A Holiday Reminder

 

The holidays are upon us and many of us enjoy being with our friends and family. We’ll party in all manner of ways and there’s a very good chance that many of us will over do and may a few mistakes. Some of those mistakes will be minor and won’t count for much but as you dare read what follows these words I hope it will strike a cord deep within each of you, making you realize that even though a good many of us believe it would never happen to us but... what if – what if it did. Could any of us live with such a mistake, I know I could not. Many after reading what is posted below will call me an ass and cold hearted. Call me what you will. Believe of me what you may but after reading the words I know without a doubt that I still have a heart.

Before you party this holiday season please read the following words below. May the Lord and Lady keep and bless each and every one of you and may you stay safe and enjoy what friends and family. Blessed be
I was walking around in a WalMart store, when I saw a cashier hand this Little boy some money back.

The boy couldn't have been more than 5 or 6 years old.

The Cashier said, 'I'm sorry, but you don't have enough money to buy this Doll.'

Then the little boy turned to the old woman next to him, ''Granny, are you
 Sure I don't have enough money?''

The old lady replied, ''You know that you don't have enough money to buy
This doll, my dear.''

Then she asked him to stay there for just 5 minutes while she went to look
Around. She left quickly.

The little boy was still holding the doll in his hand.

Finally, I walked toward him and I asked him who he wished to give this doll
To.

'It's the doll that my sister loved most and wanted so much for Christmas.
She was sure that Santa Claus would bring it to her.'

I replied to him that maybe Santa Claus would bring it to her after all, and
Not to worry.

But he replied to me sadly. 'No, Santa Claus can't bring it to her where she
Is now. I have to give the doll to my mommy so that she can give it to my
Sister when she goes there.'

His eyes were so sad while saying this, 'My Sister has gone to be with God.
Daddy says that Mommy is going to see God very soon too, so I thought that
She could take the doll with her to give it to my sister.''

My heart nearly stopped.

The little boy looked up at me and said, 'I told daddy to tell mommy not to
Go yet. I need her to wait until I come back from the mall.' Then he showed
Me a very nice photo of himself. He was laughing. He then told me 'I want
Mommy to take my picture with her so she won't forget me.'

'I love my mommy and I wish she didn't have to leave me, but daddy says that
She has to go to be with my little sister.'

Then he looked again at the doll with sad eyes, very quietly.

I quickly reached for my wallet and said to the boy. 'Suppose we check
Again, just in case you do have enough money for the doll!''

OK' he said, 'I hope I do have enough.' I added some of my money to his
Without him seeing and we started to count it. There was enough for the doll
And even some spare money.

The little boy said, 'Thank you God for giving me enough money!'

Then he looked at me and added, 'I asked last night before I went to sleep
For God to make sure I had enough money to buy this doll, so that mommy
Could give it to my sister. He heard me!''

'I also wanted to have enough money to buy a white rose for my mommy, but I
Didn't dare to ask God for too much. But He gave me enough to buy the doll
And a white rose.''

'My mommy loves white roses.'

A few minutes later, the old lady returned and I left with my basket. I
Finished my shopping in a totally different state of mind from when I
Started.

I couldn't get the little boy out of my mind.

Then I remembered a local newspaper article two days ago, which mentioned a
Drunk man in a truck, who hit a car occupied by a young woman and a little
Girl. The little girl died right away, and the mother was left in a critical
State. The family had to decide whether to pull the plug on the
Life-sustaining machine, because the young woman would not be able to
Recover from the coma.

Was this the family of the little boy?

Two days after this encounter with the little boy, I read in the newspaper
That the young woman had passed away.

I couldn't stop myself as I bought a bunch of white roses and I went to the
Funeral home where the body of the young woman was for people to see and
Make last wishes before her burial.

She was there, in her coffin, holding a beautiful white rose in her hand
With the photo of the little boy and the doll placed over her chest.

I left the place, teary-eyed, feeling that my life had been changed forever.
The love that the little boy had for his mother and his sister is still, to
This day, hard to imagine, and in a fraction of a second, a drunk driver had
Taken all this away from him.

