It's a Pumpkin Spice Halloween!

 

Halloween

In the Celtic pagan tradition, All Hallows' Eve (Samhain - Oct. 31st) honors our ancestors and invites them to partake in the festivities on Halloween night. In the Christian tradition, the days following All Hallows' Eve also honor the dead: All Saints Day (Nov. 1st), and All Souls Day (Nov. 2nd). Día de los Muertos, the Mexican Day of the Dead, falls on November 2nd. In the Northern Hemisphere, colorful autumn days and cool nights gradually give way to cold, blustery winter. All life seems dead except the evergreen trees. But underneath the soil, seeds lie dormant, awaiting the first warm rays of springtime sunlight to nourish them back to life. Our loved ones may be physically gone, but they live on in our hearts. Halloween may seem like a celebration of dark forces, but in reality, it marks the dying of the old year, the inevitability of death, and a yearning for the new life ahead.

Pumpkin Spice

Pumpkin spice can be made at home by combining cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, and allspice. The aroma evokes feelings of calmness, nostalgia, happiness, and home. Warm memories of festive autumn occasions bring us closer to family and friends. Autumn colors seem more intense. The cool air feels refreshing and rejuvenating. The first snowfall dazzles us, and we gather around the fireplace, hot drinks in hand. Autumn forces us to slow down, relax, and savor the passing season. Rest, solitude, and spiritual meditation mark the season. Life is good.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Dawn Pisturino

Season of the Witch

 

Halloween witches are traditionally portrayed as old, ugly hags with stringy gray hair, long, warty noses, pointy fingernails, and clawed hands. They ride broomsticks, collect black cats, owls, rats, and other animals as familiars and pets, and cast maleficent spells on unsuspecting people. They exude malignant, negative energy wherever they go. They are evil beings who seek to do harm to others.

However, "witches" have served various purposes throughout history, from natural healers, midwives, oracles, spell casters, matchmakers, advisors to kings, devil worshipers, and evil conjurors. There is no single definition for "witch" since wise women have played significant roles through the centuries, and good witches have existed alongside bad ones.

When Gerald Gardner published The Meaning of Witchcraft in 1959, modern Wicca was born, which seeks to bring the natural and mystical worlds together in a positive and life-affirming form. Do no harm is the primary Wiccan motto, although traditionally expressed as "An' ye harm none, do what ye will." A far cry from the ugly Halloween crone!

Samhain (Halloween) is the most important festival in the Wiccan year, for it marks the end of the year's life cycle when the veil between life and death is at its most fragile. This is the night the dead are remembered and invited to partake in the festivities. As the old year ends, the new year begins. Celebrants look forward to new possibilities, more abundant harvests, and a happier and more fulfilled life.

As you sip your pumpkin spice latte and indulge in delectable chocolates and pastries this Halloween, remember it is a holiday that encompasses many layers of meaning. For some, it is "a night of frolic," as the Sanderson sisters would say (Disney's Hocus Pocus). It is a night of hope for others, looking forward to a new year. While there may be mischief makers and people with evil interests on the prowl, this is true every night of the year. The evening news reminds us every night.

So, take advantage of the holiday season and start partying heartily!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Dawn Pisturino

October 28, 2023

Copyright 2023 Dawn Pisturino. All Rights Reserved.

The Triduum of All Hallows' Eve

 

In the Celtic world, the end of October and beginning of November were set aside for a great feast every year to celebrate the end of the summer (or Samhain) and the beginning of winter. People played games and told stories about great Celtic heroes and the gods and goddesses of Celtic lore.

The festival also marked the thinning of the veil between this world and the Other World. The spirits of the dead could visit this world, and the living could visit the land of the dead.

Samhain was so special, in fact, the normal laws of the universe did not apply. Fairies left their underground homes, and ordinary humans were subjected to fantastic dreams and adventures (often involving fairies). Families called on the spirits of dead ancestors to visit them. And the spirits who responded to their calls were often granted special powers. Celtic monsters prowled the earth with such ferocity that even the gods and goddesses were no match for them. In Ireland, Aillen mac Midna re-enacted his annual ritual and burned the court of Tara to ashes.

Bonfires blazed on the hilltops, lighting up the shortening nights. These bonfires were so significant that their ashes were used in magical charms to ward off illness and disease.

Today, Samhain is celebrated as Halloween on October 31st. The word "Halloween" actually means All Hallows' Eve, or the eve of All Saints' Day, which is celebrated in the Christian community on November 1st. This special day is set aside to honor the souls and memories of martyrs and saints. November 2nd is known as All Saints' Day (or Dia de Los Muertos),when Christians pray for the souls of their dearly departed. These three days are known collectively as the Triduum of All Hallows' Eve (or Hallowtide).

Evangelical Lutheran Church in Roke, Sweden, celebrating All Saints' Day. Photo by David Castor.

Remember: the custom of carving and lighting turnips, pumpkins, and other gourds was meant to ward off the evil spirits that might visit on Halloween. Halloween is also a time to dress up and make merry! In the United States, it marks the beginning of the holiday season that runs through New Year's Day. So eat, drink, and be merry!

Dawn Pisturino

October 26, 2021

Copyright 2021 Dawn Pisturino. All Rights Reserved.