We’re coming up on one of my favorite holidays which most of you know as Halloween, but we Wiccans know as Samhain (pronounced Sow-en). We have 8 specific celebrations we share during the year, some of which happen near the holidays of other spiritual paths and others that don’t. Since several women have expressed interest in reading about Pattyann’s and my spiritual beliefs earlier, I thought I’d tell you a little about what this holiday means for me.
Interesting that it’s so near the Jewish new year because it’s our new year also. It’s the celebration of the last harvest of the year and the time to start going inward and honoring the ancestors and loved ones who’ve passed on. I do that in a number of ways. I have a shelf in my kitchen that I decorate and change with the different seasons—right now there are pictures of pumpkins, colorful ears of dried corn and things having to do with weaving along with a candle I like to light when I cook, on the shelf. I spend time before Samhain especially thinking about the people in my family who have died and on the day of Samhain I bury an apple in my garden as a symbol of my hopes of peace for them and all others who have died in the last year.
The going inward is lovely but, like most everyone else, I also like to party. Sometimes my family and I have gotten into the whole Halloween costume thing (my kids definitely liked trick-or-treating) and we witches generally like to laugh at ourselves and have fun with the stereotypes of the old witch on a broomstick etc. But I also like gatherings of people who celebrate the deeper meaning of the holiday, and I especially like celebrating it with other women. A few days ago I got to celebrate early with a small group of ladies in one of the women’s little cabin she calls her moon hut which is for women only. It was lovely. This year though, my husband and I are also going to 2 gatherings that I’m looking forward to: one on Sunday in Vancouver, BC where there will be several hundred people partying, singing together and doing a spiral dance—an amazingly fun weaving dance that is hard to explain; and a much smaller potluck and celebration on the actual night.
That’s a bare bones explanation from my perspective. Pattyann may have more to say about it too. Anyway, happy Halloween, Samhain, New Year, Harvest and daylight savings time to everyone!

Dream of the Circle of Women
by Dahti Blanchard
published May 2004 by Spilled Candy Books
visit: www.dahtiblanchard.com

Happy Samhein Dahti, Pattyann, and others!

Dahti, the gatherings in Vancouver sound wonderful. Have a fun and blessed time

I have always loved Halloween. Your celebrations sound wonderful.
Dumb question...Do you decorate for the holiday? I know you mentioned costumes but is it disrespectful to put up pictures of witches and goblins?

Dahti,

Very interesting and insightful post. I'm going to print it out for my daughter to read. I've told her that there are women on the bws that celebrate "differently" (forgive me for a lack of a better word). As I told you privately offline - that for years I was afraid of being around people who had different beliefs then what I have (christian) because I was afraid of their infulence on my children.

My daughter has begun an exploritive journey of religions, and some of what you said sounds like what she believes.

I have relaxed (as I had told you) in being fearful of differences......I personally have chosen to love people for who they are, not what they believe.

It has been an interesting journey for ME...

Danita

Blessings and joys of Samhain to everyone!
The night holds both
Beginning and end
The wheel has come
Full circle again
The past and future
Come into our sights
All become one
This magical night

LIke Dahti- this is one of my favorite holidays.
The new year- new promise but remembering the old-all we love and those we lost.
This year I will be going toa big celebrations- honoring our ancestor mothers. At first I thought it would be just a few women but it has turned into a party as pagan celebrations tend to
This weekend my husband and I are going to gettysburg- our last long weekend away before we both get too busy at work- it has become a tradition
I envy you the spiral dance, Dahti- there is always something so joyous and mesmerizing about it
Tvc- it isn't disrespectful to decorate with witches and all- we laugh about the green faced warty crone that is the usual picture of a witch- I know some witches that are ultra political condemn it as demeaning but most of us already going against mainstream thinking have developed a sense of humor about it
So celebrate Samhain- or Halloween- it is an old old celebration of harvest and remembrance and new starts
Blessed be

Blessings and joys of Samhain to everyone from me too.
chick

TV--that wasn't a dumb question. I do decorate although this year it's more for the harvest part. But I love the witch/goblin/ghost spooky Halloween stuff too. Also, I tend to be decorated all year round here--all kinds of witchy things and our family sort of has a twinkly light monopoly going here. One of my music students calls our place the Christmas house because we have so many twinkly lights. They look great in a log house...
And I don't find the spooky stuff disrespectful at all--it's part of the fun of Halloween shared by all kinds of people. The Mexican Day of the Dead is a great balance I think of the funny/spooky combined with the respect and reverence of ancestors. Like Pattyann said, there are always some pagans without a sense of humor (like any group) but the majority of us aren't that way.
Pattyann--that chant was lovely. I haven't heard it before--did you write it?
Danita--I read it with interest when you first told me that you'd had a hard time being afraid of the influence of people with different beliefs on your kids. I think a lot of people share that fear. One of the unschooler parties my kids had once had kids whose religious backgrounds included: Christian, orthodox Jewish, Muslim, agnosticism, atheism and, of course, pagan/wiccan. The discussions we got to listen in on were very interesting. Our holiday meals usually include my sister and her husband who is a shaman for his S'Kallam tribe here in the Pacific Northwest, our Catholic friends, some Jewish friends and we wiccans. The blessings and food choices alone get to be quite an interesting combination at those.
Thanks Meredith & Chick for your well wishes.

Dream of the Circle of Women
by Dahti Blanchard
published May 2004 by Spilled Candy Books
visit: www.dahtiblanchard.com

A little off topic but, I watch Boston Legal and next week's show is going to be about a case that involves Christians and Witches. I'm assuming they were talking about Wiccan Witches. Just thought I'd mention it in case anyone is interested.

