You Say Halloween. We Say Samhain

You Say Halloween. We Say Samhain

By

Theresa Chaze


Many of the most popular religious and secular holidays have their roots in Pagan or Wiccan festivals. By absorbing the basic beliefs of the celebration and transforming them to conform to their religious doctrine, religious leaders hoped to lure away the followers of the Earth based religions and convert them.




Traditionally, Samhain is the ending of the Pagan and Wiccan year. The final harvests have been brought in and the finally preparations for winter have been made. Animals are slaughtered and their meat preserved. The death of a few insures life for others through the coming winter months.




It is the day when the veils between the realms are the thinnest. The dead and earth spirits are able to walk freely among the living. Whether dead loved ones or earth spirits, this time of year communication with them is the easiest. It is the time for honoring your ancestors and making amends with those who have crossed over. Many Wiccans and Pagans believe it is the most important day of the year as it is not only a time of honoring our ancestors, but is an accounting of our actions.


Ritually spirits are invited to attend festivals in their honor. Banquets are prepared with the choices meats and vegetables being set aside for those who have crossed over. Frequently these meals are silent as each participant remembers their loved one and looks for signs of their presence. The food on the spirits’ plates remains uneaten. Instead, after the dinner the ritual continues as the food is offered up outside and left behind. Deities, earth spirits and elementals are also petitioned for protection and for boons. Calls are more easily heard and answered during this time.




Spiritually, what we have sent out comes back for good or ill. Just as the harvest has been collected, so does the karmic debt come due. The thinning curtain only makes the Deities of Justice more active and powerful. Whether it is said as "What goes around, comes around" or "So share ye sow, so shall ye reap", what we have created shall manifest as a blessing or a challenge.




Many of the Halloween traditions come from the fear of spirits. The masks were designed to disguise identities and to scare away evil spirits. Treat or treating represents the offerings left out to honor the ancestors and tithes to the deities. Christians created All Saints Day on November 1 as a way to counter act the popularity of the Samhain festival.




Out of the Shadows and Into the Light is an ebook of shadows that not only explains more about the correlation between religions, but also give accurate information about the Wiccan and Pagan religions. It includes both old and new wisdom with rituals for protection, justice, healing, prosperity and love. For those who are interested in learning more about what Wiccans and Pagans, this ebook is an excellent resource that does not wish to convert, but only inform. The PDF download is only available at www.theresachaze.com.