passage between life's fragile gates.

I am the giver of magickal sight,
The slight sliver of waning moonlight.

I am the branch of ageless worn trees.
Hear my voice and know of me!

I am the Raven that flies through the woods,
Black silken wings opened up to the sky!
Bearer of closure, competition, and truth
Dreamscapes and Banshee am I!

Mine is the wisdom that comes in the dark.
Mine is the dying that calls to your flesh.
Mine are the hidden remains of your heart.
Mine is the mist that will take your last breath.

Give unto me what is old and outworn,
And I will return it with new life reborn.

Give me your sorrows, your sadness, your grief,
And in the dark hour, I will give thee relief.

I am the giver of death and rebirth,
Mine are the last things, before they are first.

See me in shadows, and in the dark sea.
I am the Crone!
Hear my voice and know me!"

Author Unknown  

The Bookwyrm
Crew


The Bookwyrm
Crew

PostPosted: Mon Oct 10, 2005 6:26 pm
Robin Goodfellow



Robin Goodfellow


When house or harth doth sluttish lye,
I pinch the maidens black and blue;
The bed-clothes from the bedd pull I,
And lay them naked all to view.
'Twixt sleep and wake,
I do them take,
And on the key-cold floor them throw.
If out they cry
Then forth I fly,
And loudly laugh out, ho, ho, ho !

Reliques of Ancient English Poetry

Thomas Percy
1765

The above lines from Percy's Reliques describes Robin Goodfellow.

When Percy wrote his book in the mid eighteenth century the folklore
he was saving for posterity was already ancient. Robin Goodfellow
was another name for Puck, or Pook, a kind of mischevious nature-
spirit who would furtively curdle milk, interfere with the
fermentation of ale, mislead night-time travellers, sexually harrass
maidens and cause other such harmless trouble.

170 years earlier Shakespeare had already made him a star.


..that shrude and knavish sprite
Call'd Robin Goodfellow; are you not he
That frights the maidens of the villagery;
Skim milk, and sometimes labour in the quern
And bootless make the breathless housewife churn;
And sometime make the drink to bear no barm;
Mislead night wanderers, laughing at their harm ?
Those that Hobgoblin call you, and sweet Puck,
You do their work, and they should have good luck.
A Midsummer Night's Dream
William Shakespeare
1594

The Irish knew him and his kin as Pooka.

These are all different names for what must be a mid-European cousin
of the Mediterranean Pan, last officially worshipped in Greece over
fourteen hundred years before Shakespeare, a horny forest spirit
that is held in affection by country dwellers.

As Christianity took hold on Europe the older pagan beliefs and
practises were at first tolerated, then frowned upon, then
discouraged, and finally punished by incineration. Before the one
god came to drive out the many the Greeks worshipped Pan, while at
the same time the barbarian Northern tribes, such as the Celts and
Germans, were worshipping their own gods, which must have included
their own local equivalent.

Most references to these European Pans have gone, but there is an
intruiging reference in, of all places, The Malleus Maleficarum.

In the Christian bible, book Exodus chapter 22 verse 18 it
says "Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live"; and later on in
Leviticus XX 6... "And the soul that turneth after such as have
familiar spirits, and after wizards, to go a whoring after them, I
will even set my face against that soul, and will cut him off from
among his people". These 2,000 year old verses of uncertain
provenance were all the justification necessary for the faithful to
set about burning anyone they disliked with the usual glee, and so
in order to help them a how-to-do-it manual was written.

In 1486 two monks, Heinrich Kramer and James Sprenger, wrote The
Malleus Maleficarum, or "Hammer of the Witches", an extraordinarily
detailed treatise on witchcraft, including what it is, how to spot
it and how to extract confessions from anyone you think might have
been doing it.

Part 1 question 3 deals with the origins of familiar spirits, that
is "what are demons ?". It concludes...

