The Wheel Turns - Samhain

I would guess that most of you call October 31 Halloween, but for some of us it is the holiday of Samhain, the Witch's New Year. It is a very magical night, when the veils between the worlds are thin. While we can and do celebrate Halloween with costumes, candy, and parties, there is always a private ritual or celebration where we honor our loved ones who have passed on and to invite them to join us once again on this sacred night.

Samhain actually means "Summer's End" and was when the last of the harvesting was done. Some current Halloween traditions derive from the ancient Celtic traditions. The carving of pumpkins was actually the carving of turnips and they were used for light when many households let their fires go out so that they could be re-lit with the night's bonfires. The Druids lit huge bonfires and the people gathered, sometimes wearing the skins of animals, which could be considered the source of dressing up for Halloween. The Romans had their own feast to honor the dead and also a day to honor Pomona, the Goddess of fruit and trees. When they conquered Celtic lands, these traditions blended. Pomona's symbol, the apple, was incorporated into these celebrations, hence possibly this is where "bobbing for apples" comes from. The influence of Christianity also adds to the tradition of Halloween. As they were taking over the old Pagan rituals to influence people to convert, they called the day after Samhain, All Hallows or All Saints Day, a day to honor the dead saints, followed by All Soul's Day, a day to honor all of the dead. The night before became known as All Hallows Eve, shortened to Halloween.

For those who follow a Wiccan spirituality, this is a very important night. Gathered together, or as solitaries, we honor our loved ones, we set out what is called "The Dumb Supper", leaving a plate for those from beyond the veil who may be walking the night. We use the signs of autumn on our altars - leaves, acorns, pumpkins, apples. This is a night for divination, as Samhain night is known to be "the night that exists outside of time".

No matter how you celebrate, may your Samhain be blessed and know that every ending is but a beginning in the Wheel of the Year.

Goddess Blessings,
Susan Morgaine

Emblems Of Belief
Were you able to solve last month's "Fun Stuff"? The symbols displayed are 36 of the 38 "Available Emblems of Belief for Placement on Government Headstones and Markers" via the United States Department of Veterans Affairs. These are the only ones that can be inscribed on government issued memorial markers, headstones, and plaques for deceased veterans. Sadly, though, many emblems of belief are missing from this list. There are currently a few ongoing legal battles to change this. Most notably is the current "Veteran Pentacle Quest" underway by veterans, current service members, and friends and families of Wiccan soldiers.

According to Circle Sanctuary's Lady Liberty League, the “Veteran Pentacle Quest� began on July 27, 1997, with an initial request to the Veterans Administration asking “what was required for the addition of an emblem of belief to the National Cemetery Administration’s list.� An application was submitted a month later for the Wiccan emblem of belief - the Pentacle - to be added to the NCA list. “The VA did not issue a response until November 27, 2001, and then their response was that the VA was in the midst of drafting new procedures for emblem additions to the NCA list.� A new request was submitted in December 2003, but no response was received. In April of 2005, the VA was contacted again. “On May 10, the Acting Director of the NCA’s Memorial Programs Service (MPS) office replied and stated that the VA was revising its procedures and that approval had to wait until the new procedures were adopted. In this letter, the Acting Director claimed that the VA had no record of ATC’s 2003 letter, yet as a result of a 2005 Freedom of Information Act request made by ATC member Scott Stearns, the VA included a copy of it.�

During the nine years between initial application and today, the VA has received numerous requests from Wiccans requesting the Pentacle to be added to the approved list. Applications submitted have been on behalf of veterans already buried in cemeteries around the nation (including Arlington National Cemetery), veterans nearing the end of their lives, and current active duty US military members. Each application has either been ignored or responded to with a message that the VA had either adopted new regulations or the VA was revising its regulations and all applications were on hold.

In March 2002, the Christian and Missionary Alliance submitted an application to the VA for their Emblem Of Belief to be added to the NCA list. Less than four months later, this request was approved by the VA. After thirteen months of review and two applications, the Humanist “Emblem of Spirit� was approved and added to the NCA list in July 2003. In July of 2003, the Presbyterian Church requested a second emblem be added to the official list; approval was granted about three months later. In 2004, more emblems and substitutions were approved in less than three months. Among them are: the Izumo Taishakyo Mission of Hawaii emblem; the Soka Gakkai International - USA emblem; the Sikh emblem; and a change to the emblem of the Unitarian Universalist Association.

The VA released the latest version of its proposed regulations for emblems of belief addition to its list on January 19, 2007, three days before they were to respond to a lawsuit filed by Circle Sanctuary. In it’s January 22, response, the VA requested that the lawsuit against the agency be delayed until its latest rule revision process is complete. The judge denied the VA’s motion and the case is scheduled to be heard in June 2007.