REVERENCING The DEAD At SAMHAIN

So much as been said about the haunted time of Samhain, yet little has been said about how to interact with spirits, souls and ghosts, and how to reverence the dead at this pivotal time in the Celtic  year. When the Sidhe open and the 'dead' are free to walk back and forth between the worlds, how might we respond? This article explores a Celtic understanding of death and the Otherworld and offers several traditional reasons for why the 'living' might be visited by 'ghosts' at this hallowed time of the year.

"There's no need to holler; the dead are here!" (137) Daniel
Westforth Whittier, The Emerald Swamp (1984)

As human beings, we have all wondered what might be in store for us after we die. Every known culture has addressed this question, as it is one of the defining questions for our existence. We die; what  does this mean for us? Do we go on to 'heaven' or 'hell' - as Christianity teaches - or do we get reincarnated, as some eastern religions teach? Do we go to a place of 'shades' where we continue to exist, but only as a shadow of our former selves, as ancient Greek religion taught, or is there nothing after this life, as the ancient Israelites seem to have believed and as modern atheism and materialism assert?

While there are almost as many options as there are people asking the question, we must not be discouraged by this plurality of belief where death and the 'afterlife' are concerned. From a spiritual point of view, it is not as important to know what happens after death as to continue asking the question and to continue entertaining extraordinary possibilites, for in this we strive toward being human. Asking the question of death and the afterlife is a way of living life to the fullest, seeking wisdom and wholeness.

The ancient Celts believed in an afterlife, and their conception of it is rather different from the options many of us in the West have grown up with. For the Celts living in ancient Britain, Wales, Scotland and Ireland, "this world" was paralleled by Another Country - an "Otherworld" that was, for all intents and  purposes, 'like' this world. Death, for the Celts, was a doorway leading from this life into this next realm, where a person continued what they had been doing in this life.

There are two things that stand out as being quite unusual about theCeltic view. First, the Otherworld is not a place of punishment and reward. There is no 'supreme being' waiting to condemn you to an eternally boring heaven or a place of perpetual suffering. Death is simply a transition, and what you 'get' in the next life is what you have prepared yourself for while living this life. That is, if youhave sought wisdom and wholeness while incarnate  (in the flesh) then you will simply continue this quest on the Otherside. If you have frittered this life away in mundane pursuits, you will end up waking up on the otherside without much of a clue as to what's going on. What you get is what you prepare yourself for.

Second, the Otherworld is quite close to this world. It is "right down the lane", or "right beyond the gate", as people used to say.There is a story of a druid and his student that I like to tell that illustrates this 'nearness' of the Otherworld. As the story goes,they were in the druid's cave one night, each engaged in his respective studies, when the student looked up and asked his druid, "Horned One, where do we go when we die?" The druid, distracted from his work for a second, looked up and with a casual wave of his hand said, "Ah - over there," - alluding to another part of the cave. He then went back to his work. The student, however, was stunned by this revelation.

As this intimates, the Celts lived in close proximity with the dead. All places were potentially 'haunted', therefore, and this was seen to be natural. Because the dead were not in a place of punishment or reward, it was common for houses to be 'haunted' by past residents, some of whom stayed permanently 'around' while others came and went at different times and seasons. Certain places in the Celtic landscape were also haunted, such as burial mounds, stone circles, rings of standing stones and other megalithic monuments. These places functioned as doorways between the worlds; places where the dead could walk back and forth.

As the Celts were fascinated with borders - gates, streams and rivers, crossroads, and doorways were all considered 'haunted' by virtue of being places of transition. A fence, for instance, dividing the farm fields from the woods or pasture beyond was thought to be a place where communication with spirits was more likely to take place than in the middle of the field. Ghosts and spirits were known to travel along such boundaries.

Because of the nearness of the Otherworld and existence of these doorways in the landscape, communication between the living and the dead was much more commonplace in the Celtic world than it is in a Christian cosmos. Celtic people even tended to welcome visits from the 'dead', as they didn't think of spirits and souls necessarily  being hostile or lost, or as needing to be 'sent into the Light' (this is just a pop version of the Christian view:  "Light" simply taking the place of "Heaven")

While the Otherworld and this world were always in close proximity, at certain times of the year the pathways between 'here' and 'there' opened up to allow even more spiritual communication across the sidhe (a Celtic word used to refer to these gateways between the worlds in general) than usual. Celtic time was divided into definite periods, each having ritual and mythological parameters. At the transitions between these periods, communication with spirits and souls on the Otherside could better take place.

