IMBOLC LORE
“Imbolc, (pronounced “IM-bulk” or “EM-bowlk”), also called Oimealg, (“IM-mol’g), by the Druids, is the festival of the lactating sheep. It is derived from the Gaelic word “oimelc” which means “ewes milk”. Herd animals have either given birth to the first offspring of the year or their wombs are swollen and the milk of life is flowing into their teats and udders. It is the time of Blessing of the seeds and consecration of agricultural tools. It marks the center point of the dark half of the year. It is the festival of the Maiden, for from this day to March 21st, it is her season to prepare for growth and renewal. Brighid’s snake emerges from the womb of the Earth Mother to test the weather, (the origin of Ground Hog Day), and in many places the first Crocus flowers began to spring forth from the frozen earth.  The Maiden is honored, as the Bride, on this Sabbat. Straw Brideo’gas (corn dollies) are created from oat or wheat straw and placed in baskets with white flower bedding. Young girls then carry the Brideo’gas door to door, and gifts are bestowed upon the image from each household. Afterwards at the traditional feast, the older women make special acorn wands for the dollies to hold, and in the morning the ashes in the hearth are examined to see if the magic wands left marks as a good omen. Brighid’s Crosses are fashioned from wheat stalks and exchanged as symbols of protection and prosperity in the coming year. Home hearth fires are put out and re-lit, and a besom is place by the front door to symbolize sweeping out the old and welcoming the new. Candles are lit and placed in each room of the house to honor the re-birth of the Sun.

Another traditional symbol of Imbolc is the plough. In some areas, this is the first day of ploughing in preparation of the first planting of crops. A decorated plough is dragged from door to door, with costumed children following asking for food, drinks, or money. Should they be refused, the household is paid back by having its front garden ploughed up. In other areas, the plough is decorated and then Whiskey, the “water of life” is poured over it. Pieces of cheese and bread are left by the plough and in the newly turned furrows as offerings to the nature spirits. It is considered taboo to cut or pick plants during this time. Various other names for this Greater Sabbat are Imbolgc Brigantia (Caledonni), Imbolic (Celtic), Disting (Teutonic, Feb 14th), Lupercus (Strega), St. Bridget’s Day (Christian), Candlemas, Candlelaria (Mexican), the Snowdrop Festival. The Festival of Lights, or the Feast of the Virgin. All Virgin and Maiden Goddesses are honored at this time.”

Imbolc Lore Article excerpt from Akasha at wicca.com/celtic

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“Patient work you will need to fulfill
Your knowledge and skill indispensable
Your tasks bring honor to you and your clan
And community spirit be you woman or man.”

OBLIGATION AND DISCIPLINE
“You will need self-discipline in order to stay focused and complete your tasks at hand. The work that you do is very important and honorable; you can take pride in your accomplishments. Your skills are needed by your family and perhaps even by your community, and your abilities have the potential to boost your status. You may be up for a promotion, more responsibility, or even a new career. A new opportunity may come as a big surprise or a sudden change, as the wheels seem to have been set in motion by outside forces. Your ability to make something out of nothing may benefit you as you attempt to roll with these changes in an unselfish manner.”

“Patience is your focus at this times; the winds of changes are blowing, but you must allow things to happen in their own time. Meet your current obligations before moving forward with other activities. Take this time to spin your own thread and plan while you wait for the outside forces that weave the future.”

OIR – SPINDLE SYMBOLISM AND LORE
“A spindle tree is seen beyond the door of the roundhouse where a woman spins wool into heavy thread. The first spinning wheels weren’t what we think of today, with their big wheel and spokes, but were instead simple, rustic drop spindles. the spindle tree’s wood is perfect for making drop spindle because it is very straight, hard wood. This is patient work, but each family and the entire community relied on this important work to clothe them, and the Celts were known for their bright-colored clothing with intricate checks and tartan fabrics.”

“If a woman was skilled and dedicated, she could spin and weave enough for her family and to trade with others, bringing her high status in the clan. The whorl stone on her drop spindle is similar to ones found in archeological digs from the third to fifth centuries. We also see a loom in the background, which she will use to weave her cloth. Spindle was indeed the wood used to craft its namesake textile tool. In fact, there were even whorl stones found up until the eighth century with ogham and Latin inscriptions carved on them with complimentary messages or blessings on its owner. One can imagine the power of that blessing as the spindle spun away, sending that blessing into the air with every spin, and into each thread as well. Maybe this old practice is why, in the language of flowers, the flowers of the spindle tree mean “your charms are engraven on my heart.”

“A spindle is a powerful tool indeed. Through hard work, it transforms one thing into another, seeming to do the impossible. Spindles and, later on, spinning wheels became associated with the Fates, the mystical women who hold sway over life and death itself, further pointing to the spindle’s tree’s equal benefits and dangers, as its wood is useful, but its berries are poinsonous.”

Today’s message is from Voice of the Trees by Mickie Mueller.

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“You are unstoppable. You have full creative sovereignty over your present which creates your future. All things are possible because you are possible – and the possibilities are endless without limits. Allow your entire being to fill with joy and excitement as the truth reminds you of how far you can reach. Let it become impossible to see yourself as anything less than totally unlimited. You are worthy of complete happiness. Allow the Universe, unseen forces, entities, spirit guides, angels, helpers, aids, fairies, and more – to conspire on your behalf - and achieve your dreams.”