The “Veteran Pentacle Quest� now has an anthem titled “Symbol�. Written as a tribute to Sgt. Patrick Stewart who died in Afghanistan in September 2005, singer and songwriter Celia has succinctly written in her song “It's a Symbol it's a Sign it stands for Everything Divine.� If we in the United States are guaranteed religious freedom under the First Amendment, why should any soldier’s emblem of belief be treated differently than anyone else’s? This is an issue for every American, no matter what your belief system.
Sharon

Spring
The Spring Equinox is the time that all over the world there is equal day and night, dark and light in balance. Spring equinox is a time when plants begin to burst forth form the earth, when leaves appear on the trees, and the movement of insects is felt again. Spring is a time when Persephone returns from the underworld as a young girl, and mother and daughter play together out in the fields and usher in the new growth. It is a time for each of us to honour the child within and give voice to that child. It is also a time for each of us to cleanse our bodies and spirits in preparation for the rebirth. The traditional fertility festival, Eostre (Easter), was to celebrate the Virgin Goddesses, rebirth of the Earth, and make magic for her fruitfulness. The word Easter comes from Eostra or Oestre, Goddess of fertility, known in early Briton. The hare and the scarlet egg are sacred symbols of regenerative power.
Susan

The Origin, History, and Celebrations of May Day

May Day was originally a pre-Christian observance and throughout the Northern Hemisphere the month of May was a time to celebrate renewal of life. May Day was called Beltane by the Celts, Walpurgis by the Teutons, and Floralia by the Romans. The Celts celebrated the day by dancing around a May Pole, creating garlands and bowers of flowers, and playing bagpipes and drums to traditional Morris dances; they considered this a celebration of the beginning of summer. For some cultures the May Pole represents the World Center or Tree of Life and putting a maypole up involves taking a growing tree from the forest and bringing it to your village. Wreaths and baskets of Hawthorn are sometimes used in honor of Maia, the Goddess of death and fertility, for whom May is named. Some other customs associated with May Day include "a-maying", crowning a May Queen/King, leaving baskets of flowers by loved ones' doors or windows, games, dancing, and jumping over a bonfire. Jumping over a bonfire was either seen as signifying an intention to marry at midsummer or interpreted as the height of the jump was how high their crops would grow. In 1644, the Puritan Parliament in England outlawed May Day and the custom of "a-maying" which involved young couples staying overnight in the forests to greet the dawn and collect flowers for the days' festivities. With the restoration of Charles II in 1660, May Day returned and by Victorian times had transformed into a commemoration of Merri England. Despite replacement of these ancient solar May Day festivals by the Christian lunar festival of Easter as the time of renewal and rebirth, some cultures and peoples still practice the traditional pre-Christian May Day rituals and festivities.

May Day is also noted as the "radical workers' holiday" or International Workers' Day. The first such May Day occurred on May 1, 1886, when the American Federation of Labor declared a national strike which called for eight-hour workdays and improved sanitation and safety conditions inside the workplace. At a labor rally in Chicago's Haymarket Square someone threw a bomb which killed one policeman. Authorities subsequently rounded up eight anarchists (the "Chicago Eight") who they believed were the leaders of the local labor movement and put them on trial for conspiracy. All were found guilty even though seven had not been present at the bomb site; four of the eight were hanged, one committed suicide in jail, and the remaining three were freed years later when public opinion turned against the questionable trial. In 1889, the Socialist International organization declared May 1 a day of demonstrations. The next May Day wasn't observed until 1890. America's celebrants were joined by workers in European industrial centers and in Havana, Cuba. By 1919, countries such as Canada, South Africa, China, Japan, Chile, Peru, and Korea saw young labor movements celebrating May Day. The largest turnouts were in the Soviet Union and Cuba while the US media increasingly described May Day as a "commie" event because it called for fairness and equal opportunity on the job. Large demonstrations led to employers recognizing the eight-hour day and forty-hour work week. In 1947, September's Labor Day was already being celebrated here and the U.S. Veterans of Foreign Wars and Congress renamed May 1 "Loyalty Day" to encourage citizens to reaffirm their commitment to the country. Labor marches were still held but between the Cold War and McCarthyism, participation in May Day's labor related events in the US dwindled while demonstrations continued, changed, and expanded globally as seen in the May Day riots in Europe and tanks and mobile missile-launchers parading before the Kremlin.
Sharon

Vasant Panchami
Saraswati is: the daughter of Lord Shiva and Goddess Durga, the Hindu goddess of learning. the mother of the Vedas, and usually represented dressed in white. Her white swan symbolizes Sattwa Guna (purity and discrimination). Goddess Saraswati’s birthday is celebrated on Magh Sud 5 (5th day of the bright fortnight of the lunar month of Magh). This celebration or festival is called Vasant Panchami and falls on February 20 this year. “Vasant Panchami is a festival full of religious, seasonal, and social significance and is celebrated by Hindus all over the world.”