Satyrs are they who are called Pans in Greek and Incubi in Latin.
And they are called Incubi from their practise of overlaying, that
is debauching. For they often lust lecherously after women, and
copulate with them; and the Gauls name them Dusii, because they are
dilligent in this beastliness.

The reference for the term dusii is accredited to Saint Augustine
(Dei Ciutate Dei, XV, 23). Pan is a singular Greek god, actually
worshipped in ancient Greece, but there are endless references to a
type of forest spirit that was not actually worshipped but simply
affectionately believed in, and perhaps propitiated, all across iron
age Europe. These spirits lived in the wild places and were famous
for lusting after human women, known variously as satyrs, incubii,
dusii and fig-fauns.

1500 years of Christianity later in medieval Europe these spirits
were still firmly embedded in folk-lore, but were now known as
Pucks, Pooks, Pooka and Robin Goodfellow.

The Christians called them demons so even they still believed in
them. They just didn't like them.



---------------------------------------------------------------------
-----------


Lord Of The Dance

When She danced on the water and the wind was Her horn
The Lady laughed and everything was born
And when She lit the sun and the light gave Him birth
The Lord of the Dance first appeared on the Earth.

"Dance then, whereever you may be
For I am the Lord of the Dance," said He
"And I'll lead you all, whereever you may be
And I'll lead you all in the Dance," said He

I danced in the morning when the world was begun
I danced in the Moon and the Stars and the Sun
I was called from the darkness by the Song of the Earth
I joined in the singing and She gave me Birth

"Dance then, whereever you may be
For I am the Lord of the Dance," said He
"And I'll lead you all, whereever you may be
And I'll lead you all in the Dance," said He

I dance at the Sabbat when you chant the spell
I dance and I sing that everyone be well
When the dance is over do not think I am gone
I live in the music so I still dance on

"Dance then, whereever you may be
For I am the Lord of the Dance," said He
"And I'll lead you all, whereever you may be
And I'll lead you all in the Dance," said He

They cut me down but I leap up high
I am the Light that will never never die
I live in you if you live in me
I am the Lord of the Dance said He

"Dance then, whereever you may be
For I am the Lord of the Dance," said He
"And I'll lead you all, whereever you may be
And I'll lead you all in the Dance," said He




---------------------------------------------------------------------
-----------


Further Reading
"A Midsummer Night's Dream" by William Shakespeare

"Reliques of Ancient English Poetry" by Thomas Percy

"The Malleus Maleficarum" by Heinrich Kramer and James Sprenger


http://www.lugodoc.demon.co.uk/ROBIN.HTM  
PostPosted: Mon Oct 10, 2005 6:31 pm
[ Message temporarily off-line ]  

The Bookwyrm
Crew


The Bookwyrm
Crew

PostPosted: Mon Oct 10, 2005 6:35 pm
Samhain Lore
by Ian Corrigan

The Festival of Samhain marks the ending and beginning of the Celtic
Year. Samhain (pronounced "Sow-in") comes from the Irish Gaelic and
means "Summers End". There is a great deal of distortion as to the true
meaning of the Holiday, fostered in large part by religious propaganda
perpetuated by overly superstitious fundamentalists.

Sometimes one will hear of an "Evil God" named "Samhain", but such a
deity never existed anywhere in Celtic lands or Europe for that matter.
It was a literary fiction masquerading as scholarship from the early
nineteenth century. Fables of Druids leaving "Jack-o-lanterns" at the
homes of families who have helped procure a sacrifice for "Samhain" (or
Satan) are likewise scurrilous at best.

Samhain can be viewed a number of ways.

First, it was an important agricultural observance, when the final
harvest was taken and the folk were now dependent on stored food,
hunting and slaughtering of animals for survival. Herds were culled to
eliminate the weak and unnecessary and ensure that the limited amount of
food would go around for the next six months. In this aspect, Samhain is
a holiday of Plenty and feasting, laying in a layer of fat before the
winter, and gathering together for safety and protection.