A MESSAGE FOR YOU
“Let your dreams become a reality today. What does your heart desire? You’re at an important juncture in your life when it’s time to make decisions about what you truly want. Spend time alone in quiet contemplation and consider your heart’s desires, as many options are open to you now. The great news is that once you’ve clearly pinpointed your deepest desires and know that you are deserve them, the doors of opportunity all easily open for you. You’ll dance in partnership with your intuition; first listening to the inner voice and next taking action upon that guidance. Although your path may involve some work and tenacity, it will be smooth and peaceful. You deserve to be happy. Your happiness has the power to uplift the entire world and radiates healing energy wherever you go – with everyone you meet.”

Excerpts taken from Choose Them Wisely: Thoughts Become Things! by Mike Dooley and Life Purpose Oracle Cards by Doreen Virtue.

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“Winter Solstice has been celebrated in cultures the world over for thousands of years. This start of the solar year is a celebration of Light and the rebirth of the Sun. In old Europe, it was known as Yule, from the Norse, Jul, meaning wheel. Today, many people in Western-based cultures refer to this holiday as “Christmas.” Yet a look into its origins of Christmas reveals its Pagan roots. Emperor Aurelian established December 25 as the birthday of the “Invincible Sun” in the third century as part of the Roman Winter Solstice celebrations. Shortly thereafter, in 273, the Christian church selected this day to represent the birthday of Jesus, and by 336, this Roman solar feast day was Christianized. January 6, celebrated as Epiphany in Christendom and linked with the visit of the Magi, was originally an Egyptian date for the Winter Solstice.

Most of the customs, lore, symbols, and rituals associated with “Christmas” actually are linked to Winter Solstice celebrations of ancient Pagan cultures. While Christian mythology is interwoven with contemporary observances of this holiday time, its Pagan nature is still strong and apparent. Pagans today can readily re-Paganize Christmastime and the secular New Year by giving a Pagan spiritual focus to existing holiday customs and by creating new traditions that draw on ancient ways. Here are some ways to do this:

• Celebrate Yule with a series of rituals, feasts, and other activities. In most ancient cultures, the celebration lasted more than a day. The ancient Roman Saturnalia festival sometimes went on for a week. Have Winter Solstice Eve and Day be the central focus for your household, and conceptualize other holiday festivities, including New Year’s office parties and Christmas visits with Christian relatives, as part of your Solstice celebration. By adopting this perspective, Pagan parents can help their children develop an understanding of the multicultural and interfaith aspects of this holiday time and view “Christmas” as just another form of Solstice. Have gift exchanges and feasts over the course of several days and nights as was done of old. Party hearty on New Year’s Eve not just to welcome in the new calendar year, but also to welcome the new solar year.
• Adorn the home with sacred herbs and colors. Decorate your home in Druidic holiday colors red, green, and white. Place holly, ivy, evergreen boughs, and pine cones around your home, especially in areas where socializing takes place. Hang a sprig of mistletoe above a major threshold and leave it there until next Yule as a charm for good luck throughout the year. Have family/household members join together to make or purchase an evergreen wreath. Include holiday herbs in it and then place it on your front door to symbolize the continuity of life and the wheel of the year. If you choose to have a living or a harvested evergreen tree as part of your holiday decorations, call it a Solstice tree and decorate it with Pagan symbols.
• Convey love to family, friends, and associates. At the heart of Saturnalia was the custom of family and friends feasting together and exchanging presents. Continue this custom by visiting, entertaining, giving gifts, and sending greetings by mail and/or phone. Consider those who are and/or have been important in your life and share appreciation.
• Reclaim Santa Claus as a Pagan Godform. Today’s Santa is a folk figure with multicultural roots. He embodies characteristics of Saturn (Roman agricultural god), Cronos (Greek god, also known as Father Time), the Holly King (Celtic god of the dying year), Father Ice/Grandfather Frost (Russian winter god), Thor (Norse sky god who rides the sky in a chariot drawn by  goats), Odin/Wotan (Scandinavian/Teutonic All-Father who rides the sky on an eight-legged horse), Frey (Norse fertility god), and the Tomte (a Norse Land Spirit known for giving gifts to children at this time of year). Santa’s reindeer can be viewed as forms of Herne, the Celtic Horned God. Decorate your home with Santa images that reflect His Pagan heritage.
• Honor the Goddess as Great Mother. Place Pagan Mother Goddess images around your home. You may also want to include one with a Sun child, such as Isis with Horus. Pagan Goddess forms traditionally linked with this time of year include Tonantzin (Native Mexican corn mother), Holda (Teutonic earth goddess of good fortune), Bona Dea (Roman women’s goddess of abundance and prophecy), Ops (Roman goddess of plenty), Au Set/Isis (Egyptian/multicultural All Goddess whose worship continued in Christian times under the name Mary), Lucina/St. Lucy (Roman/Swedish goddess/saint of light), and Befana (Italian Witch who gives gifts to children at this season).
• Honor the new solar year with light. Do a Solstice Eve ritual in which you meditate in darkness and then welcome the birth of the sun by lighting candles and singing chants and Pagan carols. If you have an indoor fireplace or an outdoor fire circle, burn an oak log as a Yule log and save a bit to start next year’s fire. Decorate the inside and/or outside of your home with electric colored lights. Because of the popularity of five pointed stars as holiday symbols, this is a good time to display a pentagram of blue or white lights.
• Contribute to the manifestation of more wellness on Planet Earth. Donate food and clothing to poor in your area. Volunteer time at a social service agency. Put up bird feeders and keep them filled throughout the winter to supplement the diets of wild birds. Donate funds and items to non-profit groups, such as Pagan/Wiccan churches and environmental organizations. Meditate for world peace. Work magic for a healthier planet. Make a pledge to do some form of good works in the new solar year.”