The Celts divided time up differently than we do today. Their day began at dusk rather than at dawn, as they believed that light emerges from darkness; that darkness precedes and grounds the light.  The Celtic year was divided into seasons, the passage between which was always marked by a traditional festival. The four major festivals - Imbolc (Feb.2), Beltaine (May 1), Lughnassadh (Aug 2)  and Samhain (Oct 31) - are the most liminal times, and as such the most potent for communication with spirits and souls of the dead.
Each is marked by the enactment of rituals that allow people to move safely from one season into another, crossing between these luminous earthen times in safety.

Samhain (pronouned "Sow-en") is perhaps the most liminal of these festivals, as it not only marks the transition from one season toanother (Autumn -  Winter) but also the transition from one year to the next. Because of its importance, the Celts imagined that time became 'strange' as Samhain approached. At dusk on the 31st of October (the last day of the old year), they believed a new 'day' didn't begin as it does at every other sunset. Rather, a period of 'time between the worlds' set in, lasting through the night until dawn on the 1st of November. During this time, the dead and other
denizens of the Otherworld were free to come back and visit those of us still living in the incarnate realm. The first 'day' of the New Year was also unusual, therefore, as it began at dawn and ended at dusk, when the world returned to 'regular time.'

Because of the significance of this 'transition' - the end of one year and the beginning of another - the veils and walls between 'this' world and the Otherworld were thought to dissolve.   Ordinary time evaporated at sunset on 31 October, and thus the boundaries that normally defined the world and allowed people safe movement from place to place were displaced until sunrise the next day. Beginning at dusk on the 31st of October, spirits, the Sluagh-Sidhe (Faeryfolk) and souls of the discarnate (a term that describes beings on the Otherside) all came forth from the sidhe to roam freely for the night.

"Haunted in the Eaves of October
Spirits and Gnomes come out to play
To deck our homes with remembrance,
Witching up the powers of the Fay!"

We have all heard stories of ghosts and other visitants at Samhain.
Our own popular lore (expressed in movies, TV shows and literature) is full of intimations that - at this time of the year - we are as unalone as we can possibly be, surrounded by a great congress of spirits and souls, deities and ancient beings. This is very much in concert with an ancient Celtic understanding of Samhain, except that they didn't think of all discarnates as malevolent or "up to no good." As the veil between worlds dissolved at sunset each year on the 31st of October, Celtic people made certain preparations for the night's rituals, revels and feasting. They made themselves ready to receive the dead in a variety of ways, and were filled as much with anticipation and fascination as with 'dread.'

Celtic people in times past actually anticipated visits from ancestors, relatives, lost loves and friends, and even from the souls of household animals (such as hunting dogs) during Samhain Night. They were deeply connected with their past, and as such they believed that so long as they were living life with integrity and good purpose, relatives & ancestors who has passed over the sidhe would be interested in visiting their place of dwelling at Samhain.
If you had somehow dishonored the clan or your own particular family in some way, however, you might find yourself quite alone on Samhain
night! Not to be visited at this haunted time by at least one ancestor, spirit-guide or relative might mean that you had lost your way or that you were acting in a way that made you less than interesting to those who had passed through this world before you!

The Celts were romantics and as such they valued the deep emotional connections they had experienced with others in this life. When a
friend or a lover died, this connection remained, linking the dead lover or friend with their living partner. The bond between Celtic friends and lovers enabled the living partner to continue experiencing the presence of the discarnate one in deeply poetic ways. Imaginative 'conversations' would take place between them throughout the year and then the dead would come back to visit the living at Samhain.

Celtic people would also imagine being visited by spiritual mentors at Samhain. Pagan Celts often invited legendary Druids & Gwrach to
their end-of-year celebrations. If they had actually been mentored in this life by a Druid or Gwrach who had then passed beyond the veil into the Otherworld, they would surely be expecting a visit from that person sometime during the night. Celtic followers of Christ likewise treated any anamchara (i.e., soul friend; spiritual director) they may have known who was living on the otherside with the same respect, expecting to be visited by them before the NewYear began.

