Issue 158

A Pagan's experience of Halloween

22nd October 2007

Halloween, a time of ghosts, ghouls, goblins.....and honouring the dead.

As a child I was fascinated by the supernatural, the unusual and the downright weird. I never grew out of it and it matured into a natural inclination for another way of life. I chose Paganism.

Samhain, or Halloween, as the night is more commonly known, is a really exciting and important time of year for me. It's the Pagan equivalent of New Year. The same theories apply to both Samhain and New Year's, an out with old and in with the new ideology. It is a good time to leave past mistakes behind you and take stock of life.

A lot of cultures, from Christian to Pagan, honour and remember those who have passed on. It's traditionally the time when the 'veil' between the living and the dead is supposedly at it's thinnest, explaining the folklore notion of Ghosts, Zombies, Vampires entering our world. The dead straying into the world of the living brings many rituals. There is an Irish folklore belief of needing to blend in with the dead on this night, so not to attract their attention. We dress up as witches and werewolves in the same way. We're engaging in rituals of the past, although more for nighttime fun, than nighttime fear.

This is an amazing time for divination (seeing into the future), so get your crystal balls out and peer into it. You may find the answer you're looking for in those depths, that or dunking yourself in it, as I did when I got too close the first time! Bobbing for apples is also a tool of divination. Tradition stated that you had to catch an apple by its stalk in your mouth, peel it and throw the peel over your shoulder, this supposedly would form the initial of your future love.

Halloween is also a good time for communicating with those who have passed on, whether literally, spiritually or even just metaphorically. I put out candles, food and flowers near my Grandma and Grandad's photos so that they can celebrate in style with me. Some like to communicate literally with the dead, whether through personal rituals or spirit boards, but I like to think they can hear me already, and are probably laughing at my antics!

Some consider the death aspect of this day as mournful or just plain frightening but I prefer to see it as the next step in life. I celebrate the earthly lives of those who aren't with us, as death is just a natural part of life for me. Perhaps this is why I love dressing up for Halloween so much; I would rather have silly scary images of death around me, than be scared of the idea of it.

My particularly favourite ritual is pumpkin carving, I get to make pumpkin pie and soup, and convince two year olds that the pulp is pumpkin guts! The pumpkin, or ' Jack o Lantern' is based on the myth of an Irish farmer called Jack, who was cursed by the devil to wander at night, his only light from his carved lantern. Lighting a candle in your pumpkin is supposed to reflect this, and help Jack find his way home. Another Pagan tradition I really enjoy is the baking of the Irish Barmbrack or Tharf cake which is a fortune telling device. It is baked with certain objects that represent your fortune when found in your slice.

My Mother is a Christian, but has never had a problem with my beliefs. She is neither superstitious or officious in how I celebrate it. She is a very open minded, faithful Christian, and in this way she has taught me to understand how she views this time of year and we have in turn a mutual respect for both. One of her favourite quotes is 'We all have a little Witch in us', and I like the philosophy behind that very much.

Rebecca Moylan