References

• Campanelli, Pauline & Dan, Wheel of the Year: Living the Magical Life. St. Paul: LLewellyn, 1989, pages 1-16.
• Crim, Keith, editor, The Perennial Dictionary of World Religions. San Francisco: Harper & Row, 1989, pages 154, 182.
• Ek, Hildur, Jul Tomtar, Jul Bockar and Sheaves of Grain. Lindsborg, KS: Barbos Printing, 1983.
• Farrar, Janet & Stewart, Eight Sabbats for Witches. London: Hale, 1981, chapter 11.
• Funk & Wagnalls, Standard Dictionary of Folklore, Mythology and Legend. New York: Funk & Wagnalls, 1979, pages 229-230, 974-975,
• Royale, Duncan, History of Santa: from 2000 BC to the 20th Century. Fullerton, CA: M. E. Duncan, 1987.
• Scullard, H. H., Festivals and Ceremonies of the Roman Republic. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 1981. pages 205-212.

Article by Selena Fox – Circle Sanctuary.

To read SpiritbloggerKIDS blog click here to learn additional ideas to celebrate Winter Solstice 2011.

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Brigid speaks: “We are the fae, and the dragon. We are the blood of the ancients and the blood of the star-seekers, woven till indivisible, yet each strand working its magick. We are enchanted and practical. We are mothers, daughters, fathers, and sons. You are the wise woman, the crone, the hag, the maiden, the light-footed innocent, the courageous mother bringing forth life from her womb. We are born into blood, and this blood within us is of our ancestors.”

“Our ancestors know that our bloods have mingled many times and that those of us who seek to distinguish ourselves from each other know not the truth. I am One. You are Me. I am You. We are One. That is the truth of the nature within you. Find the magick of the knowing. Find that which you fear and know it within your own blood and heartbeat. For that is the way to conquer all fear, all ignorance and all separation from the Mother. You are Her. She is You. And she is within you and will remain with you forever. There is nothing beyond her, and to deny her now is to deny what you are. I am Dragon. I am Fae. I am Goddess. I am human. I am all there is, and there is all in me – just as there is all in you. See this, and cease to seek separation.”

MESSAGE FOR YOU
“Finding the common areas between yourself and another very different person. Understanding that aging is part of the human process. Moving beyond conditioned fears. Understanding the truth of the other, having compassion and respect for difference, understanding of soul truths, great love. Women having children and mother issues all come up with this card makes her gracious presence felt. Work with candles, flames and keep the light going in your life. Reduce the artificial light in your life and increase the sun and moonlight, the starlight, the light from flame and candlelight. Be sure to strive for justice, as Brigid ensures that what is right and fair will indeed take place. Make an offering at a waterway (the sea, a well, a lake, or a river).”

ABOUT BRIGID
“Brigid is the great Irish Celtic triple Goddess, mother of all, Goddess of the forge, of birth, of the hearth and home, and of sacred wells and waters. Transformed by the church into a christian saint, she pre-dates her saint counterpart by some 4,000 years. She is a well of kindness and strength, the patroness of those who are going through any form of struggle to be born into another time in their lives. She carries a sword and knows that this time will be eased if you hold onto hope, and understand that this is an experience that all beings endure…but it will not last. So do not struggle, because the light is in sight and it will be warm and safe and good very soon, and you will be better off for having known the hardship you are currently experiencing.”

Today’s special message is from Oracle of the Dragonfae by Lucy Cavendish.

Click here to read  Spirit Message of the Day for Kids for Ideas to Celebrate Winter Solstice 2011 with your family. 

“If it’s so simple, then, why do we use all the symbols, candles, incantations, and other mystical tools and trappings? All of these things help to focus our mind and out intent. Symbols, like words, are filled with power, sometimes very ancient strong power. By their nature. symbols trigger a response deep in the human psyche. They help activate our connection with power, the power inherent within us all and the power available within the universe.”

“You can use symbols to increase your own magic and weave it throughout every aspect of your life. Even mundane, day-to-day activities can sparkle with magic. Sounds like a pretty nice way to experience life, doesn’t it? Our Celtic Witch embodies a life woven with magic. The Celts filled their lives with intricate and beautiful symbols. Behind our witch is an elaborate Celtic knot, showing the complexity and interconnectedness of the universe. It reminds us that magic is in everything.”

“Around her head is an odd symbol that echos another ancient magical tradition: the scarab was a symbol of creation in Egyptian magic. It is an appropriate symbol for a headpiece, signifying that by focusing her mind, she can create change in the world. She wears a pentagram, representing the elements (earth, water, fire, and air) and spirit, again showing how intent or will in harmony with spirit can influence the mundane elements. The various spiral and knot tattoos acknowledge the importance of the connectedness of all life and the cycles of nature. She carries a red candle, representing passion, fire, and the mother goddess from whom all creation comes.”

MESSAGE FOR YOU
Magick is the art of manifestation; causing change by aligning your will with your desire, with positive intent, to manifest your wishes with harm to none. “It is time to imbue your life with magic…tap into your power…plug in to the universe. There is so much available to you. Notice signs and symbols around you; what kinds of power or magic are they hinting at? How can you share this magic? Research magical and historical symbols. Discover one that represents what you are seeking and that which resonates with your soul. Find ways to sprinkle that symbol throughout your daily life to inspire and encourage you. Draw it on a piece of paper and stick it to your mirror so you see it every morning. Find a piece of jewelry that incorporates it. Make a cover for your journal that includes it. Make a cake and draw the symbol into the frosting. Do whatever you can to focus your mind and intent to help create the change and make the magic you desire.”

