November 02, 2012 - Southbridge Evening News

18 • THE WEBSTER TIMES • Friday, November 2, 2012
www.webstertimes.net
Halloween not only holiday celebrated on Oct. 31
HALLOWEEN
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Haynes, owner of Some Enchanted
Evening, this year’s holiday is particularly
personal.
“It will be the first Samhain since
my father passed. I thought he’d
live to 90, and he surprised me. All
of us, really,” she said. She’ll set up
an altar in his memory “and tell
him the things I need to tell him. …
I truly believe he’s one of those people
who will make himself known.”
In Pagan tradition, that’s possible
because the “veil between the
worlds” is thinnest on Samhain.
Citing Llewelyn’s annual Witch’s
Calendar, Southbridgian Nancy
Shields observed that the actual
date this year is Nov. 7, since that’s
the halfway point between Mabon
(the Autumnal Equinox) and Yule
(the Winter Solstice), although the
day is often celebrated on Oct. 31.
She noted the modern Pagan calendar
is actually a blending of two
ancient systems: the Germanic tradition
of celebrating the solstices
and equinoxes, and the
Celtic tradition of celebrating the
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“cross-quarter” days (those
halfway between solstices and
equinoxes).
Combined, they give eight major
holidays, termed “sabbats” — Yule
(Dec. 21), Imbolc (Feb. 2), Ostara
(March 21), Beltane (May 1),
Midsummer (June 21),
Lughnasadh/Lammas (Aug. 1),
Mabon (Sept. 21) and Samhain.
Pagans also often gather on the 13
full moon nights annually (termed
“esbats”), although actual practices
vary somewhat among groups.
Often, those who are first discovering
Pagan ideas and practices
participate in groups that are more
ritually-oriented and even hierarchal
(with formal initiations,
priestesses and priests, for example),
and some of the beginner
books talk about ritual tools, ranks
and ceremonies at length. But it’s
common for people to evolve into
more eclectic, personal and informal
ways of expressing themselves
over time.
“There are many, many, many
Pagan paths. If you need a path
with signposts on it, you can find
one,” Shields said. “But our connection
to the divine should be personal,
and no one has the right, ability
or authority to stand between us
and the divine.”
Diane Nuckle, an herbalist and
former owner of Sturbridge’s
Earth Spirits, agreed, noting she
wasn’t particularly ritualistic to
start with. She said she used to do
“light ceremony,” with drumming,
singing and the like with a few
friends, but now tends to just “live
with the plants” and thank them for
their gifts as a routine lifestyle.
Although Nuckle said her practice
is influenced by Native
American ideas, the ideas that
humans have a kinship with
Earth’s other species, can communicate
with Nature, that Nature’s
resources are gifts not property, and
that we are responsible for how we
treat Earth exist in numerous societies.
Shields, for example, noted
she finds the same concepts in
ancient Celtic tradition.
That tradition is where Samhain
itself originated, although similar
holy days can be found worldwide.
On that night, Celts believed the
spirits of ancestors could come
visit the living. If friendly, people
left them gifts (a token plate of food
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called the “dumb meal”) to honor
them; if not, they left such gifts to
placate them, and sometimes wore
costumes to invoke the strength of
animal spirits for protection over
the next year.
“The Celts saw the time from
Samhain to Imbolc as the ‘down
time,’ when people were just surviving,”
Shields observed.
According to “The Myth of
Samhain” page at www.religioustolerance.org,
the term literally
means “summer’s end” in Gaelic,
reflecting the fact that ancient Celts
saw just two seasons, summer and
winter. Since the 18th century,
Samhain has been widely misunderstood,
especially among conservative
Christians, as being a “god of
the dead,” but no deity by that
name has been documented among
the hundreds of known Celtic
deities (most of them localized to
specific groves, springs, rivers, etc),
the page notes.
In part, that comes from a long
mainstream belief that darkness
equates to spiritual danger or evil,
but there’s no such equivalence
among Pagans.
“The energy in a Samhain circle
is different — stronger, but it’s also
more subdued, quieter, darker,”
Haynes said. “It’s different from the
rest. Most holidays we celebrate
life, try to encourage the plants to
grow… but this one is more relaxing,
calming, waiting for the spirits
to come to us. You’re comforted
because you’re so close to them.
Darkness is not a bad thing; black is
for protection. But it can seem
scary for people who aren’t aware of
that.”
Shields agreed, saying Samhain
“tends to be low-key” for her, unlike
the other holidays. (She particularly
likes doing something public for
Imbolc after a couple months of
cold, typically joining the regional
EarthSpirit Community event.)
“It’s my point of view that it’s
more of a solemn holiday, where we
connect with our loved ones not on
this plane anymore,” Shields said.
“… It’s a time for taking stock and
seeing where you are.”
Gus Steeves can be reached at 508-
909-4135 or by e-mail at gus@stonebridgepress.com.
DURANT
STATE REPRESENTATIVE
www.PeterjDurant.com
Working Hard for Charlton, Dudley, Southbridge & Spencer
State Representative Peter Durant has a proven record of supporting…
Jobs Local Aid Education Senior Citizens Veterans & Affordable Healthcare
❏ ✓ Co-sponsored & Help Draft Road to Opportunity Jobs Package.
❏ ✓ Voted for Affordable Healthcare Plans for Individuals & Families.
❏ ✓ Supported More Local Aid for Education, Public Safety & Roads.
❏✓
Voted to protect Adult Day Healthcare funding for Seniors.
❏ ✓ Voted for the Valor Act to help our Veterans.
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PETER J. DURANT
STATE REPRESENTATIVE
November 6 th !
Peter Durant is a Proven Leader in Good Times & Bad
His Opponent has Unfortunately & Sadly made the Tornado a Political Issue;
So let’s set the record straight…
• Durant toured the damage and visited with those harmed.
• Durant assisted victims of the tornado.
• Durant participated in the cleanup & relief efforts.
• Durant joined other state & federal officials in support of disaster funds for Southbridge & Charlton.
• Durant spearheaded & initiated efforts to include disaster funds in House Supplemental Budget for Charlton when
they were being left out of receiving any.
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