The Real Halloween

Samhain (pronounced SOW-in) is the traditional name for Halloween. It originated from the Celts, but the Celts by no means had license on days celebrating and honoring the dead. In ancient times, the Celts tended their herds on the hillsides and celebrated or recognized only 2 seasons - Winter & Summer. Summer was recognized as the time of toil - tending to the crops and sheep. At the end of Summer came the harvest festivals Lughnasadh, Mabon & Samhain. By the time Samhain came around the weather was starting to get much colder. There were many ways the ancient Celts were believed to have celebrated this time of transition.

The Encyclopedia of Religion says, "Halloween, or All hallows Eve, is a festival celebrated on 31 October, the evening prior to the Christian Feast of All Saints (All Saints' Day). Halloween is the name for the eve of Samhain, a celebration marking the beginning of winter as well as the first day of the New Year within the ancient Celtic culture of the British Isles. The time of Samhain consisted of the eve of the feast and the day itself (31 October and 1 November)" (1).

Concerning Halloween The Encyclopedia of Religion continues:

"On this occasion, it was believed that a gathering of supernatural forces occurred as during no other period of the year. The eve and day of Samhain were characterized as a time when the barriers between the human and supernatural worlds were broken. Otherworldly entities, such as the souls of the dead, were able to visit earthly inhabitants, and humans could take the opportunity to penetrate the domains of the gods and supernatural creatures.

"Fiery tributes and sacrifices of animals, crops, and possibly human beings were made to appease supernatural powers who controlled the fertility of the land . . . Samhain acknowledged the entire spectrum of nonhuman forces that roamed the earth during the period" (1).

On this holiday "huge bonfires were set on hilltops to frighten away evil spirits . . . The souls of the dead were supposed to revisit their homes on this day, and the autumnal festival acquired sinister significance, with ghosts, witches, hobgoblins, black cats, fairies, and demons of all kinds said to be roaming about. It was the time to placate the supernatural powers controlling the processes of nature. In addition, Halloween was thought to be the most favorable time for divination's concerning marriage, luck, health, and death. It was the only day on which the help of the devil was invoked for such purposes" (2)

In most regions, once Christianity moved into town they assimilated many of the traditions so as to not alienate the common folk. This is true for almost every Celtic Holiday, besides Samhain/Halloween, the Celts also observed the winter solstice or Yule which was later transformed into Christmas; the spring fertility rites of Ostara which became Easter; Feb. 2 as Candlemas, was assimilated into the supposed day of Jesus' presentation in the temple and the purification of Mary - In the United States Candlemas persists in Groundhog Day; and others.

In 601 A.D. Pope Gregory the First made it so that we have no written records of our ancestors celebrations and traditions. Only in abstract can we extrapolate what was done and why. Pope Gregory, wrote what is now the famous edict - telling his Christian missionaries to try to assimilate as much of the 'common' beliefs as possible. The Celtic Underworlds became the Catholic Hell. Our male deities, who are often represented with animal extensions - were transformed into demons. The Druids who worshiped nature were condemned as Devil or Satan worshipers...which in a way is true....since the Christian vision of Satan came from our Herne the Hunter. The common people were given a choice - follow the slightly modified new traditions and forget the old, or die. "Samhain remained a popular festival among the Celtic people throughout the christianization of Great Britain. The British church attempted to divert this interest in pagan customs by adding a Christian celebration to the calendar on the same date as Samhain. The Christian festival, the Feast of All Saints, commemorates the known and unknown saints of the Christian religion just as Samhain had acknowledged and paid tribute to the Celtic deities" (1)

The 3rd Harvest

As the crops have been completely reaped by this time, the Celts turned their attention to the livestock. So, while the first two harvest festivals (Lughnasadh & Mabon) focused on crops, this festival focuses on the animals. There were 3 reasons for this:

1) Slaughtering Livestock. This was at the accumulation of bringing the cattle down from higher pastures. Any livestock that didn't look fat enough to survive the harshness of winter would be slaughtered. So essentially, the weaker would be sacrifices - which would feed the family throughout the winter. And with less mouths to feed, the healthier cattle had a better chance of surviving through winter as well. Keep in mind, these were harsh times. Many people died each winter of disease or exposure. Much of the Sabbats were focused on obtaining blessings to maintain a healthy life. Consequently, the Sabbat (or High Holy Day) blesses the meat and the sacrifice of the weaker animals - thanking them in the most profound way the ancients knew - that the stronger animals and the families could survive.