The harvest being over, the seeds for the next years crops are planted.
They'll lie dormant until Oimelc (Feb. 1st) when they will begin to
sprout. By Beltain (May 1st) they will have shown growth, and it is this
time of year that is concerned with the fertility of the coming crops.
Those same crops will be harvested by Samhain, and the cycle begins anew.

In present times the importance of this part of the festival has
diminished for most people living in this country, but you should try to
see this from the stand- point of a tribal people for whom a bad season
meant facing a long winter of famine in which many would not survive to
the spring.

(S. McSkimming, Dalriada Heritage Trust
<-http://www.tartans.com/samhain.html->)

Samhain is also a time when the veil separating our world, the mortal
realm, and the world of the Gods and spirits becomes thin. As such, it
is a good time to commune with the recently departed before they
continue their journey from death to the "Summerland" - the realm of the
Gods. There they can enjoy an eternal paradise of feasting, joy and
plenty, until they are ready to cross back over to our realm and become
incarnate beings again.

...Death was never very far away, yet to die was not the tragedy it is
in modern times. What was of great importance to these people was to die
with honour and to live in the memory of the clan and be honoured at the
great feast Fleadh nan Mairbh (Feast of the Dead) which took place on
Samhain Eve. (S. McSkimming,)

Likewise, the separation between past, present and future becomes
blurred, allowing for glimpses not only into the realm of the ever
Young, but of things which have not yet come to pass. Divination has
been historically popular at Samhain, from the Irish myths; to children
casting nuts into a fire and kenning their future sweetheart by the way
they pop and burn.

Samhain, as the beginning and ending of the yearly cycle, can be viewed
as any other "New Years" celebration.

Sig Lonegren, in a treatise published in: <-
http://www.isleofavalon.co.uk/knowbank.html-> remarks:

So as this Samhain approaches, what is ending in you? What do you have
inside that it is time to let go of? No healing is complete until you
get beyond recovery. Use Samhain to take the thirteenth step:
Transformation. In the Tarot, the thirteenth card of the Major Arcane is
Death, and it is ruled by Scorpio. Samhain occurs in Scorpio. The card
of Death doesn't necessarily mean physical death (though it can mean
that), but more productively, it can be seen as an inevitable heavy
change or transformation. Something old must be gotten rid of to make
room for something new to be able to come in. Use the magic of this time
to say good-bye to an old habit or addiction, an old relationship, or
anything else it is time to leave behind.

Samhain is the time when we connect with the vital forces of nature and
make ourselves ready for the long descent into winter. It is a time to
reflect on that which we've brought into our lives, and that which we
need for the times to come. Connecting with our roots and examining the
directions we need to grow. We feast with the ancestors and ensure the
continuing vitality of our people, be it ourselves, our family or the
community in which we dwell.

http://www.adf.org/rituals/celtic/samhain/scg-samhain-99-lore.html  
PostPosted: Mon Oct 10, 2005 6:38 pm
[ Message temporarily off-line ]  

The Bookwyrm
Crew


The Bookwyrm
Crew

PostPosted: Mon Oct 10, 2005 6:40 pm
Halloween: Spooky Tradition

By Bernie Alexander

Goblins, ghouls, ghosts, pumpkins, costumes, and candy. Just what is the
link between all of these staples of Halloween? What transformed this
pagan ritual into a commercial celebration? With Halloween just around
the corner, let's see just how it evolved to what it has become today.

some info

Credit: Getty Images Thousands of years ago, the British Isles were
inhabited by the Celts. About 2,000 years ago, November 1st marked both
the first day of winter and the Celtic new year. To celebrate the event,
they had the festival of Samhain, which began on their New Year's Eve,
as it were, October 31. Because winter was closely associated with
misery, gloom, and death back then, they believed that during this time,
the spirits of the dead rose and ambulated among the living.