Today’s inspirational message is from Enchanted Oracle by Barbara Moore and art by Jessica Galbreth.

To read today’s Spiritblogger’s for Kids message – click here.

CELTIC FOLKLORE
“Taliesin, the famous bard, was a man very much in touch with the concept of oneness. Oneness is a belief that we are not only connected to everything, we are actually part of everything on a very deep level.  Previously known as Gwion Bach, Taliesin was reborn of a goddess Cerridwen after a shapeshifting battle of wits and born with the knowledge of everything in the world and his place in it. As an infant he spoke in verse, proclaiming that knowledge. He also spoke that he remembered having been a blue salmon, a dog, a stag, a roebuck on the mountain, a stock, a spade, an axe in the hand, a stallion, a buck, a bull, and a grain of the fields. In this card, Taliesin rejoices in the oneness of the universe and takes his place within the magical, sacred grove of trees.”

“Groves were the temples of the druids and of many other people of earth-based faiths. A grove is a gathering of trees with a clearing in the center; many of the trees in the druids’ sacred groves were the faerie triad of oak, ash, and hawthorn. Apple, willow, beech, and yew were trees often traditionally associated with the sacred grove as well. In fact, there are as many sacred groves as there are forests, all trees being sacred. This was a place where all knowledge came together – a place of peace and justice. A sacred grove would have been a place specifically consecrated as a temple, a place simultaneously of the material world and the spirit world. It was magically protected as a place to worship, to raise and send energy, and to gather for council meetings and other judicial events.”

MESSAGE FOR YOU
“This card represents Oneness and Consciousness. Wisdom is readily available to you; you need only to look within. There are connections between events that you may not have seen before, but those connections are very important in helping you to see through the illusions that are at hand. The situation may be more complicated that you realize; try to see the situation as a whole rather than focusing on the individual aspects. Also don’t forget that the decisions you make will ripple out to others, so act responsibly and teach others by your example. Things may seem very complex, so be careful not to miss the forest for the trees. Otherwise, you may be involved in resolving a conflict, which will be difficult because of the complexity of the situation. There is a lot of confusion; try to back up and see the whole picture. Don’t get bogged down in the details.”

FIELD GUIDE
“So how do you locate a sacred grove? Well, there are many sacred sites to visit in the British Isles and Celtic Regions, such as the Fairy Glen at Rosemarkie on the Black Isle or the Druid Oaks of Avalon at Glastonbury. Sadly, when the Romans invaded, they burned most of the druids’ groves and ceremonial sites. Of course, the land that the sacred groves once stood on can still be visited. There, under the gentle hand of the Green Man, the offspring of the original trees of the druids’ sacred groves may now populate those areas. Some of the groves that were in secret places may still exist.”

“To find a sacred grove, go into the wild places anywhere in the world and feel with your heart; when you find your grove, you will know. Or better yet, plant one of your own. You could plant an apple orchard or oak, ash, and hawthorn trees in your own yard. Or, perhaps ogham trees if they might grow in your region. Remember, a sacred space is where you make it.” 

Today’s inspirational message is from Voice of the Trees: A Celtic Divination Oracle by Mickie Mueller.

Click here to read today’s post for Spiritblogger’s Blog for KIDS!

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Many today see Halloween as the pagan holiday. But that’s not really accurate. As the pagan holiday of Samhain is on November 1st. But their celebrations did and still do, start at sunset on October 31st, on Samhain Eve. During the day on October 31st, the fires within the home are extinguished. Often families would engage in a good “fall” cleaning to clear out the old and make way for the new. Starting the winter months with fresh and clean household items.

At sunset on October 31, clans or local villages begin the formal ceremonies of Samhain by lighting a giant bonfire. The people would gather around the fire to burn crops and animals as sacrifices to the Celtic deities. It was a method of giving the Gods
and Goddesses their share of the previous years herd or crops. In addition these sacred fires were a big part of the cleansing of the old year and a method to prepare for the coming new year.

During the celebration, the Celts wore costumes, and danced around the bonfire. Many of these dances told stories or played out the cycles of life and death or commemorated the cycle of Wheel of Life. These costumes were adorned for three primary reasons.

The first was to honor the dead who were allowed to rise from the Otherworld. The Celts believed that souls were set free from the land of the dead during the eve of Samhain. Those that had been trapped in the bodies of animals were released by the Lord of the Dead and sent to their new incarnations. The wearing of these costumes signified the release of these souls into the physical world.

Not all of these souls were honored and respected. Some were also feared as they would return to the physical world and destroy crops, hide livestock or ‘haunt’ the living who may have done them wrong. The second reason for these traditional costumes was to hide from these malevolent spirits to escape their trickery.

The final representation was a method to honor the Celtic Gods and Goddesses of the harvest, fields and flocks. Giving thanks and homage to those deities who assisted the village or clan through the trials and tribulations of the previous year. And to ask for their favor during the coming year and the harsh winter months that were approaching.

In addition to celebrations and dance, it was believed that this thin veil between the physical world and the Otherworld provided extra energy for communications between the living and the dead. With these communications, Druid Priests, and Celtic Shamans would attempt to tell the fortunes of individual people through a variety of methods. For a people entirely dependent on the volatile natural world, these prophecies were an important source of comfort and direction during the long, dark winter.

These psychic readings would be conducted with a variety of divination tools. Such as throwing bones, or casting the Celtic Ogham. There is some historical evidence that additional tools of divination were also used. Most of this comes from writings recorded by Roman invaders, but there are stories of reading tea leaves, rocks and twigs, and even simple spiritual
communications that today we’d call Channeling. Some historians have suggested that these early people were the first to use tiles made from wood and painted with various images which were the precursor to Tarot Cards. There’s no real evidence to support this, but the ‘story’ of these tiles has lingered for centuries.

