Hallowe'en 2007

[enterprikayak]

So howdya spend it?

[Asso]

You can't believe it, but my wife and I will go to Florence (AND SHE READ MY STORY HONEYMOOON!)

[justTripn]

That doesn't sound very scary.

[Linda]

Well, in my spiritual tradition, it is the Celtic new year. It is when the veil between the worlds is thinist during the year (also thin at Beltane in the spring). So it is a good time to try to contact ancestors in the Summerland. Actually this is comforting because we had a death in the family during the year. We also will have a ghost dinner (Native American spiritual tradition) on the first anniversary of the death (next July). We had a Samhain ritual last Saturday instead of on the 31st, as it is easier to get people together on the weekends as most of us have a bit of traveling to do to get to Circle Sanctuary. If you want to know what that is about, here is the website: http://www.circlesanctuary.org/. We all did a bit of divination and I should be concentrating on organization and details over the coming year. I suppose that means in house cleaning (yuck) as well as my writing. My IT job, well that is all about attention to detail anyway, so nothing new there, LOL. We had a labyrinth walk by candlelight at Circle Sanctuary too. It is so peaceful there, tucked away between the hills in western Wisconsin in an area only sparsely populated, mostly with farms. It was cold outside, the trees now half bare of leaves. But we kept warm sitting around a bonfire at night, chatting, singing, laughing. Tonight is for private family ritual. Happy Samhain everyone!

[Asso]

Well, justTripn...I hope!

[evcake]

Well, in my spiritual tradition, it is the Celtic new year. It is when the veil between the worlds is thinist during the year (also thin at Beltane in the spring). So it is a good time to try to contact ancestors in the Summerland. Actually this is comforting because we had a death in the family during the year. We also will have a ghost dinner (Native American spiritual tradition) on the first anniversary of the death (next July). We had a Samhain ritual last Saturday instead of on the 31st, as it is easier to get people together on the weekends as most of us have a bit of traveling to do to get to Circle Sanctuary. If you want to know what that is about, here is the website: http://www.circlesanctuary.org/. We all did a bit of divination and I should be concentrating on organization and details over the coming year. I suppose that means in house cleaning (yuck) as well as my writing. My IT job, well that is all about attention to detail anyway, so nothing new there, LOL. We had a labyrinth walk by candlelight at Circle Sanctuary too. It is so peaceful there, tucked away between the hills in western Wisconsin in an area only sparsely populated, mostly with farms. It was cold outside, the trees now half bare of leaves. But we kept warm sitting around a bonfire at night, chatting, singing, laughing. Tonight is for private family ritual. Happy Samhain everyone!

In the words of one of my favorite minor poets:

For, lo! the veil between is thin
And easy cast aside,
And when the call of man is heard
The heart of all the Hills is stirred
And all the doors swing wide.

Happy Samhain to you as well.
Tonight I light candles for absent friends.

[Linda]

Beautiful poem, Evcake! I had not heard that one before. Well, I guess some people are out of the broom closet now!

[TSara]

Well, in my spiritual tradition, it is the Celtic new year. It is when the veil between the worlds is thinist during the year (also thin at Beltane in the spring). So it is a good time to try to contact ancestors in the Summerland. Actually this is comforting because we had a death in the family during the year. We also will have a ghost dinner (Native American spiritual tradition) on the first anniversary of the death (next July). We had a Samhain ritual last Saturday instead of on the 31st, as it is easier to get people together on the weekends as most of us have a bit of traveling to do to get to Circle Sanctuary. If you want to know what that is about, here is the website: http://www.circlesanctuary.org/. We all did a bit of divination and I should be concentrating on organization and details over the coming year. I suppose that means in house cleaning (yuck) as well as my writing. My IT job, well that is all about attention to detail anyway, so nothing new there, LOL. We had a labyrinth walk by candlelight at Circle Sanctuary too. It is so peaceful there, tucked away between the hills in western Wisconsin in an area only sparsely populated, mostly with farms. It was cold outside, the trees now half bare of leaves. But we kept warm sitting around a bonfire at night, chatting, singing, laughing. Tonight is for private family ritual. Happy Samhain everyone!

Yeah I meant to wish you a happy Samhain Linda but I didn't get a chance yet.

I normally head over to a friends for Samhain as he has a nice firepit in his back yard and they cast circle to welcome the ancestors but this year I think I'm just going to play it solitary and possibly go down to a display in Virginia that people at work have been raving about.

[Linda]

Happy Samhain to you too, T'Sara! Live long and prosper! (Selena Fox actually used that phrase at Circle this year.)

[TSara]

She did?

That's cool!

I'm actually not Pagan...but Unitarian so I guess close enough according to some.

My beliefs are very eclectic. *Nods*

My God Children's family is though... they moved to Georgia a few days ago so I wont see them until a few months from now.

I miss my Piper and Brandon.

I have no one to take trick or treating this year.

[CX]

I guess I could wish everyone a Happy Pomonia a day early.

[evcake]

Beautiful poem, Evcake! I had not heard that one before. Well, I guess some people are out of the broom closet now!

It's The Elfin Angelus, by Elizabeth McKinstry. Me Mum used to read it to me. It's all her fault. I was raised a Treehugger.

The poem ends:

Those things toward which good men aspire
Although the world condemn,
And though they seem to die, apart,
Safe hid in Nature's holy heart,
Grow great to comfort them.
So peace from earth be with you still,
Men of good will, men of good will.

It's a poem for all seasons.

[Linda]

Thanks, Evcake! All my Mom did was sing that lullaby about a cradle falling out of a tree! That is why I am so warped, I guess.

[Linda]

Unitarians are cool, T'Sara. I was an active member of a Unitarian church for awhile. It's too bad about your God Children moving away. You must miss them a whole lot. As for trick or treat, South Milwaukee had it Sunday afternoon. I miss it being at night, but they have it in daylight for the safety of the kids. Well, the kids cleaned my out before the 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm official trick or treat was over. Next year, I will have to by an extra pound of candy!

Oh, I wore a mask made of leaves. For some of the little kids, I had to remove the mask so they would not be afraid to approach me. And then, they did a snatch-and-run number. I didn't think the mask was scary at all, but I guess the kids just expect the adults handing out candy to be dull and ordinary.

[evcake]

I remember I painted a tree on my face one year...weirded some people out.