tagged w/ Paganism
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by Marisa
Guising and witches, campfires and pumpkins these past seven days have been a whirlwind of Samhain images and traditions. But now that youve explored the whys behind contemporary Halloween trends, whats next?
Well, Samhain was initially a New Year celebration, developed by the ancient Celts out of reverence for the earths calendar, the end of the harvest, and the changing of the seasons. As with all Pagan holidays, great attention was paid to the earths cycle and the elements of earth, wind, air, and fire. So, for a last exploration of Samhain 2007, and in keeping with this holidays Pagan roots, lets see what the stars have to say.
October 31, 2007 falls within several astrological cycles. Perhaps most prevalently (and familiarly to anyone traveling or working with electronics these past couple weeks), from October 13th to November 1, Mercury is in retrograde. In simplest terms, this means we can all expect miscommunication, travel glitches, and electronic difficulty (back up those computers!). As the first and last few days of Mercury's retrograde cycle tend to be the most difficult, you may wish to allow extra travel time for any Halloween commutes, or to be particularly attentive to your communication.
The news isnt all bad, however, as while Mercury is in retrograde it's an excellent time to reflect back and return to old projects and intentions a perfect match for Samhains traditional reflection on the years harvest. Just keep in mind that Neptune will be direct this Halloween, so we may not be seeing everything clearly. (Unsurprising, given the extensive masks and costuming on this day - perhaps Samhains wandering spirits will be equally stumped!)
By Pagan tradition, certain qualities are also attributed to each day of the week. As Halloween falls this year on a Wednesday, we are in particularly strong alignment for creative work and money/business matters. More relevantly for Samhain traditions, Wednesday is believed to be the best day for lifting hexes and conducting psychic readings. So, if youre interested in gazing through this nights thin supernatural veil, it looks as though stars and tradition are in your favor.
Whatever Halloween enjoyment you choose this Samhain, be it distributing modern-day soul-cakes among guising children, lighting a candle for poor Jacks lantern, or reflecting quietly on your personal harvest and hopes for the year ahead, we hope you enjoy the evening and its rich history. Happy Halloween!
http://www.dailymantra.com
http://www.myspace.com/thedailymantraby Marisa
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Courtesy of Daily Mantra, you now have a smattering of alternative gift ideas (with a slew still to come, for ongoing inspiration). Some of the pressure is off, and pieces are falling into place. So let's take a moment to explore how this holiday gift-giving frenzy begin? The traditional exchange of winter holiday gifts stems from the Roman and Pagan Saturnalia celebrations, a winter Solstice festival honoring the god Saturn. In addition to a brief reversal of social roles among slaves and masters, the Saturnalia festivities included gift exchanges, honoring deceased loved ones. These gifts, often wax candles or earthenware figures, signified specific elements of the departed's life or personality, allowing them to live on in the recipient's heart. [For complete story, please visit Daily Mantra link above.]
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Mishka
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4 years ago
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