The Real Meaning of Halloween ( By Starhawk ) Ghosts and goblins, witches on broomsticks, pumpkins, candy and spiderwebs…it’s that time of year again. Halloween—probably every child’s favorite holiday, combining the irresistible attractions of dressing up in costume and eating candy.

But there’s a deeper spiritual meaning that underlies the holiday for Pagans and real Witches—those who follow earth-based Goddess traditions that predate Christianity. As we (in the northern hemisphere) move into the time of cold and the dark of winter, we celebrate our New Year, and honor both death and regeneration.

Ghosts and goblins, witches on broomsticks, pumpkins, candy and spiderwebs…it’s that time of year again. Halloween—probably every child’s favorite holiday, combining the irresistible attractions of dressing up in costume and eating candy.

But there’s a deeper spiritual meaning that underlies the holiday for Pagans and real Witches—those who follow earth-based Goddess traditions that predate Christianity. As we (in the northern hemisphere) move into the time of cold and the dark of winter, we celebrate our New Year, and honor both death and regeneration.

In Northern Europe, Samhain (the Celtic term for Halloween, pronounced sow-in as in ‘sour’) was the time when the cattle were moved from the summer pastures to winter shelter. It was the end of the growing season, the end of harvest, a time of thanksgiving, when the ancestors and the spirits of the beloved dead would return home to share in the feast. Death did not sever one’s connections with the community. People would leave offerings of food and drink for their loved ones, and set out candles to light their way home. Those traditions gave us many of our present day customs. Now we set out jack-o-lanterns and give offerings of candy to children—who are, after all, the ancestors returning in new forms.

Death and regeneration are always linked in Goddess theology. Birth, growth, death and renewal are a cycle that plays over and over again through natural systems and human lives. Embracing this cycle, we don’t need to fear death, but instead can see it as a stage of life and a gateway to some new form of being.

So Samhain is a time to remember and honor those who have died, to celebrate their lives and honor their gifts, to tell stories about them to the next generation so their memory will not be lost. We set up altars in our homes, with pictures and mementos, and in my house, we like to invite friends and family to an ancestor dinner, where we cook their traditional foods and share our family stories.

Samhain is also a time for deep spiritual work. At this time of year, we say, “the veil is thin that divides the worlds, the seen from the unseen, the day to day from the mysteries.” In San Francisco, the Reclaiming tradition of Wicca sponsors a big public ritual, where we celebrate the renewal and creativity that emerges from the dark, with elaborate altars, dance, music, culminating in a spiral danced by more than a thousand people that honors the energies of rebirth and renewal.

Halloween, and our traditions, are much misunderstood. This year, when you hand out candy or shepherd your children through the streets, we invite you to remember the deeper meaning of the holiday: that death is no barrier to love, and every ending brings a new beginning.

Some resources:

Let It Begin Now—a CD of music from our Spiral Dance ritual.

Starhawk. The Spiral Dance: A Rebirth of the Ancient Religion of the Great Goddess. HarperSanFrancisco, 1979, 1989, 1999

Starhawk and M. Macha Nightmare. The Pagan Book of Living and Dying. HarperSanFrancisco, 1997

Starhawk, Anne Hill and Diane Baker. Circle Round: Raising Children in Goddess Tradition. HarperSanFrancisco, 1998

www.starhawk.org; www.reclaiming.org

The sun has set and Candles are lit.

A warm glow fills my space smudged with lavender and sage. I'm listening to "Drumming Medicine" and have invited in the spirits of my beloved ancestors and friends , angels and beings of love and light. The scene is set. Let the festivities begin.

No into the kitchen I go to practice alechemy and let loose the arty sorceress in me by turning whatever there is around into something scrumptious and yummy for my tummy. Vino there is a plenty too.

Now's the time, now's the hour
Mine is the magic and the power

Toodle pip ... for now ...

Received a shocking text message from my friend Monica, mother of 13 year old Emil. I learned that Emil's best friend , Simon was killed in a tragic accident two weeks ago. I remember hearding it on the news and thinking how dreadful and tragic for all concerned. Simon's mum was giving him a lift home on the back of her bike when a bus ran into Simon killing him instantly.Mother was unhurt but severly shocked.Absolutely devastated.

Bless Simon as his light shines on.
Bless and comfort all who knew Simon and who's lives he touched.

Well we all shine on,
Like the moon and the stars and the sun.
Well we all shine on,
Like the moon and the stars and the sun.
Well we all shine on,
Like the moon and the stars and the sun.
Yeah we all shine on,
Like the moon and the stars and the sun.

