Halloween and Shamhain

[drstevej]

Oooo I love some Jelly beans. Can I have some?

Absolutely, Preterist Pagans are interesting folks particularly when loaded with sugar!

 

[awitch]

Absolutely, Preterist Pagans are interesting folks particularly when loaded with sugar!

You should see us loaded with mead

 

[Job8]

But you'll find none of that "occult danger"-nonsense that's so popular in American evangelicalist circles. That particular kind of simplistic idiocy is strictly reserved for the lunatic fringe around here.

Actually it was not the lunatic fringe that communicated with evil spirits and the so-called spirits of the dead in the past on this day. Samhain (Sow-in) has a long history of occultism, whether you wish to acknowledge it or not. See http://www.newgrange.com /samhain.htm and others

The early Irish manuscripts are littered with references to the magical significance of Samhain.

The celebrations at Tlachtga may have had their origins in a fertility rite on the hill but it gathered to itself a corpus of other beliefs which crystallised at the great Fire Festival.

Samhain being the feast of the dead can now be clearly seen as incorporating the cult of Donn into its celebrations but how they did so remains uncertain... But the world of the dead was itself a complicated place, peopled not only by the spirits of the departed, but also with a host of gods, fairies and other creatures of uncertain nature.

 

[ViaCrucis]

Actually it was not the lunatic fringe that communicated with evil spirits and the so-called spirits of the dead in the past on this day. Samhain (Sow-in) has a long history of occultism, whether you wish to acknowledge it or not. See http://www.newgrange.com /samhain.htm and others

Problematically there's no indication that Samhain had anything to do with the dead. Centuries after Ireland had been Christianized there were writings, legends, that speak of Samhain--these legends were themselves written by Christians by the way. According to these stories during Samhain fairies were more active. But that Samhain was about there being a closer link between the land of the living and the land of the dead doesn't appear in this older material and seems to largely be a product of 19th century Romanticism.

The lunatic fringe Jane was talking about were the Fundamentalists claiming Hallowe'en is all about witchcraft, the occult, and evil spirits. That's an entirely American phenomenon that has leaked occasionally to other parts of the world where Fundamentalism has been exported.

It's a bit like thinking the only thing there is to Christmas is the How the Grinch Stole Christmas special, beleiving the only thing there is about Christmas is a green guy and his dog trying to steal the joy from the residents of Whoville.

-CryptoLutheran

 

[Jane_the_Bane]

It's a bit like thinking the only thing there is to Christmas is the How the Grinch Stole Christmas special, beleiving the only thing there is about Christmas is a green guy and his dog trying to steal the joy from the residents of Whoville.
-CryptoLutheran

More like: "Christmas is based on the Roman Saturnalia; a hedonistic, sinful revelry of gift-giving, unchaste behaviour, gambling and all other sorts of immorality, dedicated to the demonic entity Saturn, portrayed as an elderly, bearded man. You worship SATAN every time you celebrate Christmas!!!!!!!1"

 

[ViaCrucis]

More like: "Christmas is based on the Roman Saturnalia; a hedonistic, sinful revelry of gift-giving, unchaste behaviour, gambling and all other sorts of immorality, dedicated to the demonic entity Saturn, portrayed as an elderly, bearded man. You worship SATAN every time you celebrate Christmas!!!!!!!1"

"He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,
And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.
But I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight—
'Happy Christmas everybody, now I'll devour you all'"

(I thought this image might be slightly less unsettling than the more famous Goya painting. Though that image would have been funnier in the context of the joke)

-CryptoLutheran

 

[drstevej]

For those coming my house by for Jelly Beans be aware that our Mayor has changed Trick or Treat to tonight (6-8pm) due to bad weather forecast for Saturday. Yeah, our Mayor has some clout!

 

[awitch]

For those coming my house by for Jelly Beans be aware that our Mayor has changed Trick or Treat to tonight (6-8pm) due to bad weather forecast for Saturday. Yeah, our Mayor has some clout!

I think it was 2 or 3 years ago we had a blizzard on Halloween and so all the towns in the area agreed to just move the holiday to the following weekend.

 

[smaneck]

For those coming my house by for Jelly Beans be aware that our Mayor has changed Trick or Treat to tonight (6-8pm) due to bad weather forecast for Saturday. Yeah, our Mayor has some clout!

Apparently they have changed our night to tonight as well. Better go get some candy!

We can celebrate Luther Day tomorrow.

 

[drstevej]

We've had two visit so far! None from CF as far as I could tell.

 

[awitch]

We've had two visit so far! None from CF as far as I could tell.

Hey, it's a long walk from NJ.
(My broom is in the shop)

 

[smaneck]

We've had two visit so far! None from CF as far as I could tell.

I haven't had one yet. No one listens to our mayor.

 

[smaneck]

Absolutely, Preterist Pagans are interesting folks particularly when loaded with sugar!

"Preterist pagans." I have to think about that one.

How about Preterist PhDs?

We tend to be that way.

 

[Zoness]

The weather here actually seems like its going to be quite unpleasant; exceedingly rainy which is less fun for the young kids. Our ritual will go on as planned but maybe indoors.