2) Purifying the living livestock. This is part of the reason for the Sabbat Fires on Samhain. The livestock, that was not to be slaughtered, would be lead between two huge fires. This would bless the beasts and purify them of disease. This will bolster their health and give the Gods blessings on the animals lasting through the winter. Also for the poorer farmers, it was not uncommon to have the livestock live in the home with the farmers family. In which case the Samhain fires were doubly needed to keep the family from becoming ill. {On Beltaine, the animals are again led through the fires - this time sloughing off the effects of winter}

3) The Wild Hunt. The Tenth//Eleventh moon of the year was often referred to by Native Americans (East Coast) as the Hunting Moon. Appalachian Folklore & American Wiccan and Eclectic Wiccans refer to it as the Blood Moon - based on the amount of blood spilled during the hunting season. Aside from killing off weaker livestock, this is also the traditional time common for tribes, the world round, to send out their hunting forces to stock up on food for the winter. Wild animals such as Elk & Deer are fat and fully grown, so it was the perfect time to bring home food for winter.

Thinning of the Veil

Most present day Pagans, as well as the ancients, believe the Otherworld (Spiritual Realm, Astral Planes, etc) is just beyond our perception of the world in which we live. There isn't really a wall there. (I have never found a belief system that believed that...except maybe the Christians Pearly Gates was the closest I've ever found) Instead of a read barrier, most humans are distracted easily. Our vision of the mundane world would be disrupted by our vision of Otherworld, so our minds tend to shy away from it - and many never consciously realize it even exists. But, our understanding of the cycle of Life and Death is very much in-your face on Samhain and Beltaine.

The hunt and harvest "death" is an in-your-face reminder of the cycle of life, it should be no surprise that the veil between the realms is celebrated as being at its weakest from October 31 - Nov 2. It could be argued that the veil is thin due to the amount of animal souls trying to cross over on a single night. But, if you take a step back from the literal, and look at the world around us as the ancient Celts must have - you'll realize it is much more difficult to differentiate between Blooming Life and Death. The leaves are 'dying', branches look more brittle and aged, migratory animals have left already - changing the landscape as well as sounds of the wilderness. Even the strength and "Life" of the Sun seems to be dying, as the sun is at its lowest and doesn't give off much warmth.

This recognition of the cycle of life, is enough for the conscious mind to disregard the slight-of-hand that normally blocks the Otherworld from our mortal eyes. Therefore, it is common for present day and ancient pagans to honor their dead loved ones during this time. As this was the closest they would get to communicating with those that had gone on before.

Why was it considered the Celtic New Year?

If you think of our modern New Years celebrations, one of the most universal activities is to make New Years Resolutions. These are, presumably, based off of looking into our selves for things we would like to change. The dark half of the year (Winter) is a time for hibernation. What else is there to do but to reflect upon your life and determine things you want to improve or change. The ancients were overwhelmed with work throughout summer, so Winter was the time for introspection.

Furthermore death is but another step, a doorway leading to transformation. Winter is the greatest representation of this in the whole Wheel of the Year. That while the landscape is 'dead' the wheel will continue to turn and Spring will come bringing new 'life'. You can't get the new life of Spring without having the death of winter. You see, time is circular rather than linear - darkness is the end of the light, but it also comes before the light...the Celts love a good circular argument. Therefore, the ancients considered this the Start of the new Wheel of the Year. Now that death has occurred - all things are possible.

Yesterday Vs. Today

Many of the traditional celebrations for Samhain are still carried on today -

Apples:
The bobbing of apples was a form of divination, for example. The first person to bite the apple would be the next to marry (like catching the bouquet). The peeling of the apple was a way of measuring lifespan - the longer the single strand of peel the longer the life. Or pealing the longest continuous piece of peel ad tossing it into a barrel of water - if it formed a letter this would be the first initial of your soul mate.

Pumpkins:
Originally the Celts would carve turnips and place candles in them to guide family spirits to them and guard against negative spirits. When Irish immigrants came to America and discovered the big orange turnip - the Pumpkin - they started using these for their carvings. You can find many versions of "Jack The Turnip" on-line.

Trick Or Treating:
Since the spirits roamed the countryside on Samhain or All Hallows Eve. The people left cakes and treats for the spirits of their loved ones. If a spirit came to your home though, and was not one of your dearly departed....would you really send them off hungry? Of course not. And neither did the ancients. Of course how are you to know if the beast at your door is a boy from a nearby town or if it is a dark spirit? Better to give them a treat than to suffer the consequences. It is debated whether this is the source of trick-or-treating. It could also be attributed to beggars going to the homes of the rich and threatening with evil spirits if they were not fed.

The Witch:
Not surprisingly, Witches were associated with this Sabbat. Of course ancient practitioners and Druids would perform seasonal rites on this High Holy Day, but when Christianity transformed the Celtic Wheel of the Year (holidays) they vilified the practices of magick as well. Many went into hiding but could be seen on the Sabbats performing the ancient rites. So, the Church convinced the huddled masses, who were already forgetting their own Pagan roots, that the evil spirits they remembered being taught about on Samhain were in the control of these evil witches.