This is Message 47- Personal Sovereignty from " morning messages" I found this one particularly relevant, ( The underlined bits are mine ) 

The key to experiencing the magic and miracles in your life is the level of allowing and the focused clear vibration that you are offering your reality. Since manifestation is always taking place in the lives of humans, the key to remember is to observe where you place your focus and your vibrational attention.

This observation will clearly show exactly what has been the focus and what has been the emotional vibration that has been offered by anyone into their reality. Most focus on what they "do not" want to unfold in their lives and reality, rather than focusing on the delicious unfolding of dreams and goals. Same process, every human is creating their personal experiences and drawing to them what they hold in their vibrational field.

The mass conscious grid holds the patterns of fear, worry, stress, and powerlessness. It is the evolution of each human to recognize that this grid does not belong to them. This grid of limitation, of fear, of mistrust and powerlessness is part of the matrix of the planetary hologame, simply that.

Once the individual human recognizes this illusion, these programmed beliefs, they can certainly and consciously make a shift to create and allow a different result. Each human is a multidimensional starbeing with the incredible ability which molds and sculpts their very existence.

In this hologame on your planet, humans have been taught they are at the effect of events; they do not have the ability or the skills to shift their lot in life. They are taught to vibrate, hold the pattern and hold the thoughts/emotions of unworthiness, impotence, lack and fear. Human are rarely taught or made aware of their incredible authority, their omnipotence, their personal power to bring into reality and manifest their highest vision and dream.

This is changing, this is shifting, this is the evolution of the human spirit awakening. Everyone is experiencing this change and this shift in how they view their reality. One by one each human is claiming their mastery, claiming their authority and stepping into their personal sovereignty. They are recognizing the truth that they are responsible, they hold the power to make an incredible difference in what they experience in the day to day unfolding in their lives. Joy, gratitude and appreciation are the keys to this power. It is all vibrations.

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O.K. I've finally accepted that I have a cold.
Arms and legs aching, sinuses blocked.
I have surrendered !!
Drinking sage tea and sleeping as much as I can.
Lots of water and vitamin C.

Apart from that - I'm fine no complaints whatsoever.

*yawn*
My nose is blocked
and as a result
I think my brain is deprived of oxygen
:yes;
eyelids are getting heavy
I'm beginning to nod off
so I think I'll take my leave of Blogland
for tonight
Have a great evening !

X

I knocked glass off my desk the other day and it fell and shattered in to millions of pieces.

They looked like diamonds on the floor.

I picked the big ones out and vacuumed up the rest and thought I had got them all , but no. Pieces keep turning up several feet away from the place where the glass hit the floor.

A wonderfully laid back Sunday.

Woke up at 11 only it was 10 am

Had breakfast

Replied to comments and read friend's blogs in Blogland

Phone rings.
Telemarketing person : bla bla bla electricity...
Me: Electricity ? Oh yes .. I've got that.It's great I've got what I need. THank you very much . Bye bye .*puts phone downn quick*

Seconds later phone rings again.
could it be marketing person again ?
No . it's Irene phoning from Gothenburg and end up chatting for a couple of hours. It was one of those rare soul to soul meetings and sharings.

Doctor Doolittle 2 , with Ed Murphy is on the telly .
Nice Sunday entertainment. methinks and settles down to watch on the sofa, but I see half of it and fall asleep . zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
I wake up to find myself in " Springville " and for a moment or two I am confused asthere is no Dr Doolittle there

It's dark now and I have to pop out to the shop for some supplies- otherwise no eggs for breakfast. Reluctantly drag myself away to put socks on and get dressed.

Might see you later.
Hope you are enjoying your winter Sunday

We turn our clocks back so we get one whole hour more

Is it 2 am to 3 am ?

I'm going to keep an eye on my computer clock to see it change ;yes;

We started with lunch . Gunilla's aubergine , mozarella , tomato and basil bake sprinkled with paremsan

and served with salad, lettuce walnuts and blue cheese.

The colours outside - silver water , orange, gold, red and green. ( forgot to take pics ) So much to take in during our time together. Hours whizz by.

We made use of the full moon energies and consulted the Goddess who had messages for us all.

Roman Juno,GreekHera,queen of the gods and mother of Hebe, Vulcan and Mars appeared for me and this was her message.