While most spirits and souls who came to visit people in this world during Samhain came simply for fellowship and with good intentions,
there was some cause for intrepidation, especially if you had wronged someone who then died before you could make amends. The Celts were very keen on inter-personal and communal justice. How one treated family and other members of the tuath (i.e., "tribe") was crucial for maintaining a kind of 'psychic balance' in the world.

When someone cheated, hurt or in some other way demeaned or insulted another person, this undid the psychic balance until restitution
could be enacted. If the person you wronged died before you got a chance to make amends, Samhain might be your last chance to mend the
breach. According to Celtic codes of restitution, you might make an offering to the family or friend of the one you had wronged asSamhain drew  near. If that wasn't possible, you could choose to leave an offering of food or perhaps a valued possession out on your doorstep at dusk on the 31st of October in the hopes that the ghost of the person you had wronged would see it and forgive you. One could also take such an offering up to one of the bonfires lit on the heaths during Samhain Night. Throwing it on the blazing fire was seen to symbolize delivering it to its intended recipient on the
otherside.

If wrong was done to someone in your own household, everyone would expect the ghost of that person to show up during the passage of
Samhain and haunt the guilty party until their gestures and offerings of restitution were accepted. Then the discarnate person would be invited to sit down at the Dumb Supper and partake of a ritual meal with the living. One of the main purposes in observing Samhain is this reestablishment of communal and interpersonalbalance; undoing wrongs and forgiving faults and actions that have unsettled the 'cosmic equation.' Once all of these acts of restitution have been made, people were then free to go forward in revelry, communing with the dead, dancing throughout the night in hallowed cirlces, around outdoor bonfires and before their own hearths at home.

How might we keep Samhain today, given the nature of the Celtic understanding of death and the Otherworld?

First, we need to get ourselves into the mood to be haunted. This may take anywhere from a few hours to a couple of days and so itsalways good to  begin 'setting the state' for Samhain at least by the beginning Ioho; the short, three-day 'month' at the end of the Celtic year. IOHO - which means "Yew" - begins at dusk on the 28th of October and continues until dusk on the 31st. The Yew is a mysterious evergreen often found growing in graveyards and believed to be a gateway into the Otherworld. A single Yew may live for centureis, though not in the usual way. When its branches touch the soil they grab hold, sprouting new roots and becoming new trees.
Thus the Yew renews itself and is born again from its own death.

There is an unbroken continuity in the growth of any old Yew, the present tree being a distant descendant of the original. Because of this unique way of propagating itself, Yews also have a tendency to migrate, inch by inch and foot by foot, from where the original tree was planted. As such, the Yew is a symbol of regeneration & the transmigration of the soul.

Ancient Europenas often buried their dead near consecrated Yew trees. In some Northern European cultures, there was no more hallowed place for interment than a grove of old and gnarly Yews. many of these ancient groves became Christian graveyards in later centuries. Thus to walk in some of the older cemeteries in Europe is to be in a place where people have been buried for upwards of 2,500 years.

It is a custom among Celtic Pagans today to visit graveyards sometime before dusk on 31 October, in order to reverence the dead and get into the mood to be haunted. Always remember, when visiting a graveyard, that you are on sacred ground and that respect must always be paid to the dead or else retribution may come. By visiting graves, mausoleums and tombs we show reverence for the dead.
Consider visiting the grave of someone you know who has died. If you have lost loved ones, friends or relatives in the previous year, consider  journeying to a cemetery before Samhain to visit theirgraves.

If you find a Yew tree growing anwhere near a familiar grave, touch it; encounter it with respect. Yews are energized by a deep-running  psychic power. Contact with a Yew Tree may connect your incarnate soul with the essences of loved ones who have recently crossed over. A link with the dead who are known to you may be established by this contact, helping a departed person find their way home for Samhain. If you have permission, cut a small sprig of Yew from a tree growing near the grave of a loved one or an ancestor and then plant it by your house. This will act as a beacon to guide the souls of the beloved dead to your home. If the Yew cutting takes root, imagine seeing spirits moving in , around and through its branches at Samhain each year as it grows.

