Samhain
Witches Weekly for the week of October 23, 2004
What does the Samhain/Celtic New Year/All Hallows Eve mean to you?
For me, this is a time of year when I want to gather close with my family and friends, as the dark and cold come on. I feel the ancestors close, and I know that this is their time of year.
Do you do anything special to celebrate or commemorate this sabbat?
I volunteer for and attend the local Reclaiming public ritual. This is a special thing for me because I don't usually go to the public rituals, so Samhain and Beltane are times when I do go and connect with my larger community. Also, the names of the newly dead and the newly born are read, and that feels like important ancestor and community work for me. The year my maternal grandmother died, we keened for the dead at the Samhain ritual. I cried and wailed and pounded the floor, missing my grandma; it was a very gratifying experience to be in a safe space for loud, passionate mourning.
I often cook a big meal for my family, which is special because my husband usually does most of the cooking at home. I set ancestor photos and a plate for the dead at the end of the table, and have been known to make my family talk about their memories of the dead. The kids usually go trick-or-treating then, even though my daughter is really getting too old for that. She's small, though, so she passes for younger. :-)
What does the coming Winter mean to you in terms of spirituality?
A quieter time, a time of reflection, a time to connect with my family and tend my hearth. This particular Winter, I will spend making sure my container for the Work is strong and supports me well.
Witches Weekly for the week of October 23, 2004
What does the Samhain/Celtic New Year/All Hallows Eve mean to you?
For me, this is a time of year when I want to gather close with my family and friends, as the dark and cold come on. I feel the ancestors close, and I know that this is their time of year.
Do you do anything special to celebrate or commemorate this sabbat?
I volunteer for and attend the local Reclaiming public ritual. This is a special thing for me because I don't usually go to the public rituals, so Samhain and Beltane are times when I do go and connect with my larger community. Also, the names of the newly dead and the newly born are read, and that feels like important ancestor and community work for me. The year my maternal grandmother died, we keened for the dead at the Samhain ritual. I cried and wailed and pounded the floor, missing my grandma; it was a very gratifying experience to be in a safe space for loud, passionate mourning.
I often cook a big meal for my family, which is special because my husband usually does most of the cooking at home. I set ancestor photos and a plate for the dead at the end of the table, and have been known to make my family talk about their memories of the dead. The kids usually go trick-or-treating then, even though my daughter is really getting too old for that. She's small, though, so she passes for younger. :-)
What does the coming Winter mean to you in terms of spirituality?
A quieter time, a time of reflection, a time to connect with my family and tend my hearth. This particular Winter, I will spend making sure my container for the Work is strong and supports me well.
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Hello! I'd like to answer your question about what winter means to me! Actually when there are times when I'm snowed in it gives me a chance to reflect on things. It also provides a lesson on better preparing myself for the winter season like do I have enough supplies on hand, do I have enough rock salt and groceries - so that I can enjoy my times when I'm snowed in.
Posted by
Angel |
5:54 PM
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