'Tis All Hallows Eve...Blessed Samhain and Happy Halloween!

       However you choose to celebrate the day (as you can see, I have gone into zombie mode) Halloween, or Samhain ( pronounced 'sow-en')is a time for many things. Dating back to pre-Christianity and of Celtic origin, it was the signal that the harvest season was over and it was time to prepare for the coming winter. Animals were brought in from the fields, herbs were hung to dry, root vegetables were gathered, meat was hung to smoke, and grains were stored in order to make bread. The seeds that had been planted in the spring, tended in the summer, and harvested in the fall had come to fruition. It was the end of the old year and the beginning of the new one. Winter brought with it the time to spend indoors by a warm fire, thinking about the past year, and making plans for the future, and bonding with friends and family to enjoy warm food and the telling of stories.
   It was also time to honor their ancestors. It is said that on All Hallows Eve the veil between the living world and the afterlife is at it's thinnest, when it is possible to communicate with the dead. In ancient Britain All Souls Day (November 1st) was the time for the poor to go begging door-to-door. The wealthier would give them "Soul cakes" and the poor would promise to say a prayer for the dearly departed. Today we see children going door to door requesting a 'treat', if the treat is not forthcoming, the children are obliged to play a 'trick' on them. 
   It is also the time for divination; tarot cards, scrying mirrors, crystal balls, Ouija boards, and tea leaves are all utilized to make contact with the dead or learn of the future. 
   It would be remiss of me to not include the quintessential poem of Halloween; Edgar Allen Poe's "The Raven" beautifully spoken and accompanied with the mystical music of  Omnia, a wonderful band of pagan folk. Enjoy!