Hello beloved rainbow clan,
I found a great page with info about Samhain -
the original version of Halloween.
Love and blessings to you and the 9 sacred directions
your Magenta dancerCup of GOD
Rainbow Warrior of Prophecy
Blessed Song I give to you, to know the Sacred Blue. The home that we long to know true, the loving Blue (heart knowing relatives). Where distance is just a call, when you need all that's water fall (tears) and spring will light up inside your heart to find the blue, red illumination's call (finding your spirit)...aho, may your spirit fly!
Samhain marks one of the two great doorways of the Celtic year, for the Celts divided the year into two seasons: the light and the dark, at Beltane on May 1st and Samhain on November 1st. Some believe that Samhain was the more important festival, marking the beginning of a whole new cycle, just as the Celtic day began at night. For it was understood that in dark silence comes whisperings of new beginnings, the stirring of the seed below the ground. Whereas Beltane welcomes in the summer with joyous celebrations at dawn, the most magically potent time of this festival is November Eve, the night of October 31st, known today of course, as Halloween.
Samhain (Scots Gaelic: Samhuinn) literally means “summer's end.” In Scotland and Ireland, Halloween is known as O�che Shamhna, while in Wales it is Nos Calan Gaeaf, the eve of the winter's calend, or first. With the rise of Christianity, Samhain was changed to Hallowmas, or All Saints' Day, to commemorate the souls of the blessed dead who had been canonized that year, so the night before became popularly known as Halloween, All Hallows Eve, or Hollantide. November 2nd became All Souls Day, when prayers were to be offered to the souls of all who the departed and those who were waiting in Purgatory for entry into Heaven. Throughout the centuries, pagan and Christian beliefs intertwine in a gallimaufry of celebrations from Oct 31st through November 5th, all of which appear both to challenge the ascendancy of the dark and to revel in its mystery.
In the country year, Samhain marked the first day of winter, when the herders led the cattle and sheep down from their summer hillside pastures to the shelter of stable and byre. The hay that would feed them during the winter must be stored in sturdy thatched ricks, tied down securely against storms. Those destined for the table were slaughtered, after being ritually devoted to the gods in pagan times. All the harvest must be gathered in -- barley, oats, wheat, turnips, and apples -- for come November, the faeries would blast every growing plant with their breath, blighting any nuts and berries remaining on the hedgerows. Peat and wood for winter fires were stacked high by the hearth. It was a joyous time of family reunion, when all members of the household worked together baking, salting meat, and making preserves for the winter feasts to come. The endless horizons of summer gave way to a warm, dim and often smoky room; the symphony of summer sounds was replaced by a counterpoint of voices, young and old, human and animal.
In early Ireland, people gathered at the ritual centers of the tribes, for Samhain was the principal calendar feast of the year. The greatest assembly was the 'Feast of Tara,' focusing on the royal seat of the High King as the heart of the sacred land, the point of conception for the new year. In every household throughout the country, hearth-fires were extinguished. All waited for the Druids to light the new fire of the year -- not at Tara, but at Tlachtga, a hill twelve miles to the north-west. It marked the burial-place of Tlachtga, daughter of the great druid Mogh Ruith, who may once have been a goddess in her own right in a former age.
At at all the turning points of the Celtic year, the gods drew near to Earth at Samhain, so many sacrifices and gifts were offered up in thanksgiving for the harvest. Personal prayers in the form of objects symbolizing the wishes of supplicants or ailments to be healed were cast into the fire, and at the end of the ceremonies, brands were lit from the great fire of Tara to re-kindle all the home fires of the tribe, as at Beltane. As they received the flame that marked this time of beginnings, people surely felt a sense of the kindling of new dreams, projects and hopes for the year to come.
Even today, bonfires light up the skies in many parts of the British Isles and Ireland at this season, although in many areas of Britain their significance has been co-opted by Guy Fawkes Day, which falls on November 5th, and commemorates an unsuccessful attempt to blow up the English Houses of Parliament in the 17th century. In one Devonshire village, the extraordinary sight of both men and women running through the streets with blazing tar barrels on their backs can still be seen! Whatever the reason, there will probably always be a human need to make fires against the winter’s dark.