The Celts believed that the presence of spirits helped the Druids make
predictions about the future, but feared that these spirits could harm
the crops, and cause all sorts of trouble. For this reason, it was
important to make good with the otherworldly specters. So people would
place food outside their doors to attract good spirits.

In order to keep the bad ones away, the Celts would wear scary masks; a
tradition that continues to this day. Druids would also light bonfires
to keep them from playing tricks on humans.

Years later, when the Roman Empire conquered the British Isles, they
tried to add a few of their own traditions to the Samhain celebration,
most notably by making the festival about their goddesses. To this day,
it is believed that the bobbing apple party game is directly influenced
by Pomona, the Roman goddess of fruit and trees.

During the Middle Ages, when Christianity was being implemented in the
Celtic lands, Pope Boniface IV proclaimed November 1st All Saints Day, a
time to pay tribute to those martyrs and saints without designated
holidays. At that time, the Church was fearful of pagan ceremonies and
wanted to put into practice a ritual that would be accepted by the Vatican.

current practices

In middle English, the term for All Saints' Day is Alholowmesse, or
All-hallowmas. The night before was referred to as All-hallows Eve.
Before long, the word evolved into Halloween.

So just how did our modern traditions come about? In England, November
2nd was All Souls' Day, a church-sanctioned day to honor the dead. On
this day, they had a parade and poor people would beg for food. Those
who were richer would give them pastries called soul cakes, in exchange
for the beggars' promises to pray for the family's deceased relatives.

This was called "going a-souling" and, in time, this custom was adopted
by children who would go door-to-door asking for money and food. Thus
began the tradition of trick-or-treating.

European immigrants brought their own Halloween practices to this great
melting pot that is America. For instance, during colonial times,
Halloween consisted of people telling ghost stories. Still, while
harvest was celebrated in one form or another in the United States well
into the 19th century, Halloween, as we know it, was not.

But by the end of the 19th century, the millions of Irish immigrants
breathed new life into this holiday. Soon, Americans borrowed the
English and Irish traditions, and started wearing costumes and going
trick-or-treating. By the 1920s, Halloween was a community holiday with
people parading and holding town-wide festivities.

What made Halloween what it is today is undeniably the baby boom of the
1950s. This affluence of children made the celebration take aim at them
instead of their parents. Schools got on the bandwagon and Halloween was
recognized as a fun way of entertaining kids. Trick-or-treating even
took on another meaning in that if families provided treats to the
neighborhood children, nobody would play tricks on them.

jack o'lanterns

No, Jack O'Lanterns are not a conspiracy from pumpkin growers to flood
the market with their product. They've actually been around for
centuries. It all started with an Irish legend about Stingy Jack, a man
who met with the Devil every year and tricked him into not taking his
soul every time.

When Jack finally died, God didn't want to admit such a sleazy character
in his Kingdom, and the Devil wouldn't allow him entrance into Hell
because he had humiliated him before. Instead, Jack was sentenced to
walk the dark night forever. He was given a blazing coal in a carved out
turnip to light his way, giving us the Jack O'Lantern.

The tradition of carving scary faces into turnips and potatoes started
in Ireland and Scotland when people would then put them in their windows
to scare Stingy Jack away. Immigrants brought this custom with them when
they came to North America, before discovering that a new fruit, the
pumpkin, made the ideal Jack O'Lantern.

across the globe

Credit: Getty Images Because Halloween originated within the Celtic
community, the celebration of Halloween is mostly associated with
nations with Celtic ties. Countries like Ireland, Canada, and the United
States observe Halloween very much in the same manner, with costume
parties, trick-or-treating, and all-around merry-making.

Latin countries such as Spain and Mexico have retained the old Christian
traditions with three days of celebrating, beginning on October 31st and
ending with All Souls' Day on November 2nd. They honor their dead, whom
they believe return home on Halloween. Altars are constructed and filled
with flowers and candy.

In other countries, Halloween is simply a marketing strategy. For
instance, in France, Halloween isn't a holiday. While a particular Paris
bar has been celebrating the event for 20 years, it's only since 1995
that the French people have been really aware of Halloween.

