The Year begins for the Celts at Samhain.
Samhain or Samhein (pronounced Sow-in);
The festival of The Ancestors, The Great Harvest
The ancient and most holy festival day in the year of the
ancient Irish Celts.
ancient Irish Celts.
On this day the last of the great harvest festivals was
celebrated. This day marked the end of one year and the beginning of another,
and is rightly considered the Celtic new year. The first half of the year was
winter or the dark half of the year. The veil between the worlds is thinnest at
this time. Most Celtic festivals are three day feasts. This feast is unusual in
that it is not only the day before, of, and after that are celebrated, though
it might have been thus in ancient times. Since the advent of the church and
Christianity it is The Eve of All Hallows, November 1st which is All
Saints day, and the night of November 2nd which is All Souls night
that are celebrated. The day before was probably when they brought in the last
harvest and made preparations for the festival. It should be honored as well.
celebrated. This day marked the end of one year and the beginning of another,
and is rightly considered the Celtic new year. The first half of the year was
winter or the dark half of the year. The veil between the worlds is thinnest at
this time. Most Celtic festivals are three day feasts. This feast is unusual in
that it is not only the day before, of, and after that are celebrated, though
it might have been thus in ancient times. Since the advent of the church and
Christianity it is The Eve of All Hallows, November 1st which is All
Saints day, and the night of November 2nd which is All Souls night
that are celebrated. The day before was probably when they brought in the last
harvest and made preparations for the festival. It should be honored as well.
Families would have gathered together both to fellowship
with each other and hold communion with their ancestors and with The Divine in
whatever forms they believed in, on the eve of all hallows. Traveling would
have been very rare on this night. Sacrifices to show thankfulness to The
Divine, and to try and ritually ensure good harvests the following year would
have been made. In some places we know that human sacrifices were made but not
usually in the horrific manner that many assume. Almost all of the sacrifices
would have been people who were willing. The Celts believed in the
transformation of the soul and in reincarnation so much that it would not have
been as traumatic a process for them as it would be for us in modern times.
Most people believed that they were protecting their peoples by allowing
themselves to be sacrificed. The sacrifices were also to try and garner favor
with the powers that be, so as to make the cold harsh bitter winters as short
as possible. Many of the human sacrifices at this time would have been elderly
people who felt they had lived a long life and wanted to make sure the younger
generations had the chance to do the same. It is also understood that in some
places, those willing to be sacrificed would have been seen as heroic and it
was believed that their souls would have ascended right into the halls of the
gods where they would be seated with the gods having become themselves divine
in nature. This would have also led some Celts to ancestral worship.
with each other and hold communion with their ancestors and with The Divine in
whatever forms they believed in, on the eve of all hallows. Traveling would
have been very rare on this night. Sacrifices to show thankfulness to The
Divine, and to try and ritually ensure good harvests the following year would
have been made. In some places we know that human sacrifices were made but not
usually in the horrific manner that many assume. Almost all of the sacrifices
would have been people who were willing. The Celts believed in the
transformation of the soul and in reincarnation so much that it would not have
been as traumatic a process for them as it would be for us in modern times.
Most people believed that they were protecting their peoples by allowing
themselves to be sacrificed. The sacrifices were also to try and garner favor
with the powers that be, so as to make the cold harsh bitter winters as short
as possible. Many of the human sacrifices at this time would have been elderly
people who felt they had lived a long life and wanted to make sure the younger
generations had the chance to do the same. It is also understood that in some
places, those willing to be sacrificed would have been seen as heroic and it
was believed that their souls would have ascended right into the halls of the
gods where they would be seated with the gods having become themselves divine
in nature. This would have also led some Celts to ancestral worship.
It was custom at this time and at the time of Beltaine, that
all the fires in the land were extinguished for a time and the high-kings fire
which was made by his Druids would have been the only fire burning during the
ritual. Torches were lit from this fire and runners went out from the kings
fire carrying the light to ritual purify all the fires in the land which were
re-lit and reborn from the flames of the torches, the runners carried. It was a
beautiful tradition that was wiped out by St. Patrickus, who despised and later
murdered or forcibly converted the druids and or their followers. Hence the
legend of driving the so-called snakes out of Ireland. Snakes in the case being
symbolic of the druids.
all the fires in the land were extinguished for a time and the high-kings fire
which was made by his Druids would have been the only fire burning during the
ritual. Torches were lit from this fire and runners went out from the kings
fire carrying the light to ritual purify all the fires in the land which were
re-lit and reborn from the flames of the torches, the runners carried. It was a
beautiful tradition that was wiped out by St. Patrickus, who despised and later
murdered or forcibly converted the druids and or their followers. Hence the
legend of driving the so-called snakes out of Ireland. Snakes in the case being
symbolic of the druids.
