Witch Willows WanderingsSamhain-The Witchs New Year
October 25th 2007 20:03
Halloween; for most that one word conjures visions of ghouls and goblins, fairies and princesses. It's a time to dress up in spooky costumes, and go begging for candy. It's that time of year when fall is in the air, the leaves are displaying their colors and pumpkins are being carved throughout the land. But where does the tradition for Halloween come from?
Centuries ago, Halloween started out as something much different and yet similar, It began as the Celtic holiday "Samhain:. Pronounced S'awen or Sowen. It was a festival that marked the end of harvest, the end of summer and the beginning of the colder and harsher winter months. It was generally regarded as the Celtic New Year.
Tha Gauls had created a calender that was divided into 2 halves, The dark half beginning with October/November and the light half commencing with April/May.These halves coincided with the fall/winter seasons and the spring/summer seasons respectively. It would seem that the year or calender was determined by the agricultural cycle of vegetation. In Medieval Ireland, Samhain was considered to be the most important of festivals and was celebrated for 3 days, at the royal court in Tara.
In Ireland and Scotland, the festival of "Oidiche Shamhna" or "Day of the Dead" was celebrated. An empty place would be set at the table for the departed ancestors and those attending the feast would tell tales about the departed. This celebration took place on October 31st and signified the last harvest.
Neo-Paganism and Modern Day Witches
We as modern day wicca/witches consider Samhain to be the most important of the 4 greater sabbats. Samhain falls on October 31st and this is said to be the time when the veil between the worlds is the thinest, and spirits are able to pass between the two worlds to communicate with their loved ones. Most of us will be celebrating Halloween/
Samhain in one form or another. Some will go to masquerade balls, others will attend or perform a ritual celebrating darkness and death. Those rituals are to remind us that the cycle of life, death and rebirth is never ending. That every year when the earth goes to sleep, and the foliage dies, the promise of spring is just a few months away, and the earth will come back to life and grow green once more.
Witches Flying On Broomsticks And Other Nonsense
Because Samhain or Halloween falls at the end of the harvest period, it goes without saying that the ancient celebrations included fire. At the end of harvest, all the farmers and villagers would light either one or two large fires under the moon and in the fields where the last of the harvest had been gathered. They still held their pitchforks, brooms and other farming implements, and while the bonfires burned the would dance around the fire in celebration of their bounty. They believed that the higher they would leap, that would be the height of their crops in the upcoming year. Can you figure out where the witch riding on a broom under the full moon came from? You guessed it...a simple harvest celebration by farmers and villagers soon became an unnatural act by demonically possessed witches.
FInally, here's a bit more information on the magickal aspects of Halloween/Samhain.
The colors associated with Samhain are Black, white, orange, silver and gold.
The incense for Samhain is: Heliotrope, mint and nutmeg.
Foods associated with Samhain: Gourds, turnips. apples, nuts, mulled wine, beef, pork
Symbols of Samhain: Jack o Lanterns, Pumpkins, black cats, besoms, apples
Herbs of Samhain: Mugwort, Nightshade, Mandrake, Catnip, Oak leaves, Sage & Straw
Stones of Samhain: Obsidian and any other black stones. Onyx, etc.
So now you know a wee bit about the traditions of Halloween and the Wicca celebration of Samhain. May I wish you a hauntingly Happy Halloween and a Blessed Day of the Dead...Samhain.
BB
Whitewillow
references:
www.wikipedia.com
Centuries ago, Halloween started out as something much different and yet similar, It began as the Celtic holiday "Samhain:. Pronounced S'awen or Sowen. It was a festival that marked the end of harvest, the end of summer and the beginning of the colder and harsher winter months. It was generally regarded as the Celtic New Year.
Tha Gauls had created a calender that was divided into 2 halves, The dark half beginning with October/November and the light half commencing with April/May.These halves coincided with the fall/winter seasons and the spring/summer seasons respectively. It would seem that the year or calender was determined by the agricultural cycle of vegetation. In Medieval Ireland, Samhain was considered to be the most important of festivals and was celebrated for 3 days, at the royal court in Tara.
In Ireland and Scotland, the festival of "Oidiche Shamhna" or "Day of the Dead" was celebrated. An empty place would be set at the table for the departed ancestors and those attending the feast would tell tales about the departed. This celebration took place on October 31st and signified the last harvest.
Neo-Paganism and Modern Day Witches
We as modern day wicca/witches consider Samhain to be the most important of the 4 greater sabbats. Samhain falls on October 31st and this is said to be the time when the veil between the worlds is the thinest, and spirits are able to pass between the two worlds to communicate with their loved ones. Most of us will be celebrating Halloween/
Witches Flying On Broomsticks And Other Nonsense
Because Samhain or Halloween falls at the end of the harvest period, it goes without saying that the ancient celebrations included fire. At the end of harvest, all the farmers and villagers would light either one or two large fires under the moon and in the fields where the last of the harvest had been gathered. They still held their pitchforks, brooms and other farming implements, and while the bonfires burned the would dance around the fire in celebration of their bounty. They believed that the higher they would leap, that would be the height of their crops in the upcoming year. Can you figure out where the witch riding on a broom under the full moon came from? You guessed it...a simple harvest celebration by farmers and villagers soon became an unnatural act by demonically possessed witches.
FInally, here's a bit more information on the magickal aspects of Halloween/Samhain.
The colors associated with Samhain are Black, white, orange, silver and gold.
The incense for Samhain is: Heliotrope, mint and nutmeg.
Foods associated with Samhain: Gourds, turnips. apples, nuts, mulled wine, beef, pork
Symbols of Samhain: Jack o Lanterns, Pumpkins, black cats, besoms, apples
Herbs of Samhain: Mugwort, Nightshade, Mandrake, Catnip, Oak leaves, Sage & Straw
Stones of Samhain: Obsidian and any other black stones. Onyx, etc.
So now you know a wee bit about the traditions of Halloween and the Wicca celebration of Samhain. May I wish you a hauntingly Happy Halloween and a Blessed Day of the Dead...Samhain.
BB
Whitewillow
references:
www.wikipedia.com
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