When the community celebration was over, each family would take a torch or burning ember from the sacred bonfire and return to their own home. The home fires that has been extinguished during the day were re-lit by the flame of the sacred bonfire to help protect the dwelling and it’s inhabitants during the coming winter. These fires were kept burning night and day during the next several months. It was believed that if a home lost it’s fire, tragedy and troubles would soon follow. With the hearth fires lit, the families would place food and drink outside their doors. This was done to appease the roaming spirits who might play tricks on the family.

The Romans began to conquer the Celtic territories. By A.D. 43 they had succeeded in claiming the majority of the Celtic lands. They ruled for approximately four hundred years combining or influencing many Celtic traditional celebrations with their own.
Two Roman holidays were merged with Samhain.

1. Feralia, a day in late October when the Romans traditionally commemorated the passing of the dead.
2. Pomona’s Day of Honoring, the Roman goddess of fruit and trees. The symbol of Pomona is the apple and the incorporation of this celebration into Samhain probably explains the tradition of “bobbing” for apples that is practiced today on Halloween.

Samhain to Halloween
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.

November 1st or May 13th?
Some people confuse Samhain being originally celebrated in May with other pagan and early Christian holidays. Samhain comes from the Gaelic word samain. “Sam” – summer and “fuin” – end. It literally means Summer’s End. The early Irish and Brythonic cultures believed the year was divided in half. The dark half and the light half. Samhain marked the end of the light half and the beginning of the Celtic new year or the dark half.

According to Funk & Wagnalls New Encyclopedia (1979 Vol 12 p 152), The Druids originated the holiday. It was a celebration of Saman Lord of the Dead who was the God of Evil Spirits. There is some debate about this origination as the Druids were not the only, or the first spiritual pagans of Ireland.

Some of the earliest archaeological evidence of the Celts come from their trade routes with the Greeks. Their culture can be followed with great precision from the 5th Century BC through the La Tène culture. From these early records with the Greeks we know of some of their great festivals and in particular one of their biggest Samhain the new years festival. Certainly we can gain information from Julius Caesar who wrote extensively about the Gauls during his invasion campaigns in Ireland during 4th Century BC. Eventually Rome is sacked by the Celts in 3rd Century BC, around 390BC. The Romans in general wrote of their warlike inhabitants and many of their barbaric celebrations which included Samhain

The confusion of May to November 1st probably comes from the Christians and pagan Roman festivals. The Roman Empire was a pagan culture. During their reign they held many pagan festivals and celebrations, one being the Feast of the Lemures on May 13th. During this time malevolent and restless spirits of the dead were appeased and participants would attempt to gain the favor of the spirits. The feast covered a three day period that honored “all the dead” with food, drink and sacrifice.

At the same time Pope Boniface IV consecrated the Pantheon at Rome to the Blessed Virgin and all the martyrs. This was celebrated in the west from May 13, 609 to 610. Pope Gregory III (731–741) during an oratory in St. Peter’s for the relics “of the holy apostles and of all saints, martyrs and confessors, of all the just made perfect who are at rest throughout the world”, moved All Saints Day to November 1.

This is further confused by the early Irish churches who did not celebrate All Hallows Day in November or May, but rather in early spring on April 20th during the Felire of Oengus and the Martyrology of Talaght. A festival of All Saints was already widely celebrated in the days of Charlemagne in November. But it took a decree at the insistence of Pope Gregory IV to all the bishops, that the celebration be confirmed on November 1st.

These early similar celebrations come together around 835AD. The Roman pagan festival is over taken by the early Church, the Irish Church conforms it’s celebrations with Rome, and everyone seems to move their day of the dead to coincide with early Irish pagans and their celebration of Samhain on November 1st. There’s no doubt, however, that the Irish festival of Samhain has always been at the end of summer on November 1st, and has been one of the prominent harvest festivals for Celtic pagans from the past and the present.

The Evolution Of Halloween
“Trick-or-treating” is a modern tradition that probably finds it’s roots in the early All Souls’ Day parades in England. During the festivities, poor citizens would beg for food and families would give them pastries called “soul cakes” in return for their promise to pray for the family’s dead relatives. The distribution of soul cakes was encouraged by the church as a way to replace the ancient practice of leaving food and wine for roaming spirits. The practice, which was referred to as “going a-souling” was eventually taken up by children who would visit the houses in their neighborhood and be given ale, food, and money.

“Dressing up” for Halloween gets it roots from dressing up around the sacred bonfire during the original Celtic festival. Some suggest, this practice originates from England, when it was believed that ghosts came back to the earthly world on Halloween. People thought that they would encounter ghosts if they left their homes, so to avoid being recognized people would wear masks after dark so that the ghosts would mistake them for fellow spirits. In addition, these early English people, would place bowls of food outside their homes to appease the ghosts and prevent them from attempting to enter or cause harm to their homes. A tradition obviously taken from the ancient Celtic pagans.

As European came to America, they brought their varied Halloween traditions with them. Celebration of Halloween in colonial times was much more common in Maryland and the southern colonies. Primarily because Celtic immigrants settled more in these regions than in the north.

As the beliefs and customs of different European ethnic groups meshed together a distinctly American version of Halloween began to emerge. The first celebrations included “play parties,” public events held to celebrate the harvest, where neighbors would share stories of the dead, tell each other’s fortunes, dance, and sing. Colonial Halloween festivities also featured the telling of ghost stories and mischief-making of all kinds. By the middle of the nineteenth century, annual autumn festivities were common, but Halloween was not yet celebrated everywhere in the country.