Divination at Halloween
Samhain was a significant time for divination, perhaps even more so than May or Midsummer’s Eve, because this was the chief of the three Spirit Nights. Divination customs and games frequently featured apples and nuts from the recent harvest, and candles played an important part in adding atmosphere to the mysteries. In Scotland, a child born at Samhain was said to be gifted with an d� shealladh, “The Two Sights” commonly known as “second sight,” or clairvoyance.
Apple Magic
At the heart of the Celtic Otherworld grows an apple tree whose fruit has magical properties. Old sagas tell of heroes crossing the western sea to find this wondrous country, known in Ireland as Emhain Abhlach, (Evan Avlach) and in Britain, Avalon. At Samhain, the apple harvest is in, and old hearthside games, such as apple-bobbing, called apple-dookin’ in Scotland, reflect the journey across water to obtain the magic apple.
Dookin' for Apples
Place a large tub, preferably wooden, on the floor, and half fill it with water. Tumble in plenty of apples, and have one person stir them around vigorously with a long wooden spoon or rod of hazel, ash or any other sacred tree.
Each player takes their turn kneeling on the floor, trying to capture the apples with their teeth as they go bobbing around. Each gets three tries before the next person has a go. Best to wear old clothes for this one, and have a roaring fire nearby so you can dry off while eating your prize!
If you do manage to capture an apple, you might want to keep it for a divination ritual, such as this one:
The Apple and the Mirror
Before the stroke of midnight, sit in front of a mirror in a room lit only by one candle or the moon. Go into the silence, and ask a question. Cut the apple into nine pieces. With your back to the mirror, eat eight of the pieces, then throw the ninth over your left shoulder. Turn your head to look over the same shoulder, and you will see and in image or symbol in the mirror that will tell you your answer.
(When you look in the mirror, let your focus go "soft," and allow the patterns made by the moon or candlelight and shadows to suggest forms, symbols and other dreamlike images that speak to your intuition.)
Dreaming StonesGo to a boundary stream and with closed eyes, take from the water three stones between middle finger and thumb, saying these words as each is gathered:
I will lift the stone
As Mary lifted it for her Son,
For substance, virtue, and strength;
May this stone be in my hand
Till I reach my journey’s end.
(Scots Gaelic)
Togaidh mise chlach,
Mar a thog Moire da Mac,
Air bhr�gh, air bhuaidh, ‘s air neart;
Gun robh a chlachsa am dh�rn,
Gus an ruig mi mo cheann uidhe.
Carry them home carefully and place them under your pillow. That night, ask for a dream that will give you guidance or a solution to a problem, and the stones will bring it for you. Thank you http://www.chalicecentre.net/samhain.htm
Other Names: All Hallow's Eve, All Saint's Day/Eve, Ancestor Night, Calangaef, Celtic New Year, Celtic Winter, Day of the Dead, Feast of Spirits, Feast of the Dead, Festival of Pamona, Halloween, Hallowe'en, Hallowmas, Martinmas, November Eve, Samana, Samhuinn, Samonios, Santos, Third Harvest, Vigil of Saman, Vigil of Todos.
Symbols: Acorns, Animal Horn, Bale Fires, Besom, Black Candles, Black Cats, Cauldron, Corn Husk Bundles, Crow Feathers, Disguises, Gourds, Jack O'Lanterns, Leaves, Masks, Plates of Food, Poisonous Herbs, Pumpkins, Scrying Mirror, Skulls, Waning Moon.
Colors: Black, Blue, Dark Blue, Dark Blue-Green, Brown, Gold, Grey, Indigo, Orange, Purple, Red, Russet, Scarlet,White, Yellow.
Astrology: Sun moves from Scorpio into Sagittarius. Planetary rulers are Pluto and Mars. True Samhain occurs when the sun is at 15 degrees Scorpio.
Lunar Correspondence: Waning Crescent Moon.
Deities: Agaman Nibo, Al Uzza, Al-Ilat (Persian), Ala (Eastern Nigeria/West Africa), All Aged Gods, All Sacrificial and Dying Gods, All Underworld Gods and Goddesses, All War Goddesses, Allat (Northern and Central Arabia), Alys, Am-Heh (Egyptian), Anath, Andjety (Egyptian), Angus, Ani (Etruscan), Annis, Anu (Celtic/Irish), Anubis (Egyptian/Greek), Arawn (Celtic/Welsh), Arianrhod (Celtic/Welsh), Astarte (Western Semitic/Phoenician).
