…trick or treat…

The roots of All Hallow’s Eve and practices of Halloween, come mostly from Celtic paganism and their feast of Samhain.  Samhain is a festival marking the end of the harvest season and beginning of Winter. In a sense the start of a “new year”…it’s the division of the traditional calendar year, between the lighter half and the darker half.  Celtic roots believe, at Samhain, the division between the afterlife and this world is at it’s thinnest.  They believed this thin veil between the world of the living and the realm of the dead facilitates contact and communication.

Halloween also has some elements of the Romans celebrating Pomona, the goddess of fruit and trees.  Celebrated as a harvest feast.  An element of this celebration, that is still incorporated today is “bobbing for apples”…

DID YOU KNOW…A thoughtful way to celebrate Samhain…take a walk in a natural area near your home.  Observe the colors, aromas, sounds and other sensations of the season.  Reflect on the Circle of life, how death and rebirth are an important part of nature.  Perhaps collect some natural objects to put them in your home.

Dia de los Muertos, Day of the Dead, is a celebration of life and death, throughout Mexico.  Day of the Dead is not the Mexican version of “Halloween”…the purpose is to demonstrate love and respect for deceased family members.

Sugar Skull Series

Celebration includes an ofrenda, alter, meant to welcome the spirits back to the world of the living.  They are decorated with family photos, favorite food/drink, and a candle for each dead relative.  Marigolds are the main flower used.

The overall theme of these celebrations is death. In tarot card reading, typically it implies an “end”, therefore, implies an increased sense of self awareness.  According to the Biddy Tarot, “Death is a card of transformation and typically refers to needing to start over by letting go of the past…reversed position, Death can mean, on the verge of meaningful change but resisting it…”  The deeper meaning within the Death card, could be perceived as the most positive…one major phase in our lives is ending, and a new one is beginning.

The folklore of  ” HALLOWEEN”  seems to be a hybrid of quite a few ancient traditions, combined with the evolution of those traditions in modern culture.  Developing a faith in traditions combined with modern day celebrations.  I’ve found that researching/ investigating/ asking questions/ talking to knowledgeable people, and merging this “work”, with our own beliefs/understanding/spirit is how we create a solid faith.  Faith in our own spirituality.  Depth of ourselves…not because someone told us what to believe, but as a result of our own work.

I’m praying that as I transition through this major change in my life, that I am blessed with depth and enrichment to my spirituality.

…BLESSINGS OF ENLIGHTENMENT to you all…”Happy New Year”…Thank you for following along with our journey of enrichment and enlightenment…

Please comment and share your thoughts of enlightenment/enrichment, I look forward to reading them…