In the second half of the nineteenth century, America entered an age of mysticism. What was more often termed spiritualism. Metaphysical groups and clubs began to spring up throughout the Golden Age and the wealthier set of Americans. At the same time, America was welcoming a new group of immigrants, especially the millions of Irish fleeing Ireland’s potato famine of 1846. This new cultural influence brought with it a melding of Irish and English traditions, and a new Americans culture was born. People began to dress up in costumes and go house to house asking for food or money, a practice that eventually became today’s “trick-or-treat” tradition. Young women believed that, on Halloween, they could divine the name or appearance of their future husband by doing tricks with yarn, apple parings, or mirrors.

In the late 1800s, there was a move in America to mold Halloween into a holiday more about community and neighborly get-togethers, than about ghosts, pranks, and witchcraft. At the turn of the century, Halloween parties for both children and adults became the most common way to celebrate the day. Parties focused on games, foods of the season, and festive costumes. Parents were encouraged by newspapers and community leaders to take anything “frightening” or “grotesque” out of Halloween celebrations. Because of their efforts, Halloween lost most of its superstitious and religious overtones by the
beginning of the twentieth century.

By the 1920s and 1930s, Halloween had become a secular, but community-centered holiday, with parades and town-wide parties as the featured entertainment. Despite the best efforts of many schools and communities, vandalism began to plague Halloween celebrations in many communities during this time. By the 1950s, town leaders had successfully limited vandalism and Halloween had evolved into a holiday directed mainly at the young. Due to the high numbers of young children during
the fifties baby boom, parties moved from town civic centers into the classroom or home, where they could be more easily accommodated.

Between 1920 and 1950, the centuries-old practice of trick-or-treating was also revived. Trick-or-treating was a relatively inexpensive way for an entire community to share the Halloween celebration. In theory, families could also prevent tricks being played on them by providing the neighborhood children with small treats. A new American tradition was born, and it has continued to grow. By the 1990s, Americans have made Halloween one of the largest commercial holidays. Spending an estimated $6.9 billion annually on Halloween costumes, accessories, decorations and pumpkins.

Samhain Traditions
To pagans the world over, November 1st, still marks the beginning of the New Year. To Witches and Pagans, Samhain is the Festival of the Dead, and for many, it is the most important Sabbat (Holiday) of the year. Although the Feast of the Dead forms a major part of most Pagan celebrations on this eve, and at Samhain voluntary communications are expected and hoped for. The departed are never harassed, and their presence is never commanded. The spirits of the dead are, however, ritually invited to attend the Sabbat and to be present within the Circle.

Orange and Black
The colors of this Sabbat are black and orange. Black to represent the time of darkness after the death of the God (who is represented by fire and the sun) during an earlier Sabbat known as Lughnasadh, and the waning of light during the day. Orange represents the awaiting of the dawn during Yule (Dec. 21st to Jan. 1st) when the God is reborn.

Jack O’Lanterns
There is some debate about the origination of Jack-o-lanterns. One line suggests this custom originated from the lighting of candles for the dead to follow as they walked the earth. These candles were placed in hallowed out gourds and put on the ground to light the way. Others suggest the practice originates from a Christianized Irish myth about a man nicknamed “Stingy Jack.”

Stingy Jack and the Devil enter a pub to have a drink. Jack convinces the Devil to turn himself into a coin to pay for the drinks. But instead of using the coin, Jack slipped it into his pocket and next to a silver cross. The cross prevented the Devil from changing back into his original form. But Jack eventually freed the Devil, under the condition that he would not bother Jack for one year. And if Jack should die during that year, the Devil would not claim his soul. And the Devil agreed to these terms.

Jack again tricked the Devil. This time, the Devil climbed into a tree to pick a piece of fruit. While he was up in the tree, Jack carved a sign of the cross into the tree’s bark so that the Devil could not come down. Once again, Jacked struck a bargain with the Devil. He would free the Devil from the tree if he promised not to bother Jack for ten more years. And if Jack died during those years, the Devil would not claim his soul. And the Devil again agreed to these terms.

Not long after this, Jack did indeed died. But because of his trickery, God would not allow him into heaven. In keeping his word not to take his soul, the Devil also would not allow Jack into hell. Instead, the Devil sent Jack out into the darkness of the world between worlds with nothing but a burning piece of coal. Jack placed the coal into a carved out turnip and has been roaming the Earth ever since. The Irish began to refer to Jack’s ghostly figure as “Jack of the Lantern,” and then, simply as “Jack O’Lantern.”

The Irish and Scottish people began making lanterns by carving scary faces into turnips or potatoes and placing them into windows or near doors to frighten away the wandering evil spirits. In England, large beets were used. Immigrants from these countries brought the tradition to America where they found the pumpkin, a fruit native to America, that made the perfect jack o’lanterns.

Tricks & Treats
Treats also originated from an old custom of leaving cookies and other foods out for those relatives to enjoy as they shared this one night of feasting. The ‘trick’ portion of “Trick or Treat” was an invention of the Christians. The tricks were supposedly caused by the dead who didn’t receive a treat of food left for them when they arrived at your door.