Herbs & Botanicals: Acacia, Alder, All Herbs of Scorpio and Pluto, All Poisonous and Hallucinogenic Herbs (as well as roots and rhizomes), Allspice, Almond, Amaranth, Angelica, Apple, Asphodel, Basil, Betony, Bindweed, Blackberry, Blessed Thistle, Borage, Burdock, Carnation, Catnip, Chrysanthemum, Cinquefoil, Cocoa Leaf, Copal, Cowslip, Cypress, Dahlia, Death-Cap Mushrooms, Elder, Enchanter's Nightshade, Evergreens.
Themes: Celtic New Year, Death and Rebirth, God and Goddess in the Underworld, the God has descended to the Underworld, the Goddess is Alone as Crone, Honoring the Ancestors, Third Harvest-Meat,We Prepare for Our Journey Through the Dark of the Year.
Thank you http://www.youtopiainstitute.org/Ancestral%20Coalescense/AC%20Newsletter%20Samhain%202008.htm
| Blue Label
Samhain is popularly known today as Halloween, a contraction of the words "Hallowed Evening", and it retains much of the original form and meaning it had long ago in Celtic lands, despite the efforts of the Church to turn it into an observance of feasting and prayer for their vast pantheon of saints. The Church began calling it Michaelmas, the feast day of St. Michael, but the old Samhain holiday proved to be too potent a drawing card for one lone saint to combat. So it was renamed the Eve of All Saints, or All Hallows Eve, which precedes All Saint's Day, and is still one of the holiest days in Catholicism. The pagan Samhain is not, and never was, associated with evil or negativity. It has always been a time to reaffirm our belief in the oneness of all spirits, and in our firm resolution that physical death is not the final act of existence. Though death is very much a part of Samhain's symbolism, this Sabbat also celebrates the triumph of life over death. Samhain is popularly known today as Halloween, a contraction of the words "Hallowed Evening", and it retains much of the original form and meaning it had long ago in Celtic lands, despite the efforts of the Church to turn it into an observance of feasting and prayer for their vast pantheon of saints. The Church began calling it Michaelmas, the feast day of St. Michael, but the old Samhain holiday proved to be too potent a drawing card for one lone saint to combat. So it was renamed the Eve of All Saints, or All Hallows Eve, which precedes All Saint's Day, and is still one of the holiest days in Catholicism. The pagan Samhain is not, and never was, associated with evil or negativity. It has always been a time to reaffirm our belief in the oneness of all spirits, and in our firm resolution that physical death is not the final act of existence. Though death is very much a part of Samhain's symbolism, this Sabbat also celebrates the triumph of life over death. While it is true that Samhain is no more evil than any other holiday, it is also a fact that evil does exist, and pagans have always been aware of this. Our ancestors sought to protect themselves on this night by carving faces in vegetables to place near windows or at the perimeters of their circle. These were the forerunners of our present day jack-o-lanterns. These carved pumpkin faces are probably relics of the even earlier custom of placing candles in windows to guide the earth-walking spirits along their way. Today it is still a custom in Ireland to place candles in the windows on Samhain night and to leave plates of food for the visiting spirits. There are two possible sources for the origin of the Samhain Sabbat's name. One is from the Aryan God of Death, Samana, and the other is from the Irish Gaelic word "samhraidhreadh", which literally means "the summer's end". Samhain marked the end of summer and the beginning of winter for the Celts, with the day after Samhain being the official date of the Celtic New Year. The reason the Celts chose this point in time as their new year rather than Yule, when the rest of Western pagans celebrate it, was because the sun is at its lowest point on the horizon as measured by the ancient standing stones of Britain and Ireland. This is also a time for harmless pranks, lavish feasting, circle games, and merrymaking which can be teasingly blamed on nearby spirits 
(ala Loki, Abbot, Lord of Misrule etc.)