Mega-corporations like Disney and Coca-Cola have introduced traditional
Halloween symbols into their marketing, but it hasn't really caught on
with the public yet. Interestingly, when people engage in
trick-or-treating, which is rare, it is done store-to-store, and not
house-to-house.

why is it searched?

Striving to be original, people are always looking for new kinds of
parties, decorations and costumes. Learning the origins and significance
of Halloween is a great way to understand what it is that we are
actually celebrating. Searching for Halloween-related information on the
Internet is also a great way to find new festivities to partake in.

For example, the city of Salem, Massachusetts, always celebrates the
event in style with numerous costume balls, parties, and haunted
mansions. Mexico has some great parties, as well, for their Dia de los
Muertos, and there is always lots of skull-shaped chocolate to eat.

length of public interest?

At its core, Halloween is a party that celebrates deceased family
members, and this kind of festivity has existed in one form or another
in every culture since ancient Egyptian times. Every year, about $7
billion US is spent by Americans on this holiday alone, which makes it
the second-largest commercial feast in the country after Christmas.

So as long as people enjoy wearing costumes, partying and eating candy,
Halloween is most definitely likely to remain popular.

http://www.askmen.com/toys/special_feature_60/61_special_feature.html  
PostPosted: Mon Oct 10, 2005 6:42 pm
Halloween Moon Omens
Source unknown


If the moon is new on Samhain, this indicates that the coming year
will be fertile ground for new beginnings to take place, such as the
start of a new project, a new career, or even a new way of thinking.
For those desiring children, a new moon at Samhain is a lucky omen,
indicating a new birth within a year's time.

If the moon is waxing on Samhain, this indicates good luck throughout
the coming year. It also indicates growth and an increase of all
things that are positive nature.

If the moon is full on Samhain, this ensures the that the powers of
all forms of magick and divination practiced on this night will be at
their greatest. A secret wish made at midnight will be realized
within the coming year., and do not be surprised if an experienced of
a psychic nature awaits you in the very near future.

If the moon is waning on Samhain, this can be an omen of either good
or bad consequences. It can indicate the elimination of such things as
bad habits, unhealthy relationships and obstacles within the coming
year. Or it can point to a decrease (such as in one's health) or a
loss of some kind soon to take place.

If the moon is in the dark phase on Samhain, this is believed to be a
very negative omen. Exercise extreme caution in all of your
endeavors within the next twelve months, and it wouldn't hurt to
protect yourself by wearing or carrying any type of amulet or
talisman designed to ward off bad luck and misfortune.  

The Bookwyrm
Crew


The Bookwyrm
Crew

PostPosted: Mon Oct 10, 2005 6:44 pm
Samhain Candle Superstitions

Source unknown

A burning candle placed inside a hollowed out pumpkin or jack-o-lantern
on Samhain works to keep evil spirits and demons at bay.

For good luck, burn black and orange candles on Samhain. Black and
Orange are the traditional colors of Samhain and Halloween. On this day
their magickal vibrations are at their peak.

If a candle should suddenly go out by itself on Samhain, as thought
being blown out by wind or by breath, this is said to be a sign that a
ghost has come to call.

Always burn new candles at Samhain to ensure the best of luck.
Likewise, it is not a good idea to burn Samhain candles at any other
time of the year. To do so may cause you to experience bad luck and/or
strange happenings over which you will have no control.

Gazing into the flame of a candle on Samhain will enable you to peer
into the future. Many witches traditionally scry candle flames on
Samhain to receive clairvoyant visions.

It is believed that if a person lights a new orange-colored candle at
midnight on Samhain and lets it burn until the sun rises, he or she will
be the recipient of good luck. However, according to an old legend from
Europe, any person who bakes bread or journeys after sunset on Samhain
(Halloween) runs the risk of conjuring forth bad luck in great abundance.  
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