The Controversary of Samhain and Halloween
As Halloween, All Hallows Eve are Christian created holidays devised by the early Churches of Europe as a means to convert pagans to Christianity. The celebrations were indeed taken from pagan practices, but their purposes have long since been corrupted and are no longer pagan in nature. Right down to being practiced on October 31st. The modern celebrations of Halloween do not take away or alter the spiritual significance of Samhain for pagan practitioners. The Sabbat is still intact and still honored with reverence and in the traditional methods practiced by our ancient pagan ancestors. The main focus of the holiday for pagans is still to honor our loved ones who have passed on and to share in communication with them during this time when the veil between worlds is narrowed.

Excerpts taken from paganspath.com.

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At this festival it is appropriate to wear all of your finery and dine and celebrate in a lavish setting. It is the drawing to and of family as we prepare for the winding down of the year at Samhain. It is a time to finish old business as we ready for a period of rest, relaxation, and reflection.

Mabon is considered a time of the Mysteries. It is a time to honor Aging Deities and the Spirit World. Considered a time of balance, it is when we stop and relax and enjoy the fruits of our personal harvests, whether they be from toiling in our gardens, working at our jobs, raising our families, or just coping with the hussle-bussle of everyday life. May your  Mabon be memorable, and your hearts and spirits be filled to overflowing!” (Excerpts from http://www.wicca.com/celtic/akasha/mabon.htm)

DARK HONEY WHEAT BREAD
“At Mabon, we celebrate the goddess in her aspect as the crone, or the Dark Mother. She is Demeter, she is Hecate, she is the wise old woman wielding a scythe rather than a basket of blooming flowers. This honey wheat blend is a delicious way to celebrate the end of the harvest and say farewell to the fertile months of summer. Serve warm with herbed oils for dipping, or with a big scoop of Apple Butter. Make this either in your bread machine, or by kneading it by hand.”

• 2 C. warm water
• 1 Tbs. active dry yeast
• 1/3 C. honey
• 3 C. whole wheat flour
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/4 C. vegetable oil
• 2 Tbs. butter
• 4 C. all purpose baking
  flour
• 1 teaspoon Cinnamon

“Dissolve the yeast in the warm water. Add honey and mix well. Stir in the whole wheat flour, salt, cinnamon, vegetable oil, and butter and mix until a stiff dough has formed. Gradually work the all-purpose flour into the mix, one cup at a time. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured countertop, and knead for about fifteen minutes. When it reaches the point where it’s sort of elastic, shape it into a ball and place it into an oiled bowl. Cover with a warm, damp cloth, and allow to sit and rise until it’s doubled in size — usually about 45 minutes.

Punch the dough down and cut in half, so you can make two loaves of bread. Place each half in a greased loaf pan, and allow to rise. Once the dough has risen an inch or two above the top of the loaf pan, pop them in the oven. Bake at 375 for half an hour, or until golden brown at the top. When you remove the loaves from the oven, allow to cool for about fifteen minutes before removing from the pan. If you like, brush some melted butter over the top of the hot loaves, to add a pretty golden glaze to them.

Note – If you’re doing this in a bread machine, remember, the recipes makes two loaves. Halve everything if you’re allowing the machine to do the mixing. If you hand mix it, you can still drop the single-loaf balls of dough into the
machine to bake.”

APPLE BUTTER
Apple butter is a delicious treat all year long, and if you make it in the fall with fresh apple sauce, you can preserve it to eat later on. Enjoy this tasty spread on warm bread, or just straight from the jar! You’ll need basic canning supplies like Mason jars with lids, a pair of tongs, and a big pot to get started. This recipe should yield you about ten pints of apple butter.

• 9 quarts of applesauce
• 2 C. apple cider
• 3 Tbs. ground cinnamon
• 1 Tbs, ground cloves
• 1 Tbs. nutmeg
• 3 C. sugar (more if you
  like really sweet apple butter)

You can make this recipe with homemade or store-bought applesauce. Homemade tastes far better, so if you’ve never made your own applesauce, check out the Applesauce recipe at our Family Crafts site. Fill a crock pot with as much applesauce as it takes to bring you about an inch from the top — this will NOT hold all of the applesauce, unless you have a REALLY big crock pot, but that’s okay. It should take about half the applesauce if you use a 5-quart crock.

Add 1 C. of the cider, half the cinnamon, half the cloves and nutmeg, and 1 1/2 C. of the sugar. Set the crock pot on Low, and cover. Allow the applesauce to cook on low setting for about 8 – 12 hours.  Around the 10-hour point, check the amount of applesauce in the pot. It should have reduced significantly by now, so add in the remaining quarts of applesauce, spices, cider and sugar. Mix thoroughly to blend with the applesauce that’s already in the pot, and allow to simmer for a few more hours, until the applesauce has reduced to a nice, thick brown apple butter.

Optional – use a hand-held mixer to blend the apple butter into a creamy, smooth texture. Finally, can the apple butter using the following steps: Home Canning Basics, so you’ll have apple butter that lasts for months in your pantry. Serve your apple butter with a loaf of warm, soft bread, or eat it straight from the jar! (Excerpts
taken from http://paganwiccan.about.com/od/maboncooking)

Spicy Butternut Squash Soup

• 1 (2 to 3 pound) butternut squash, peeled and seeded
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 6 cups chicken stock
• ½ teaspoon Nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon Cinnamon
• Pinch of Saffron
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Cut squash into large chunks and roast in the oven at 400 degrees for 30 minutes or until fork tender with an olive oil sprinkle. In large pot melt butter. Add onion and cook until translucent, then garlic. Add roasted squash and stock.
Bring to a simmer. Remove squash chunks with slotted spoon and place in a blender and puree. Return blended squash to pot. Stir and season with nutmeg, cinnamon, saffron, salt, and pepper. Serve with a splash of olive oil and bread. Enjoy!