Samhain bonfires, called balefires in paganism, were once lighted on every hilltop in Britain and Ireland as soon as the sun set on October 30. The word "balefire" comes from the word "boon", which means "extra". The fires serve the purpose of containing the energy of the dead god, lighting the dark night, warding off evil, ushering in the light of the New Year, purifying the ritual space or home, and being the focus of ritual. In many parts of the British Isles these balefires are still lighted on Samhain to honor the old ways. The idea that evil spirits walk the earth at Samhain is a misinterpretation of the pagan belief that the veil of consciousness which separates the land of the living from the land of the dead is at its thinnest on this night. This does not mean that hordes of evil entities cross this chasm. Some pagans believe this veil is made thin by the God's passing through it into the Land of the Dead, and that he will, for the sake of his people, attempt to hold back any spirits crossing into the physical plane whose intent it is to make trouble. In nearly all the Western pagan traditions, deceased ancestors and other friendly spirits are invited to join the Sabbat festivities, and be reunited with loved ones who are otherwise separated by time and dimensions of existence. Some modern scholars claim that Samhain's traditional 'trick or treat' custom was derived from a ploy to to scare away fairies and other mischievous spirits, but it has overtones of being a custom of a much later period, perhaps one which grew up around the Burning Times. During the Burning Times, masking and dark clothing hid the identities of witches going to their covens so that they might escape detection. The mask also had the added benefit of frightening away any inquisitor who might happen upon a lone figure in the woods.
Many modern Pagans and Wiccans include ancestor worship as part of their Samhain celebrations -- it's not out of the ordinary to meet members of the Pagan community who can recite their genealogy back ten or more generations. In addition, because it's common for Wiccans and Pagans to view death not as ending but as the beginning of the next phase of spiritual development, grave rubbings are popular with many Pagans. It's great to use those of your own relatives and family members, but if you find a headstone that strikes you as interesting, there's nothing wrong with making a rubbing from it. Just be respectful.
Awen
[State aloud the name of at least one of your ancestors who has passed over. As you do so, leave an apple on or near the main altar or offering bowl. If you are doing this ritual indoors, you may wish to take the apple outdoors to be left beside a special tree or stone after your ritual is over.]
May you know you are loved.
May you never be forgotten.
I honor the Ancestors.
I honor my blood Ancestors
I honor those who have gone before me.
I honor those who paved the way I now travel.
I honor those who gave their lives that others might live.
I honor those who did not live to see the results of what they began.
I honor those who set for me examples of courage.
I honor those who watch over me now in spirit.
I give you my gratitude.
Here standing on the edge of the new year, may the swords of our warriors swiftly find their mark so they may return home to us. May the healing waters wash over those now wounded or suffering for any reason. Let me prepare for the Winter but never lose sight that the Spring shall come again.
Here standing on the edge of the new year, may all those spirits taken from their bodies find their way to the other side now while the veil is open. May those that passed with hate and bitterness in their hearts be healed by the Divine however they believe it to be. May those who were dear to me find Peace in the knowledge they are loved and will never be forgotten. May they rest cradled in the arms of the Divine and join hands with the ancestors until I meet with them again.
Here standing on the edge of the new year, may I not overlook supporting those who support our warriors and leaders and ourselves. I shall share courage with my neighbor, co-worker and any child who needs it. I will look out for others as they look out me.
May the Awen fill and inspire me to find real solutions to my difficulties. May peace fill my heart and be a product of all my activities. May I become a shining beacon of light in my home, community and country. Let the river of love keep overflowing throughout this new year.
(Pause and meditate for a moment on your goal for the coming year. When the answer comes to you, light their paper with the main candle and allow it to burn to ashes in the offering bowl. Add to the ashes a pinch of salt.).
Awen
(Pause for a moment. If you have any additional offerings, prayers or request do them now.)
Peace up to the Sky
Earth under the Sky
Sky down to the Sea
Strength in every one
The new year has been born.
(Pause for a moment and scatter the ashes and salt to the wind. If you are performing this ritual inside, wait until your ritual is over to take the mixture outdoors.)
This is a new beginning. I will be an example to my community and the next generation. I will not forget the lessons of the year that has passed. I embrace this new year with determination, hope and joy. I will extend my hand to help those around me. My work toward peace and love has just begun.
