Full Moon in Taurus_ Samhain

FULL MOON and another SuperMoon is here on October 27th in earthy Taurus reminding us to ground ourselves in our connection to Mamma Earth and align ourselves with what we truly love. Her illumination will show us what we need to let go of and what will remain, as we stay true to our hearts and embrace the healing tides. ~ Mystic Mamma

We had another Super Full Moon yesterday where we are being encouraged to let go of what we no longer value and align with what we value most. My attention has been drawn more to Halloween this Saturday, October 31st, which was originally the Celtic celebration Samhain.

I’ve been aware of the term “Samhain” for about 25 years when a healer friend of mine invited me to her house in the northeast. She had invited 10 of her friends and clients to attend a ritual on Oct. 31st . She was a bit mysterious about it until I realized that she was letting it unfold and she wanted me to lead it with her. Neither of us had a plan; we just followed our intuition. It was a very powerful experience for all involved as we worked energetically with each person.

I had never heard the term “Samhain” before, but since then I’ve seen it referred to many times.In preparation for this newsletter, I read about the history of Samhain and how and why we now celebrate Halloween instead.

Samhain was a Celtic celebration that marked the end of summer on October 31st and the beginning of the new year on November 1st. some 2000 years ago. They built a giant bonfire and danced around the fire in costumes as they burned crops and animals as a sacrifice to the Celtic deities. They told stories or played out the cycles of life and death, commemorating the Wheel of Life. It was believed that the ghosts of the dead returned to the earth on this night when the veils between the worlds were very thin.

There were three reasons that they wore costumes. The first was to honor the dead who were rising from the underworld. Wearing costumes signified the release of these souls into the physical world. Not all of these souls were honored and respected however; some where feared. It was believed that some would cause destruction or “haunt” the people who may have treated them unfairly. So the second reason they wore costumes was so they would not be recognized by these souls. The third reason was to honor and give thanks to the Celtic Gods and Goddesses of the harvest, the fields and the flocks and to ask for their favor in the coming year.

It was also believed that the veil between the physical world and the spiritual world was thinnest at this time, which allowed communication between the living and the dead to be enhanced.The Celtic priests, the Druids, felt that they could more easily make predictions about the future at this time. It became a time of honoring their ancestors and asking for their wisdom and assistance. **

“With the coming of Christianity in the 800s AD, the early Church in England tried to Christianize the old Celtic festivals. Pope Boniface IV designated the 1st of November as “All Saints Day,” honoring saints and martyrs. He also decreed October 31 as “All Hallows Eve”, that eventually became Hallow’een.

Scholars today widely accept that the Pope was attempting to replace the earlier Celtic pagan festival with a church-sanctioned holiday. As this Christian holiday spread, the name evolved as well. Also called All-hallows Eve or All-hallowmas (from Middle English Alholowmesse meaning All Saints’ Day). 200 years later, in 1000 AD, the church made November 2 All Souls’ Day, a day to honor the dead. It is celebrated similarly to Samhain, with big bonfires, parades, and dressing up in costumes as saints, angels, and devils. Together, the three celebrations, the eve of All Saints’, All Saints’, and All Souls’ day, are called Hallowmas.” ***

Halloween in present days has become a secular holiday for the most part; it is not the pagan celebration that originated it. The “dressing up” and the “begging” were practices that began in England and were brought here as people moved from Europe. Most of us don’t even remember why we celebrate Halloween or what the rituals mean. But the veils between the worlds are truly thinner at this time and we can utilize them to remember and to honor our ancestors, to communicate with them, to forgive them for any misdeeds, and to ask for their help. It’s a great time to do ritual and to set intention for your life, to release patterns for your loved ones, and the family lineage, perhaps patterns that have come down to you. And to give thanks for all that you have and all that you are.

Halloween may not be the sacred holiday that once was celebrated on that day, but it is still possible to make it a sacred holiday. We just need to celebrate it again as it was intended by brining our sacred intention into our ritual. ~ Blessings, Mary

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