I'm glad the decorations aren't considered disrepectful because I've got one witch decoration that is a knock-out and I love decorating for Halloween. (My kids laugh because I like decorating for Halloween better than Christmas) I wouldn't want to offend anyone though.

TV--thanks for the Boston Legal alert. I'll definitely have to watch it. I do know people, mostly women, who have had sad experiences with custody cases because they are witches. It's almost always because the other spouse, who never had a problem with the person's beliefs before divorce proceedings, decides to use whatever ugly means necessary to get back at her and/or get custody of the children. There is so much misunderstanding about wicca that some people are willing to believe all kinds of nonsense about it.
It'll be interesting to see what the storyline is on Boston Legal.

Dream of the Circle of Women
by Dahti Blanchard
published May 2004 by Spilled Candy Books
visit: www.dahtiblanchard.com

That is sad. What has anyone's religion to do with how good a mother they are.

No, Dahti,
I didn't write the chant- I'm not sure who did- I've read it in several books and websites.
It reminds me of your book- all beginnings and endings
Danita, when a child searches for a personal belief system I feel like it is a mark of how well they were raised- to think for themselves, to want their own value system instead of just giving lip service to a tradition they feel no comfort in- most "go home" no doubt to their childhood faiths but the ones who most deeply develop a faith they can live areblessed-don't worry about your daughter your values will shine thru her no matter what she practices

Pattyann,
You said that beautifully!

Judging Amy had a sory about a Wiccan too and showed how her ex wanted custody of their child and used her beliefs against her. I definitely want to see that Boston Legal. I usually watch it anyhow. Love Denny Crane (William Shatner). Live and let live is my motto and all other cultures and beliefs fascinate me.

Chatty,
I love Denny Crane Too! I used to make fun of him when my husband watched Star Trek, but after a while I got into the show (It really had good stories) and now that he's on Boston Legal I think he's perfect for the part!

Danita, it rarely happens, but every now and then one of the youth in our comfirmation class chooses not to unite with the church. These kids are always individuals I respect. It scares some people because they beleive the child is rejecting Jesus. I don't think that's the case. I beleive they are wise, curious, intelligent kids who are interested in delving deeper. Our job is to plant the seeds, not judge the kids. I'd rather have a child come into faith due to their own beliefs, as opposed to inhereting them.

[ October 27, 2005, 11:43 AM: Message edited by: Dotsie ]

Dots,

When you have a child like this, you have two choices. One is to grab hold of them and squeeze the life out of them. Or, let them go on their journey, and trust the process.

I've chosen to let her go on her own spiritual journey and trust that she will find what she needs for her life.

She is VERY intuitive and insightful and sensitive.

danita

I agree with you both...it breaks my heart that all of my older children have left the church. I was raised as a bare minimum Catholic - my parents made sure I received the sacraments, but they never took me to church! So I was a very rebellious, sinful teenager. I thought if I raised mine "properly" and without hypocrisy, they'd accept it joyfully. Boy was I wrong! But I knew if I tried to force it on them, they wouldn't "get it" anyway and I pray daily that they will seek God on their own and in their time. I trust that God will not let the prayers and tears of a mother, be in vain.

For awhile I tried to force religion down my boys throats and so of course they rejected it. I finally stopped and let them alone. For quite sometime my son didn't seem believe in anyhing but then after my grandson was born he started to go to services on his own and now the entire family gets up early every Sunday and goes as a family to services and are all born again Christians. He is even more serious about his faith than I ever was. So sometimes you just have to give them the basics and let them come around (or not) at their own pace. I think I am even prouder that he did it all on his own...

Good for you, Chatty, and for them!

Sometimes our kids won't listen to us so God sends in another person at the right time.

My daughter got together with and old friend after my son's wedding in AZ. He's a beautiful black man, who is the son of a good friend of mine. He took her out to dinner and gave her a copy of a book he was reading. They agreed to read a chapter a week and talk on the phone. And, she studied it. But, she was having her alcohol problem and didn't feel worthy enough to talk to a friend who was doing so well and was so happy (shame) and she began to pull away.

But, after she checked into detox/rehab, she started calling him and he has been God's instrument in pulling her back into the fold.

He found a church in our area to attend and I went with her. It is mostly African Americans and it was one of the most enjoyable experiences I've had. The music just blew me away and the Pastor is awesome. She now calls it her church, her pastor!

So, we never know. All in God's timing.

That's beautiful, Dianne. I know your daughter is in God's hands and is going to be just fine. I just finished writing a letter to my best friend, who is in rehab again. I miss him so much and I thought I was helping him to stay sober. I just sent him some photos of the mountains I took and gave him some nice verses from Psalm 90.
As far as my kids are concerned, I accepted long ago that they may not come to God through me, but through someone else. That's fine as long as they come...

My children were brought up to question and learn to think on their own. This included finding the right spiritual answers for them. They are not Wiccan nor are they Christian, in fact they would be very put out if someone tried to put a label on them. They have always been proud of my choices, their father's choices and their own and what I have found that they took from us is a strong sharing of our values--particularly to be kind, compassionate and accepting of the beliefs and values of others. I'm really proud of them.
They're both off in college and not around to celebrate with us this year--so I'm looking very forward to spending Samhain with very good friends this year.
Whatever you celebrate or don't, I hope this is a happy season for everyone.

Dream of the Circle of Women
by Dahti Blanchard
published May 2004 by Spilled Candy Books
visit: www.dahtiblanchard.com