In the name of the Great Bear of the Starry Heavens and the elemental Earth, we thank the powers of the North. By the magic of the universe, by the gifts of the Earth, I withdraw this Northern Gate and radiate its light.
In the name of the Salmon of Wisdom and the elemental Water, we thank the powers of the West. By the endless waves of the Sea, by the streams in the forests, I withdraw this Western Gate and radiate its light.
In the name of the Great Stag and of the elemental Fire, we thank the powers of the South. By rays of sunlight, by the bolts of lightning, I withdraw this Southern Gate and radiate its light.
In the name of the Hawk of Dawn and of the elemental Air, we thank the powers of the East. By the four winds, by the clouds overhead, I withdraw this Eastern Gate and radiate its light.
Deep within the still center of my being, may I find Peace. Silently within the quiet of the Grove, may I share Peace.
Gently within the great circle of humankind, may I radiate Peace.
May the harmony of lands be complete.
Awen
I now declare this Rite of Samhuin ended, but only in the apparent world.
—by Aigeann
Scrying:
This is one of the best times for scrying. You can use a black mirror or a black or very dark bowl filled with water, if you have a cauldron that would be better. Place lit candles nearby and gaze into the mirror or the bowl.
This is one of the best times for scrying. You can use a black mirror or a black or very dark bowl filled with water, if you have a cauldron that would be better. Place lit candles nearby and gaze into the mirror or the bowl.
A Spell For The Dead: a time for remembrance
( what we call death is but an existence in the cycle of birth and rebirth)
You will need:A black candle,pentagram,salt( represents the salt of the earth),bread ( bread of life)( what we call death is but an existence in the cycle of birth and rebirth)
cast your circle.
Goddess, I ask for your blessings,
"Lift the veil for me that I may greet my ancestors,
Friends and Family who have gone ahead into your realms.
Let only those who wish me well enter within this circle."
Touch the plate of bread and salt
"Welcome to all ancestors who wish me well."
Take a piece of the bread dipped into the salt and eat it
Light the black candle and think of those who have died."This is the time of remembrance of all those gone into the realm of the Dark
The thin veil has been lifted.
My ancestors have come to this feast of the Dead,
I thank them for their presence and words of comfort."
"Let there be no fear in me
Here is the secret symbol of life in death and death in life"
When you feel you have finished thinking of the dead or the special ones you have in mind then cut the circle and bless the goddess. Any bread left over should be placed outside or buried.
1 white candle
picture of the dead person
pentagram
Light the white candle and stare at the flame for a few minutes concentrating on the dead one. When you are ready look at the picture and say,
"You are gone forever;
But through this spell,
My dreams to which
you will come"
Let the candle burn out all the way to the bottom,never blow the candle out. You may sleep with the picture under your pillow if you wish. By three nights you will have dreamt of the dead one in your mind.
I have done this once and it worked. I only tried it once because my dead uncle comes to me in November almost every year. He died in November and that is his month to commune. My dead grandfather comes to me every few years it seems or whenever I am undergoing extreme stress or a major crisis in my life. He comes to me in my dreams and speaks to me, sometimes I remember and sometimes I don`t remember, but I know my unconscious mind remembers. He came to me last about two years ago, perhaps he`ll come for a visit again. I have no need to call,summon or spell craft to commune for they come to me when they feel it is right. Sometimes it is no good to call upon the dead.
Love
Samhain is also the time to see what lies ahead in the new year and perhaps what love lies just ahead for you. If this is the case try this chant. It is to win love. You may want to practice earth magick and draw the one you want to win in the dirt or mud with a stick and repeat this chant. You may also light a red candle and hold something personal of the other person you want to win. Repeat this not only once at this time but throughout October 31 and November 1 for as long as you can. See if you can repeat it in the back of your mind while going about your work and daily chores, like a tape recording in the back of your mind constantly chanting.
Thank you http://www.care2.com/c2c/groups/disc.html?gpp=13462&pst=808041
Pray With Elders around the World
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Relatives, Thank you for your heart! Bless you along the path of your journey. May the winds,find you peace. And shall you learn the dance and song fills all wrongs. I pray with you, the sacred nine directions are pure...I light my fire for you today! Blessings upon you, Cup of God, Magenta Person, Halls of Consciousness, Rainbow Warrior of Prophecy