October 31, 2006

• Samhain Greetings

  The quarters of an astronomically determined pagan year, out
  of phase with the mainstream calendar, are marked by feasts.  The
  major
  observances occur between equinoxes and solstices, at the Cross-Quarter
  days.   Imbolc or Candlemas (Setsubun in Japan), a fire festival,
  lies between Winter Solstice and the Vernal Equinox.   Between the
  Equinox of Spring and the Summer Solstice is the fertility festival of
  Beltaine (May Day or Whitsuntide).  The Cross-Quarter between
  Summer Solstice and the Autumnal Equinox is Lughnasad or Lammas, a
  celebration of the sun, when crops are thriving and there is playtime
  leisure between the labors of planting and harvesting.

  The last Cross-Quarter day of the year is Samhain, the harvest
  festival, Halloween, when the veil between the worlds is at its
  thinnest and the spirits of the dead walk the Earth.  To some,
  Samhain is the Feast of the Dragon.

  
  

    

  
  Welcome to the Dragon’s Feast

  

    It seems to me that one
  prevailing theme of this celebration is facing one’s fears.   I
  suppose that makes sense, given that we are celebrating the time of
  year when things die, ice and snow take over the land, and we must
  depend for survival on those crops we can manage to store — if they
  don’t rot — or on whatever animals we can hunt or trap.   What better
  time could there be for focusing on fear?

  

  

  I
  have always enjoyed Halloween.  When I was little, it was the
  opportunity to impersonate someone or something else — other –
  different from my everyday self.  And, of course, there was the
  candy.  I also got off on the thrills and chills of the generally spooky atmosphere of traditional Halloween celebrations.   In a younger body, with healthier adrenals, I sought out scary situations for the exhilaration of it.

  Now
  I no longer have the adrenal capacity to enjoy being scared. 
  Coincidentally (or synchronistically, or due to simple
  cause-and-effect) I am no longer easy to scare.  I am an ace facer
  of fears.
  That may seem  like a non-sequitur, but there’s a clear connection
  between an ability or tendency to face fears, to not deny  or shy
  away from things that scare us, and a consequent tendency not to be
  scared.

   I have found to my delight that my no longer being frightened of
  “scary” things such as spooks, storms, bats, spiders, bones (and the death
  symbolized by them) has not taken away any of my enjoyment of
  Halloween.  Even my abstinence from sugar and the fact that my
  days of trick-or-treating are over can’t dull my pleasure in this
  holiday. 

  This is not a new occurrence for me.  I guess that Greyfox’s attitude toward Halloween was something like mine at the time we met, over sixteen years ago.  Neither of us had any qualms about being married on Halloween, when that day (a Thursday that year) turned out to be the most
  convenient time to break off our preparations for the move to Alaska
  long enough to cross the line from Pennsylvania to Virginia,  where we could marry without a waiting period or blood tests for syphilis.
  
   That evening, after the
  brief formality of vows spoken before a magistrate, a little bit of
  touristic poking about in the historic town of Winchester, and a visit to a civic club’s “haunted house,” Doug
  got dressed up in his Ninja Turtle costume and we led him to a succession of big old houses along tree-lined
  streets surrounding a neighborhood park.
  

  

  Bear in mind that he had spent his entire life up to that point in Alaska. 
  Meandering along sidewalks among trees shedding leaves in full fall
  colors, going from door to door in a flimsy polyester turtle suit,
  collecting a big bag of candy, were awesome novelties to the Kid. 
  Here, trees have long been bare and there’s snow on the ground. Temperatures at Halloween can be near zero.  One year, it was twenty-five degrees below zero.

  
    Families pile into a car for the drive from one isolated dwelling to
  the next, usually visiting no more than half a dozen places.  Householders either open the door quickly to toss candy
  out, then shut the door to conserve heat, or they invite the trick-or-treaters in to show their costumes.  The costumes don’t show until the kids open their parkas for a
  display.  When the kids get back home, they have to wait for the
  candy to thaw out so they can eat it.  Of course the Kid was
  impressed by a temperate zone Halloween.  He still remembers it.

   
  

  
  Enjoy the
  

  Don’t be frightened by
  
  

  

  or
  

  
  Remember the sacred aspect.

  
  …and lay off the candy.  It’s not  healthful.

  

  For animations, I owe thanks and a link to:   http://jsmagic.net/

  • 4:00 am
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