After the advent of Christianity which brought with it the
idea of the angel of death, or St. Death which has various names in Christian
and Jewish mythology (traditionally The Arch-Angel Azriel The lead death angel,
who is under the command of Gabriel), and who later became myth-ified to
another archetypal figure altogether whom we call The Grim-Reaper; Death itself
was also honored to a degree in some circles after this era.
idea of the angel of death, or St. Death which has various names in Christian
and Jewish mythology (traditionally The Arch-Angel Azriel The lead death angel,
who is under the command of Gabriel), and who later became myth-ified to
another archetypal figure altogether whom we call The Grim-Reaper; Death itself
was also honored to a degree in some circles after this era.
Taxes for the kingdom and the high-king were also collected
at this time. Groups of Druids with escorts from the Fianna (The High-King’s or
Ard-Ri’s personal military police force), went out from the kings hall and
traveled through out the whole of Ireland, going door to door as we
say. This is what informed the much later tradition we know of as Trick or
Treat. The title hearkens back to the idea of various punishments the druids
dealt out to people if they refused to pay their taxes when they were able to
do so. Much in the same way our own IRS would carry out various punishments on
us today even if we couldn’t pay our taxes.
at this time. Groups of Druids with escorts from the Fianna (The High-King’s or
Ard-Ri’s personal military police force), went out from the kings hall and
traveled through out the whole of Ireland, going door to door as we
say. This is what informed the much later tradition we know of as Trick or
Treat. The title hearkens back to the idea of various punishments the druids
dealt out to people if they refused to pay their taxes when they were able to
do so. Much in the same way our own IRS would carry out various punishments on
us today even if we couldn’t pay our taxes.
This was a time of great feasting and celebration. Stories would
have been told around hearth fires of legends and also family histories. At
this time of the year, ancestors were seen as being very present amongst us.
have been told around hearth fires of legends and also family histories. At
this time of the year, ancestors were seen as being very present amongst us.
May you find yourself blessed with all good abundance this Hallowed Season!!!
Blessed Be!
Why all Christians should absolutely celebrate All Hallows Eve...
Even if you have no cultural ties to the festival of Samhain now known as Halloween, if you are a christian you should celebrate this day in remembrance and joy!!!
To all of those so-called christians
out there who believe that The Eve of All Hallows, All saints day, & All
souls night should not be celebrated; remember that OCT. 31st should always be
celebrated by christians!!!
out there who believe that The Eve of All Hallows, All saints day, & All
souls night should not be celebrated; remember that OCT. 31st should always be
celebrated by christians!!!
Here is why...
On OCT. 31st 1517 Martin Luther nailed the 95 theses to the door of the roman
catholic church thus beginning the reformation and rebellion that would lead to
the freedom of all christians to worship in the manner of their choice, and
under the doctrine of their choice!!! So remember that your christian freedom
began on The Eve of All Hallows!!!
catholic church thus beginning the reformation and rebellion that would lead to
the freedom of all christians to worship in the manner of their choice, and
under the doctrine of their choice!!! So remember that your christian freedom
began on The Eve of All Hallows!!!
To find information on a wonderful film adaptation of this story folly the link below;
Quote taken from the film mentioned above, from character Martin Luther;
All Saints Day!!!
On this day all saints are honored. Candles are lit in remembrance of the lives they led.
And by saints what I mean is all of the believers who have passed over. I do not believe you have to have performed three miracles and get elected by a committee of so-called holy men to be a saint. A saint in scripture is someone who was a believer who passed on and is now standing in God’s own abode with all of “the faithful”. I call these “The Good Ancestors”. Those people who lived their lives believing in God. I also do not make a huge distinction between spiritual ancestors, blood ancestors, adopted ancestors, ancestors of tradition, and so on. To me an ancestor is an ancestor.
So In Memoriam I leave this picture which is my own internet version lol (and no I did not make the picture lol) of a sacred perpetual flame, in honor of God's Saints!!!
All Souls Night !!!
All Souls Night;
On this night we light candles in remembrance and on behalf of All Souls, those lost and those who have found their way to The Light already. We offer prayers for the well being of our loved ones and the dearly departed who have crossed over, and wish them well. We also offer up prayers on behalf of all the souls who wander stuck in-between worlds, many of whom are not at rest and have not reached peace. We remember them and their plight, and offer up prayers as we would hope others would do for us if we were lost so that we could find our way home. Remember the teaching of Christ to treat others as we would wish to be treated? Well this is one of the multitude of meanings and applications of that teaching.
With this observance the feast of Samhain ends, though the season of Samhain and The Harvest continues for us today until after the feast of Thanksgiving, after which Christmas-tide shall begin.
More Coming Soon...
Thanksgiving
Christmas-tide / Yule
More will follow...
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