The Black Cat & The Full Moon:
As with above, the black cat and the full moon are both utilized by many Pagans when performing rites as they associated with strong links to the Goddess. Therefore in the advent of Christianity, what had once been viewed as a supreme blessing became evil incarnate. The black cat working as the witch's familiar - sort of true, but any cat or animal can be a familiar. But the color black is associated with the banishment of negativity, so it can be surmised these ancient practitioners performed banishment's on Samhain to help protect the masses, and this was the source of the rumors.

Witch Flying on The Broom:
Witches have utilized straw brooms for centuries, as a means of banishing negativity. Somehow over the ages, this association was confused with the Norse myths on Hallow-e'en. "Historically, beliefs about mythic Norse spirits and deities who flew through the air to gather souls and reward heroes influenced the Celtic fairy lore and witch lore that became a part of Halloween, and they also contributed to the development of the flying Father Christmas figure we know as Santa Claus, with his furs and his northern European reindeer" (3).

Costumes, Masks, Oh My...The Celtic Mardi Gras?
There were many reasons the ancient Celts were believed to have worn costumes. One of which was to celebrate life. Dress-up and have a huge party. The harvest is finally, fully complete with food stored for Winter. The nights are growing longer and the days already getting much cooler. Shortly the masses would be huddled in their homes just trying to survive. So, why not one last celebration - wear bright colors and be merry? This span of several days (From Oct 31 - Nov 2 the Celtic New Year) made all the hum-drum of ancient life tolerable. Just imagine - working from dawn to dusk only to be so exhausted you immediately pass out, only to repeat the process every day. On Samhain, the people cast off their ordinary live and kicked-up their heels. Celebrating life, making wishes for the new year, honoring their fallen brethren, etc.

Another reason for wearing masks and costumes, goes toward honoring the Deities, Guardians and the Dead. As the veil between the realms is believed to be thinned only a couple of times a year - there is no better time to show one and all your deep affection for someone not of this realm. Some would dress up as their Patron - thus honoring them by enacting feats of bravery. Others would make a face and call it by the name of a past loved one - hoping all the love in their heart would call out to their spirit for a visit. People would also wear costumes of the animals slain that Sabbat as a form of thanks. The animals gave their lives so the villagers might live, what greater honor than to have the villagers dress as them and honor their life.

The most bizarre costumes and masks are also based on tradition. Remember, with the veil thin, not only the good spirits roam the countryside. It was believed one could not be be-spelled by dark forces if their texture was unexpected. Think of it this way - when casting a spell, its strength comes from our belief in the outcome. If you're unsure of any piece of the ritual it has lost its strength. This was the basis for wearing the bizarre. Dark forces could not entrap your spirit if they could not first make a spell guaranteeing what they would encounter. If they expected a young woman and instead encountered a strange beast, the spell for the young woman would not touch her. Its a bit convoluted but in its essence it is correct. This same basis was used during the plagues. Many people would wear hideous masks in the hopes of scaring off the cause of the disease.

Sooo, when you go to celebrate with your family. Think about the origins of the traditions you are celebrating. Are you honoring your heritage or insulting it? Don't be afraid to create your own traditions.

DATE: October 31 - November 2 or November 4 -or- when the Sun is at 15 degrees Scorpio

PLANET: Moon, Mars

DEITIES: Crone Goddesses, Dying/Aging Gods, Sacrificial Gods, Death & Otherworld Deities, All Gods & Goddesses of Fate, Death & the Underworld, Guides & Psychopomps, Judges, Hunters

ELEMENT: Water

COLOR: Black, Orange , Violet, Silver

SYMBOLS: Cauldron, Jack o'Lantern, Mask, Bale-fire, Besom (broom)

ENERGY CENTER: Brow Center: center of the head, behind the bridge of the nose - 3rd Eye

MEANING OF SAMHAIN: "Summer's End" (pronounced: SOW-in)

PRIMARY FOCUS: Transformation, regeneration, honoring / communicating with the dead, divination, honoring / celebrating the harvest, preparing for Winter. Looking back on the past year's accomplishments - wrapping up projects - acknowledging failings and successes.

Cited:
(1) The Encyclopedia of Religion, Lindsay, Ed. Jones; Macmillan Reference Library; 1 edition (January 30, 2005), pp. 177, "Halloween"
(2) The Encyclopedia Britannica, 15th edition, Micropaedia, Vol. IV, p. 862, "Halloween".
(3) Jack Santino, All Around the Year: Holidays & Celebrations in American Life, 1994, p. 26