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“A young couple of warriors are sparring amongst the blooming gorse in the warm sun. Oblivious to the couple, bees work steadily toward their own goals. What started off as a playful training session soon escalates into a passionate battle, each feeling like they have something to prove to the other – their skill, talent, and strength are all under scrutiny by their partner. In the heat of battle, amongst the fragrance of the gorse flowers, a moment passed into being that changed everything; their skills evenly matched, the strength of battle changed into other passions evenly matched as well. Their eyes lock, and something that had been brewing in both of them comes to fruition. The success of a people depends upon their ability to protect and defend as well as to love.”

“Gorse, sometimes called furze, is a fascinating plant that grows in a mass of deep yellow blooms. It is strongly scented and has been compared with coconut and vanilla; it is said that when gorse is in bloom, it is the season for kissing. Gorse blooms almost continuously, so there is always time for love! This also secured gorse’s place as a symbol of fertility. Gorse attracts many bees and is a symbol of achievement through hard work, as well as a signifier of honey production, which means there will be honey for making mead.”

“Gorse was very important to the Celts, especially the health dwellers, who used it as fuel for fires when trees were scarce. Gorse was also the best laundry line around; its spiny thorns thorns didn’t let the clothes blow away, and the blooms left the clothing smelling fresh. In the early spring, farmers often burn fields of gorse to clear the woody stems and spines, encouraging new soft, green growth that cattle and sheep love to feed on. The yellow blossoms covering the hillsides are also associated with the sun and often with Lugh, the sun god, further adding to its associations with fertility, creative energy, and vitality. Gorse is also known as a protective plant against dark magic or curses, protecting happiness and well-being.”

CELTIC DIVINING CHARM
“The strength of a warrior’s passions abound
Or the gentlest of work and the heart is shall pound
Whether fierceness in battle or passion for love
Your strength of the heart you are not bereft of”

MESSAGE FOR YOU
“The strength and passion of a warrior and that of a lover are not actually that different; after all, the saying goes that all is fair in love and war. This card represents the dichotomy of both. We may be spiritual beings, but we live in the material realm, and you may be feeling the need to express that in physical ways. Celebrate your being; your life force and vitality are high, and combining forces with another can bring great rewards. Don’t give up; express your lust for life. There may be a passionate and physical love affair that features prominently. The promise of a bright, warm future and rewards for hard work are assured.”

“Otherwise, if you get too wrapped up in your passion, you may forget to watch out for the thorns! Are you having a good time, or are  you taking too many risks and endangering your heart or your well-being? You may be heading toward a sticky entanglement that you would do best to avoid.”

FIELD GUIDE
“Common gorse (Ulex Europaeus) is native to Europe, although it has many close relatives found in Europe and parts of Africa and Iberia. Gorse is found in the United States, where it was introduced as an ornamental plant in the middle to late 1800′s and is now considered an invasive species due to its aggressive nature.”

“Gorse thrives in sunny, sandy areas and grows in abundance on the heaths. It grows to around eight to sixteen feet tall. When left to grow, its stems can become woody and light-colored, with a yellowish-green tint. Its bark is think and flaky. Young leaves are thin and divided into three leaflets growing off a main stem; as the plant ages, its leaves become small spines. Its tender shoots also become modified into spines. Gorse has a very long blooming season, while the height of its blooms occurs in spring. Its flowers are lipped and pollinated by bees. Once pollinated, a seed pod forms, which loudly pops open in the heat of the sun or by the disturbance of passing bees and livestock, shooting its seeds out. If this sounds familiar, you are correct: gorse is a cousin of broom. Gorse is still used as cattle fodder; in addition, its flowers are edible and are used in salads, as well as for making gorse flower wine.”

Today’s guidance is from Voice of the Trees: A Celtic Divination Oracle by Mickie Mueller.

RECIPE FOR GORSE WINE

• 12 cups of gorse flowers
• 7 pints of water
• 2 pounds sugar
• 1 1/2 cups seedless white raisins
• 2 oranges
• 2 lemons (or 1/4 oz. citric acid)
• 1/8 teaspoon grape tannin
• 1 teaspoon yeast nutrient
• 1 pkg Lalvin EC-1118 yeast

“Put the flowers into primary immediately. Boil half the water, half the sugar and the chopped raisins  together for 1 to 2 minutes, then pour over flowers. Thinly peel the rind from the oranges and the lemons and  add rind (no pith) to primary. Squeeze out the juice and add that too, but not the pulp. Add the tannin and  stir thoroughly. Add cold water to bring total to 1 gallon. When water cools to 90 degrees F, or less, add  the activated yeast and yeast nutrient, stir well and cover. Ferment 3 days, stirring twice daily, then add  remaining sugar and stir to dissolve. Recover primary and continue stirring twice daily until fermentation  subsides or s.g. drops below 1.020.  Strain through a sieve or cloth and transfer to a gallon secondary.  Fit  airlock and set in warm place. Rack after 30 days and again when clear, wait a month and rack again.  Stabilize,  wait 30 days, and sweeten to 1.004-1.006.  Wait additional 30 days, rack into bottles and age 6 months before  tasting it.

Common gorse flowers most strongly in spring, though it bears some flowers year round. The flowers have  a very distinctive strong coconut scent. Western gorse and Dwarf gorse differ in being almost entirely late  summer flowering (August-September in Britain), and also have somewhat darker yellow flowers than Common  gorse. Picking the flowers can be a chore, as the spines seem relentless.  But the reward is a wine that is most  enjoyable.”

Excerpt taken from: http://winemaking.jackkeller.net/request223.asp

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