" You appreciate the benefits that come from confidence and authority
You project authority and security and inspire pride and appreciation. This is your time to shine and for your accomplishments to be recognised. You have an opportunity to help bring a group to a single, harmonizing focus. Social or circumstantial factors which could be affecting your life at this time. You are being called upon to witness or facilitate the gathering of the collective mind into a single focal point.

An excellent opportunity to rally resources if you remain non-competitive.

Beauty surrounds you and is important to you.You are non- conformist , dare to go against the grain.Look at what you are already doing

Apply yourself for the sake of the collective good and maintain the kinds of high standards that inspire people.

Self-knowledge gives you personal power and wise judgement so that you can turn obstacles into stepping stones.

Believe in the inner voices of wisdom. They deserve your attention.
In the intuitive arts, one walks a fine line between self-delusion and inspiration. Trust Spirit, as Spirit entrusts you with an expanded view of your assignment. You are growing into your original nature and expressing it in the world. "

Kungsträdgården . centre of Stockholm

27 October 2007

INGREDIENTS:

1-2 aubergines

1 medium onion, finely chopped

1-2 garlic clove, crushed

olive oil

lemon juice , Salt and pepper , greek yoghurt- add according to taste and consistency

*be careful adding lemon juice- can get too sour

DIRECTIONS:

Place whole, washed aubergine on greased baking tray

Bake 200 C, 60 minutes, until very soft.
If you allow skin to turn black this will give a smokey flavour
Allow eggplant to cool
Slice the eggplant down the middle and scoop out pulp.

Put the eggplant in food processor
Lightly sauté chopped onion and garlic in olive oil.
Combine all ingredients im mixer
Salt and pepper to taste

Cover and leave in fridge for about an hour
Adjust seasonings if necessary.

Serve with toasted pitta bread , crusty bread or crackers

Hurray !!!
I splashed on cologne and went out for dinner.
On my return I find water back in the taps hurray !!!!
Groan and splutter .. a but of brown .. and then crystal clear H2O

The pipe must have been fixed.

I am so grateful .

Shower and bed soon

We are without water

The pipe supplying our house with H2O is kaput and has been leaking.

The good news is that it has been detected and theyare working to fix it´

In the meantime , no water

We don't know how long this will take.

All Angels and Earth Angels to the rescue appreciated.

I see the pipe repaired

and clean fresh water supplying our house once again.

Angels supervising repair work

and inspiring thoughts and actions of all concerned.
This is my cunning plan and intention for this situation.
Thank you , thank you ,thank you !.

And so it s done,and blessed be.

It's an Indian recipe , ozzzy ... turned out well . I substituted half cinnamon and natural raw brown sugar instead of white sugar

2 eggs
2 dl sugar
2 dl flour
1 tsp bicarb of soda
1 tbs cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cardamon

1 pinch ground cloves
1 tsp ginger
0,5 d oil
1/2 lemon . juice and zest
3 dl finely grated carrots

Saffron icing

1 paclet of philapdelphia cream cheese

1 packet saffron
2 dl icing sugar

For the cake

Beat egg and sugar until light and frothy
Add oil while beating rigorously

Add all the dry ingredients
Mix well

Grease and line a cake tin ( I lined it with baking paper )
Oven 40 minuter at 175 C

Icing

Mix and beat all the ingredients together
Spread over cake
(I decorated with walnuts )

* one decilitre is one 1/10 of a litre - a small cup -- I think approx ½ American cup

Today's Outlook for Thursday 25 October, 2007

Nope. Getting up at 6 a.m. is not something that I thrive on.
*yawns* I 'm feeling knackered.
It's no good, I'm logging off and going to bed.
The Proff and Johanna are coming over for dinner tomorrow.
Wondering what to make.

Night night blogland ... blessed be

I had a picture taken of my boobies today
Actually , it was an X-ray ; I go for these check ups every two years.
We pay SEK 140 ( about 10 GBP , 14 Euros ) and it takes about 20 minutes.

The " gals " took turns in getting plonked onto a steel plate and then another plate in the big machine is brought dowm to sandwich her firmly in place. *click* and first pic is taken .

The procedure is repeated for other gal and then they are phographed sideways.

Last time I had this done , I had to wait to see if the X rays had been taken properly but this time I was told that it was all digital- no need to wait. Changes

We have to wait 2 weeks now for the results.
Thank you, gals , you did ok

Click on the symbols please (0Y0) with thanks from all boobies.

Translation please .. someone ?

