(Jack'O'Lantern courtesy of Ariana & Robin)
Halloween,
Samhain, Samuin, Calends of Winter, the Heroic Journey, the Feast of
the Dead, Hollantide, Allantide, the third Harvest. Here in the time
of the death, when the Lady and Dread Lord are seated in the Great
Halls of the Dead as equals. Where matter and spirit are intertwined
and the veil is thin. Where ancestors call upon the living and the
living reach out to the ancestors. Life and Death make visible the
fine blade upon which we all dance. Yet we fear not knowing that the
seed of promise lays within the Lady's womb....silent and alive. One
of the Great Sabbats, one of the Fire Festivals.
To
understand Samhain is to journey back into a time removed from our
own. Where our lives depended upon the hunt, fairweather, good crops
and bountiful harvest and animal husbandry. It is easy now to remove
ourselves from the inevitability of death and distance ourselves from
the awareness that somehow death is beyond us. Death remains an
unknown companion silently keeping step, casting shadows every
minute, every moment. Major fairs, festivals and preparations were
made for the winter stores and the division of the pastoral
importance in this time was notable as meat was referred to as
'winter food' and dairy produce 'summer food'. Grain surplus was
rapidly turned to mead, ale, beer and brose. Important events were
thought to have been held at an auspicious time such as Samhain.
Bettina Arnold notes that “According
to the Irish sources, the Assembly of Tara, the seat of the High King
of Ireland, the most important of the oneachs, or fairs, was held on
Samhain” (Halloween
Customs of the Celtic World)
Although
it is seen and observed in the Wheel of the Year with regards to
Wiccan practices it is not specific to Wicca and has its roots in
Celtic and Germanic spiritual practices. Although the current threads
remain, no doubt it bears little resemblance to its native origins.
Indeed there evidence that indicates Druid involvement and direction
over Beltane and Samhain festivals in some locales. Ronald Hutton
ascribes this to the advance of romanticism and neopagan eclectic
practices ( Pagan Religions of the Ancient British Isles). Equally,
it could be said and successfully argued that our lives are vastly
divergent from those ancestors of old and we have become distanced
from ourselves as humans and from the spiritual world. Instead our
beliefs rest heavily in the modernisation and technological 'switched
on' era and generation. A light is but a switch away, food is but a
short trip to the supermarket and so forth.
In
Samhain however, we journey with our Gods to consciousness. We find
within and without the Anima and Animus. The One Light. The Spark
which lights the Path. We learn this in watching the God struggle in
his exploration of his own unconsciousness. In realising our
mortality we understand the joyfulness of life. In embracing the dark
we reach out for the light and in doing so evolve towards the divine.
Crowley describes the process thus “ he can (the God) move to a
wider stage and begin to embrace the and participate in the wider
collective unconscious” That is, we have and are, moving throughout
the process from a part towards the greater whole and therefore
Divinity. Whilst we mention the God, the journey for the Goddess is
much as the God. She too must seek out her Animus, her male self in
the path to oneness and supreme Divinity (The Old religion in the New
Millenium-Wicca)
Samhain
in varying forms is seen widely across many European countries with
some similarities observed throughout them. An example of this is the
“dumb supper” (ed note: for the purposes of political correctness
this will not be altered as it is not the intention of this article
to enter a debate regarding the appropriateness of the term-call it
the silent feast if it please you). A feature of setting out an extra
place for the departed or spirit guest and a meal eaten in silence.
In Italy a chair is often set out by a bonfire for a spirit to sit
and enjoy the fire in their honour. Water is considered the conduit
of the unconscious and to the ancient Greeks was considered the
epitomal
symbol for metamorphosis and philosophical recycling.
The ancient eygptians considered the Nile the canal for birth and
existence. Water, shares some of the same attributes of fire and can
be considered the symbol of transformation, subconsciousness,
fertilisation, reflection, introspection, intuition and renewal.
Sustenance, motion and life. So too did the ancient Celts look to the
water as a sacred vessel to carry spirit and gifts back and forth
from the underworld to the living. Hence scrying using water and
early records of the veneration of pools, lakes and wells.
Anthropology is now starting to discover some compelling evidence
which links certain festivals such as Samhain with lakeside
activities believed to link the two worlds together (Anne Ross-Pagan
Celtic Britain) The bonfire, the symbolism of sacrifice,
transformation, heat, life, renewal and regeneration of course
features heavily with some scholars suggesting herds were driven
between these fires as perhaps sacrificial offerings.
Common
activities occur with the observance of Turnip Lanterns (Neep
Lanterns-Scotland) used throughout the British Isles and also known
to have been utilised in countries throughout the continent. Turnips
and swedes (rutabagas
) are carved into faces which allow for a ember or tealight to sit
within them, these essentially are designed to ward off any unwelcome
'guests'/and or according to Christina Hole “Instead
of the simple holes for eyes and nose of the usual Hallowtide ‘face,’
quite intricate flower-, ship-, or animal-patterns are cut on the
outer skin of the mangold.”.
( A
Dictionary of British Folk Customs
) In later times post immigration the United States, pumpkins became
more widely used. Turnip Lanterns are thought to have been derived
from an old tale of a miser drunk “Stingy Jack” who attempted to
bargain with the Devil and ultimately lost, doomed to roam the earth
with only a lantern. Scarecrows disguises and masks were worn as
decoys to the spirits. Yet the fire, water, lantern and'tattie-bogle'
(scarecrow-Scotland) are relics of a time which acknowledged the
existence of the otherworld. The Scarecrow is described as he who
cannot walk yet knows everything of the worlds.
(Scarecrows courtesy of lunasisters.com)
Our
Samhain ineviatably features grain and root vegetables as part of the
post ritual feast. Here to follow is my pumpkin, neep and tattie
soup:
One
kilo of chopped pumpkin (I prefer Kent or Jap but go for butternut or
Qld Blue if you fancy)
I
diced onion
I
chopped clove of garlic
2
stalks of celery chopped
I
Neep peeled and chopped
2
good sized spuds peeled and chopped
Vegetable
stock to cover
Fresh
grated nutmeg
Seasoning
Small
amount of cream/sour cream or milk
Place
all veg in a large pot and just cover with enough stock and allow to
cook through. When cooked blend ingredients with a hand blender or
food processor or simply mash if you like. Season to taste and add
grated nutmeg and a small amount of cream sour cream milk to the
soup. Serve with crusty grain bread I prefer home made bread but
thats me.
Elsewhere
on the blog is a recipe for Brose, that most unctuous fermented oat
brew delicious cold or warm.
If
you begin by thinking seasonally, that is what is naturally available
now your Samhain menu is endless. Divinitory games can be played such
as bobbing for apples but remember use commonsense if children are
about and dont forget the towels! And lastly but not least leave
some food for the Fey lest you be tricked and fooled.
So
from sunset to sunrise, whatever you do on Samhain and however you
chose to celebrate, remember your journey to consciousness is shared
by many and your walk along the path shadowed by the ones gone
before. “We shall meet, and remember and love them again”
Mary
L.
Bettina
Arnold (Halloween
Customs of the Celtic World)
Vivianne
Crowley (The Old religion in the New Millenium-Wicca)
Anne
Ross (Pagan Celtic Britain)
Christina
Hole
(A
Dictionary of British Folk Customs
)
Ronald
Hutton ( Pagan Religions of the Ancient British Isles)
