 |
 Also
known as: Halloween, ShadowFest, Martinmas, Old Hallowmas Samhain is
the Witches' New Year's Eve, with November 1st being the first day of
the new year. It marks the end of summer and the beginning of winter.
It is the final harvest of the year. This is the time of the year when
the ancient tribes harvested for the last time during the year, and prepared
for the long months of winter. Food was stored, animals brought in from
the fields, and animals needed for food supply were slaughtered and prepared
for long storage. Activity was moved from outdoors to indoors, by the
warmth of the hearth fire.
The ancient tribes celebrated the Celtic Feast of the
Dead, a practice which is carried on today. Samhain is a time when we
honor our ancestors and the memory they left behind. On Samhain the veil
between the worlds is the thinnest. It is a powerful time for divination
and contacting those who have walked these lands before us.
This is the time of the season which the Crone rules.
She is one aspect of the triple Goddess, made up of Crone, Maiden, and
Mother. It is She who opens the Western gate for those who have departed
to travel into Summerland. She rules areas of death and regeneration,
occult sciences, healing, and the wisdom of the ages. She comes in the
form of Cerridwen, Hecate, Arianrhod, and Persephone, among many others.
We use the Crone to assist us in transition from one life to the next,
leaving one level of our existence and entering the next. This brings
us into the Womb of the Mother to assist us in being reborn once again.
For it is through Her Wisdom and guidance we learn lessons from experience
past and begin life anew from the wisdom gained.
Ritual fires of Samhain were lit at the fall of dusk
on the sacred hilltops, of ancient times, for the protection of people
and land. Today we use fire in our Magic Circle to build a shield of protection
and to light the Path for the future. Witches perform rituals, using the
Crone's assistance, to leave behind that which they do not want to carry
on into the future; outdated habits, past relationships, insecurities
and those things which do not serve us to carry on. Magic is done to better
our lives, the lives of those around us, and all connected to the web
of life It is customary for Witches to dress on Samhain eve, the costume
reflect the Witches projection for the upcoming year. It is a festive,
joyful time, where we visit friends and share treats stories and memories.
© Copyright 1996, Christina
Aubin; used by permission.
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