From the 29th to the 31st of October the doors between the worlds are opening, and as such graveyards are believed to come to life with various presences. Places of interment are transitional in nature, and thus are always a bit 'haunted.' Then, in the Season of Samhain, they become quick with the dead. Go there with reverence and respect for the liminal nature of the place, open to whatever you may experience or remember as you walk around, reading inscriptions and listening for voices from Another Country.

Try not to 'spook' yourself and - at the same time, if you can -remain 'open' to whatever might happen. If you imagine that a spiritor a ghost is  present, 'greet' it by making three equal-armedcrosses before you in the air. This is an ancient symbol of the  Goddess - signifying Maiden, Mother and Crone; the three 'phases' of the Goddess - and as such is a way of blessing any discarnate entity you may encounter. To walk around a graveyard is to move in the ley-lines of mystical rapport with spirits and sould. Accept whatever happens and use whatever arts of taghairm(divination) you know to interpret it....

Twas The Night Before Christmas

TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS,
HE LIVED ALL ALONE,
IN A ONE BEDROOM HOUSE MADE OF
PLASTER AND STONE.

I HAD COME DOWN THE CHIMNEY
WITH PRESENTS TO GIVE,
AND TO SEE JUST WHO
IN THIS HOME DID LIVE.

I LOOKED ALL ABOUT,
A STRANGE SIGHT I DID SEE,
NO TINSEL, NO PRESENTS,
NOT EVEN A TREE.

NO STOCKING BY MANTLE,
JUST BOOTS FILLED WITH SAND,
ON THE WALL HUNG PICTURES
OF FAR DISTANT LANDS.

WITH MEDALS AND BADGES,
AWARDS OF ALL KINDS,
A SOBER THOUGHT
CAME THROUGH MY MIND.

FOR THIS HOUSE WAS DIFFERENT,
IT WAS DARK AND DREARY,
I FOUND THE HOME OF A SOLDIER,
ONCE I COULD SEE CLEARLY.

THE SOLDIER LAY SLEEPING,
SILENT, ALONE,
CURLED UP ON THE FLOOR
IN THIS ONE BEDROOM HOME.

THE FACE WAS SO GENTLE,
THE ROOM IN SUCH DISORDER,
NOT HOW I PICTURED
A UNITED STATES SOLDIER.

WAS THIS THE HERO
OF WHOM I'D JUST READ?
CURLED UP ON A PONCHO,
THE FLOOR FOR A BED?

I REALIZED THE FAMILIES
THAT I SAW THIS NIGHT,
OWED THEIR LIVES TO THESE SOLDIERS
WHO WERE WILLING TO FIGHT.

SOON ROUND THE WORLD,
THE CHILDREN WOULD PLAY,
AND GROWNUPS WOULD CELEBRATE
A BRIGHT CHRISTMAS DAY.

THEY ALL ENJOYED FREEDOM
EACH MONTH OF THE YEAR,
BECAUSE OF THE SOLDIERS,
LIKE THE ONE LYING HERE.

I COULDN'T HELP WONDER
HOW MANY LAY ALONE,
ON A COLD CHRISTMAS EVE
IN A LAND FAR FROM HOME.

THE VERY THOUGHT
BROUGHT A TEAR TO MY EYE,
I DROPPED TO MY KNEES
AND STARTED TO CRY.

THE SOLDIER AWAKENED
AND I HEARD A ROUGH VOICE,
'SANTA DON'T CRY,
THIS LIFE IS MY CHOICE;

I FIGHT FOR FREEDOM,
I DON'T ASK FOR MORE,
MY LIFE IS MY GOD,
MY! COUNTRY, MY CORPS.'

THE SOLDIER ROLLED OVER
AND DRIFTED TO SLEEP,
I COULDN'T CONTROL IT,
I CONTINUED TO WEEP.

I KEPT WATCH FOR HOURS,
SO SILENT AND STILL
AND WE BOTH SHIVERED
FROM THE COLD NIGHT'S CHILL.

I DIDN'T WANT TO LEAVE
ON THAT COLD, DARK, NIGHT,
THIS GUARDIAN OF HONOR
SO WILLING TO FIGHT.