One thing leads to another. Once again the serpent has lead me to " The Alchemy of Dance " a very interesting article by Leslie Zehr

Alchemy can take many forms. In essence, it is the process of transformation or transmutation. Like an algebraic equation it is very basic, yet fixed. As we insert an infinite number of variables, we arrive at infinite possible outcomes; yet all of them have passed through the same process or equation. The fact that it is so basic is what makes alchemy applicable to everything around us.

The period of time in which we are living is a very significant period in history. We are approaching the end of a great spiritual cycle . We are in the 'quickening' phase just before birth. People are going through huge spiritual transformations in order to prepare for this birth. It is only natural that many new forms of "alchemy" arise aiding us in this transition. Each individual constitutes a variable; using our equation, each person can attain the gold in their own personal way.

Alchemy need not be restricted to the lab; we can find it "in vivo" in all aspects of life. The Alchemy of Dance is a process of transformation by the transmutation of energy and spiritual awareness through movement. In this type of alchemy, the body, and more specifically the womb, becomes the alchemical vessel. This is merely the first phase of a larger process called the Universal Dancer, smaller cycles within a larger cycle creating the spiral to the infinite.

The last card of the Tarot, the Universe, is often referred to as the Universal Dancer . It is the point where we are fully integrated with all of life and dance with the Universe. In the Alchemy of Dance, the first stage of Universal Dancer, we explore the feminine side of this aspect. We do this by dancing the subtle earth rhythms and reconnecting with the divine feminine through Sacred Dance. The woman prepares her body to become the vessel, the primordial waters for birthing the masculine or manifested (Self/Horus).

The origins of Sacred Dance date back to the beginning of time. Most tribal cultures still maintain some type of Sacred Dance. It may be performed by shamans or tribal members depending on the intention behind the dance. Tribal cultures still maintain the connection to the earth. Whether it is conscious or unintentional, it still exists. Research has been done confirming the healing properties of this type of dance.

http://www.alchemylab.com/AJ6-3.htm#Leslie_Zehr_

Interesting Samhain information there in Mermaidstail blog

This time of the year, energetically is a fascinating, magical, mysterious time of the year , whatever name you give to it.

The feelings and thoughts that are aroused are archetypal. We are reminded of transition and separation and the illusion of separation. We respond with both humour and seriousness.

For me this time of the year is a bit like Avalon. Avalon is still there but we have lost the ability to see it and part the mists, The " other world " is still there , as always , only at this time of the year we are more in contact with it.

Today I am reflecting on my own Pagan roots. I grew up celebrating the old Latvian pagan traditions without knowing what lay behind them. My family scoffed at these pagan things but, they were, nevertheless, part of our culture, tradition and heritage, so they were observed in a way Christamas or Easter are observed by non- Christians.

Many of the elements of Halloween and Samhain are there I'm trying to remember. My memory is hazy.. but , even there the mist is lifting.
Going KEKATAS,( Cheka –tahs ) as it is called in Latvian,or Budeli was a major part of the whole winter season and of all its celebrations—Martini, Michaelmas, Meteni, and especially Christmas. Meteni was the last opportunity of the year to go kekatas, because this was purely a winter form of entertainment. The English counterpart to the kekatas is the mummers,( anyone know what mummers are ? ) while the Americanized version of the Celtic tradition is Halloween. The Meteni time of year also corresponds to the Mardi Gras and Carnival season, with all of its revelry, trickery and costumes.

Latvian kekatas’ costumes usually depict animals (wolf, goat, bear, horse, rabbit, heron, etc.), humans (the tall lady, the short man, a man dressed as a woman and vice versa, bear-tamer, gypsy, etc.) or common objects (bundle of straw, head of cabbage, moon, etc.). Sometimes death is also depicted, but usually the costumes do not depict gory or horrific monsters, as is common in Halloween celebrations. The main goal is to just hide your identity.

So here I am , a cocktail of all-sorts free to reflect upon and pick and choose my own identity. Sometimes exploring identity by the wearing of a mask or by wandering around in the amazing maze of reflective mirrors that is often called Life .

I wish I'd had my camera with me. She sat right opposite me on the train.Bright red coat,chest covered with " medals" all kinds of badges- mostly cats. She could have stepped right out of a Harry Potter film round glasses, colourful beaded earings and a knitted hat. Chirpy.

Well , that did it , I could hardly get a word in edgeways after that. This lady was in love with London. She went there all the time. Her cats preferred food from Harrods; she'd got a Harrod's card, like Portobello Road and rattled on for the next ten minutes about this that and the other.. can't remember.. but she made me laugh.I was almost sorry I had to get off. A most unusual and entertaining meeting.