Vasant means, ‘the spring season’ and “since every season has a 'gestation' period of 40 days, the true onset of spring occurs 40 days after Vasant Panchami.” The color yellow is given special significance on this day to signify ripening of the spring crops. Saraswati is dressed in yellow garments and worshipped (with Havan, Puja, etc.), women and men try to wear yellow clothes on this day, and sweetmeats of yellowish hues are exchanged with relatives and friends. According to one source, “Spiritually, the yellow colour is a sign of prosperity; it is the colour of love.” Children are also taught their first words on this day because it is considered a propitious day to begin how to read and write. Additionally, some perform Pitri-Tarpan (ancestor worship), many worship Kamadeva, the god of love, and some people feed Brahmins on Vasant Panchami.

Vasant Panchami is also known as Shri Panchami to some and, as Saraswati Puja, it is observed religiously almost in all parts of India especially in Bengal. Saraswati Puja is also performed during the Navaratri or Dussehra.

Floralia

"Cicero was a serious-minded man and by way of being a philosopher. When he was entering on the aedileship he shouted out, in the hearing of the whole citizen body, that among the other duties of his office it fell to him to propitiate Mother Flora by the holding of games."
~St Augustine, De Civ. Dei, 11, 27

Floralia was instituted around 238 BCE and is a celebration in honor of Flora, the Roman Goddess of flowers, youth, and spring. Flora had a minor temple on the Quirinalis and she was given a sanctuary near the Circus Maximus. The goddess is associated with vines, olives, fruit trees, and honey-bearing plants.

Originally a six day movable feast observed in late April through early May, Floralia symbolizes the renewal of the cycle of life. Floralia was celebrated with games and theatrical presentations (known as the Ludi Florales) followed by the freeing of animals such as rabbits and goats and scattering of beans inside the Circus Maximus to insure fertility. Instead of the white clothing usually worn, Roman citizens wore colorful clothing during Floralia; they also wore floral wreaths in their hair. Roman temples were decorated with flowers and offerings to Flora were made of milk and honey. After Julius Caesar fixed the Roman calendar, the holiday's observation dates were changed to April 28 through May 3. Observance of the holiday is now celebrated with flowers, drinking, and dancing.
Sharon

Shavuot
Shavuot ("weeks") is one of three Pilgrim Festivals (along with Passover and Sukkot) in the Jewish calendar. It falls on the sixth day of Sivan beginning at sunset the night before and celebrates the Ten Commandments. It also commemorates the anniversary of the giving of the Ten Commandments to Moses and the Israelites at Mount Sinai, the foundation of Jewish law. Shavuot is also known as the Feast of Weeks because it occurs seven weeks after the first day of Passover. Originally, Shavuot was a time of bringing the first fruits of harvest to Jerusalem as a show of thanks but has since transformed into the anniversary of the day the Torah was given to the Jewish people. It is customary to read from the Book of Ruth and study the Torah during this holiday.

Litha
June 21 (or thereabouts) is Litha, also known as Midsummer or Summer Solstice (by the Julian calendar, the first day of summer). The Summer Solstice is the longest day of the year, the cross-quarter of the Winter Solstice, the shortest day of the year. Midsummer is similar to Samhain (All Hallows) in that this is another Sabbath where the boundaries between the worlds are thin. This makes it an excellent time for any type of divination such as Tarot, Crystals, etc.

These holidays represent a time of fulfillment and abundance - a season to be enjoyed and revered.

Wishing you all a Happy Beltane, a Happy Summer Solstice, and a glorious Summer season.

Susan Morgaine

Jack O’Lantern
The tradition of carving Jack o’Lanterns begins with an old Celtic legend about a man named Jack. There are many different stories about Jack, but at the core of each tale is a not so honorable fellow. During Jack’s lifetime he had caught the attention of the Devil and was informed he would spend his eternal years in uncomfortable accommodations. Wanting to avoid death and this unpleasant situation, Jack is believed to have either tricked the Devil or made a deal with him to never be allowed into the Devil’s domain.

Upon Jack’s eventual death, he went first to the Devil’s door. He was told to try the other path. The path referred to was very dark and Jack asked for a light to guide his way. A glowing ember was given to him, but since the ember was too hot for Jack to hold, he carved out a rutabaga (one of his favorite foods), placed the ember inside, and carved out a few holes to let the light shine out.

Jack continued on his trek to find a place to rest. At the other end of the path, he tried getting in to God’s realm. Saint Peter denied him entrance. Unwelcome in both kingdoms, and without a body, Jack returned to Earth. Without a place of final rest, Jack continues to roam the globe, lighting his way with his carved out lantern.

On all Hallow's eve, the Irish hollowed out rutabagas, turnips, potatoes, beets, and gourds. They placed a light in them to ward off evil spirits and keep Jack away. These were the original Jack O'Lanterns. When the Irish immigrated to America in the 1800’s they were introduced to pumpkins. They found them bigger and easier to carve than the vegetables of Ireland and, thus, the tradition of using pumpkins to make Jack o’Lanterns began. If you want to try something different, try carving a out a rutabaga this year! It’s reported that when a rutabaga is carved and lit, it glows with an eerie, skull-like quality.
Sharon (10/2004)