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Wednesday, October 30, 2013

The Season of Ghosts, Goblins...and Witches!

  Well, it is that time of year again. There is a chill in the air, the leaves begin to fall, and it starts to get dark early. It is hard to put a finger on, but there is a certain something in the air. For a Witch like me, it is truly a magickal time of year, Halloween is here!
  For Wiccans and Pagans, Halloween is Christmas. Our highest of holy days, or Sabbats. Halloween is an ancient Celtic holiday called Samhain (pronounced sow-en). In addition to being the Pagan New Year, it is the third of three harvest festivals on the Pagan calendar. I could go on with a lot of history here, but that is not why we are here. I realize that I am up against about three hundred years of bad publicity, but part of what I try to do here at The Conservative Cauldron is not only to educate, but also to share my holidays. Why they are important to me, and how I can help people relate to them.
  Besides being a harvest festival, it is also a day in which we remember and honor our ancestors, our loved ones who have gone on to the other world. It is a day that we believe that the veil between this world and the other world is the thinnest. Halloween is a day that we might traditionally engage in some form of divination. Maybe some Tarot cards, runes, or perhaps and old fashioned form of apple divination.
  Unfortunately, it is also usually this time of year when the freaks come out, and not just at night. The mainstream media, always on the lookout for stereotypes which they deem "offensive", wastes no time in trotting out the resident Witch, more than likely, directly from "Witch Central", a.k.a., Salem Massachusetts, wearing the regulation flowing black robes, and way too much eyeliner. And let's not forget the over-the-top fundamentalist Christian Pastor, who is convinced that Halloween is nothing more than an evil Pagan celebration, it's only purpose, to corrupt and persuade good Christians over to the "dark side".
  What I would want everyone to know is this. There is no hidden agenda behind Samhain, or Halloween. I hope I have shown here that Wiccans come from every walk of life. We just want to practice our religion like everyone else. And just like Christians who like to decorate trees and bake cookies at Christmas time, we love the fun part of our holiday too.
  So when my Samhain ritual is finished, I will be on the lookout for fun size Three Musketeers bars, and maybe a few black and orange M&M's. And what card-carrying Witch's Halloween would be complete without watching a perfectly fun Witchy movie like "Bell, Book, and Candle", or my personal favorite, "Practical Magic".
  From The Conservative Cauldron, have a happy, fun, and safe Halloween!      

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