THEN THE SOLDIER ROLLED OVER,
WITH A VOICE SOFT AND PURE,
WHISPERED, 'CARRY ON SANTA,
IT'S CHRISTMAS DAY, ALL IS SECURE.'

ONE LOOK AT MY WATCH,
AND I KNEW HE WAS RIGHT.
'MERRY CHRISTMAS MY FRIEND,!
AND TO ALL A GOOD NIGHT

The Story of Saint Valentines Day

The holiday of St. Valentine's Day probably derives its origins from the ancient Roman

feast of Lupercalia. In the early days of Rome, fierce wolves roamed the woods nearby.

The Romans called upon one of their gods, Lupercus, to keep the wolves away. A

festival held in honor of Lupercus was celebrated February 15th. The festival was

celebrated as a spring festival. Their calendar was different at that time, with February

falling in early springtime.

One of the customs of the young people during that time was name-drawing. On the eve

(the night before) of the festival of Lupercalia the names of Roman girls were written on

slips of paper and placed into jars. Each young man drew a slip. The girl whose name

was chosen was to be his sweetheart for the year.

Legend has it that the holiday became Valentine's Day after a Catholic priest named

Valentine. Valentine was a priest in Rome at the time Catholicism began dominating the

area. The Emperor at that time, Claudius II, ordered the Roman soldiers not to marry,

become engaged, or choose a companion of the same sex as it would interrupt their

serving as soldiers.  So, Claudius II, believed that as married men, or men with

companions, his soldiers would want to stay home with their families or companions

rather than fight in his wars.  Valentine defied the Emperor's decree and secretly

married the young couples. He was eventually arrested, imprisoned, and put to death.  

Later, the priest became a saint in the Roman Catholic Church.

Valentine was beheaded on February 14th, the eve of the Roman holiday Lupercalia.

After his death, Valentine was named a saint, and his day of celebration was on his day

of death as it was believed that due to his courage, he truly merited eternal rest. As

Rome became more Christian, the Catholic priests moved the spring holiday,

Lupercalia, from the 15th of February to the 14th of Febry, and renamed it St.

Valentine's Day.

         Now the holiday honors St. Valentine instead of Lupercus.  The holiday is celebrated        

         today in somewhat the same manner, but the philosophy of the day remains the same, to          

remember what love is.  Tokens of this love are called “valentines”, which are given to                      

another on that day as warrants of friendship or more.  The color of the day is red, standing

for loving someone enough to die for them.  Marketing now dominates the true meaning of the     

 holiday or holy day when we buy more than one type of valentine for another.

Easter History

What is the meaning of Easter and its symbols?

Easter History

Easter originated in the second century. It was originally a pagan festival.  It is a celebration of the coming of spring. Its date was set by the Council of Nicaea, as the first Sunday after the Vernal Equinox.

It is an internationally celebrated holiday. It is celebrated in Africa, Australia, Europe and Mexico.  It celebrates the resurrection of the lord, and therefore new beginnings of spring as well as all life.

It is where the three main religions of the world, Hebrew, Islam and Christian, unite as one. Easter owes its origin to Teutonic Mythology, who were of Germanic descent.

Easter Egg

            The Easter eggs are eggs that have been dyed and or decorated for Easter. They are usually dyed pink or blue or green or other spring colors as well as other springtime designs. They are traditionally hard boiled chicken eggs; however jellybeans and chocolate may be used as a substitute or in addition to the eggs.

           
 Decorating eggs is much older then Easter. Both the eggs and the rabbits are age old fertility symbols. The Passover Seder uses hard boiled eggs flavored with salt water as a symbol of new life as well as the temple service in Jerusalem. This tradition may have been borrowed from Roman Spring Feasts. Persians also painted eggs for their New Year celebration which fell on the Spring Equinox.  Greeks dye eggs red the color of blood, for the renewal of springtime, which later signified Christ’s blood.

Easter Bunny

            The Easter Bunny originates in Western European cultures. This is an example of folklore mythology, which children often grow out of. Bunnies symbolize spring fertility of the Earth at the Vernal Equinox.