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| Wishing you treats, not tricks |
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It has been such a dramatic week for so many, with Hurricane Sandy still wreaking havoc on a huge number of people's lives, atop the last hectic sprint of the Presidential election campaign. Many of you who have been hardest hit by the storm will not read this blog now, due to lack of power and far more pressing things to attend to, but you truly have my thoughts and prayers. I have family and friends on the East coast. My heart goes out to all those affected by this storm.
And today is Halloween! My kind neighbor picked up some candy for me last night in her run to the store. I prefer to wait until the last minute rather than purchasing beforehand, only to find it calling my name at 1 AM. So I am now prepared for the children who will troop through my neighborhood, painted, masked, costumed, caped, be-winged and be-glittered. The pumpkin is carved, the candle is ready to be lit, and I have a tall witch's hat in which to open the door, bearing treats.
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| Light a candle for your ancestors |
Halloween, All Saints, All Souls - this really is a special time. I hope that all of you will pause for a moment to think of those in your family who went before you, contributing their lives, their sweat, blood, tears and love to growing the foundation into which you were born and upon which you stand.
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| Candles lit in church for those we love |
I urge all of you to take advantage of this brief and special window, tonight and over the next couple of days, to set out some clear cool water for your deceased loved ones, to light them a candle and perhaps give them a drink, some tobacco, some food. Pray for them, remember them, and let them know that you appreciate, love and miss them. Pray for their peace and their well-being. Remember and appreciate all of the loving things they have done and still do for you, and ask for their blessing.
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| Our ancestors can help us to see life more clearly |
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| Our original family healing formula! |
I also recommend our Ancestor family formula, specifically designed for work with - you guessed it - your ancestors, and the dead. Both Hoodoo Roots formulas, Ancestor and Thicker than Water, are fantastic, practical formulas.
Incidentally, I introduced Thicker Than Water to the hoodoo market last year, one of several formulas unique to Hoodoo Roots, including Conquering Glory, Talk to Me, and Lay Down Your Troubles and Rest, amongst others. Recently I have seen a few other vendors selling these titles. I suppose that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery - but these are in fact Hoodoo Roots originals. Please opt for Hoodoo Roots original formulas, and enjoy the real deal!
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| Our Spirited Peppermint Balm is all treat, no trick! |
Finally, I'd like to invite you all to try my newest lip balm, Spirited Peppermint! I added creamy infused vanilla into this formula to soften and mellow the English peppermint. And look at this cute tin, just in time for Halloween! Can a lip balm be more fun than this?
I think not!
As always, this luxurious lip balm is nourishing and soothing, with a smooth, creamy finish. 100% natural, and like all of our products, it is made with the very finest
organic ingredients. Rest assured, this delicious balm is all treat, no trick! So fun to pull out of your pocket or bag! Makes a great gift, too!
Wishing you and all of your loved ones, alive and in spirit, a very Happy Halloween,
and blessed All Saints Day All Souls Days.
Dara Anzlowar
All Hallows Eve into All Saints Day,
under a very round moon, 2012
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how can you honor halloween? when it is pagan and would have been despised be Jesus and the early saints.
ReplyDeleteHi, and thanks for stopping in!
ReplyDeleteYour question reminded me of something which occurred while I was living (briefly) in Plano, Texas. It was during the 2004 election, and I went to vote early a day or so before Halloween. The polling place was at a local athletic center. People were feeling very riled up about the election, and there was a good 45 minute wait.
As the line snaked around the perimeter of the gymnasium, I saw a sign on the wall which made me chuckle: “Halloween Costume Contest, 4 PM October 31st!” read the sign, which was shaped like a pumpkin. Under this was tacked another sign which read: “If you do not celebrate Halloween, come as your favorite character!”. This struck me as rather absurd, since coming as your favorite character was entirely in keeping with the Halloween spirit, as celebrated by kids. I commented aloud to that effect.
The man standing in line before me turned around and said, sternly, “People don’t want their children to be exposed to Pagan practices and witchcraft”. I looked at him with amusement, but only said “I see”. It struck me as funny that he would instruct me, a redhead wearing a black sweater with an orange pumpkin on it and a tiny broomstick pin (my tribute to the season), about the possibility of Halloween contamination. But each to their own!
I’m not at all as sure as you seem to be that I have the ultimate lowdown on exactly which cultural and spiritual traditions and beliefs Jesus and the early saints would really have despised, beyond those explicitly mentioned in the Bible. I certainly believe that Jesus was profoundly and actively aware of spiritual activity, spirits, and powers. However, I am not aware of any passage in the Bible specifically decrying Halloween. Nor am I aware of any Biblical injunction whatsoever against praying for, remembering, or recognizing our spiritual kinship with those who have gone before us. The “this is anti-Christian” or “this is devil worship” beliefs about Halloween which I have encountered have usually come from a strict Evangelical quarter. Without intending to be unkind, I would like to point out that these churches are much, much more recent than the one to which I belong.
I am a Roman Catholic. The Catholic Church (along with it’s Eastern Orthodox sister church) is the oldest extant Christian church, embodying the oldest Christian practices in the world. Remembering, praying for, and recognizing our spiritual kinship with the Dead, and our recognition that we are all linked with the Holy Trinity, has been a formally recognized practice in Catholicism for at approximately 60 (based upon a 25 year generation) if not 75 generations (based upon a 20 year Gap between the generations), and it was undoubtedly common belief and folk practice long, long before it became a formal part of the liturgical calendar.
(Continued in my second response, as I have hit my character limit for this one.)
ReplyDelete(This is the second part of my response.)
We do not worship the Devil, we do not invoke the anti-Christ, and we do not regard Halloween as being other than a deep and holy time during which we remember and pray for our kin and all the Departed. We recognize that not only can we help them with our prayers, but that they can also bless and benefit us by giving us theirs. Trick-or-treating we generally view as benign (if a boon to dentists).
The date of this observance has been changed through the centuries, and it is entirely likely that the date we currently observe, October 31-November 2nd (All-Hallows Eve, The Solemnity of All Saints, and the Feast of All Souls, collectively known as the Communion of the Saints) does have to do with the recognition by the church that people were remembering and aware of the Dead at that time of year as part of an elder practice. We do not see this probability as negating in any way the validity of these observances as a part of Christian spiritual life.
I do feel that there is something special and God-created, about the period between late October and early November. In no way do I feel this is evil in nature: it simply IS nature, which again, is of the Creator. I believe that the world is full of spiritual presences, seen and unseen, and during this time period there seems to be a special window of opportunity to bond with those who have gone before. Your mileage may vary.
Jesus stated that the sum of the Law was to love the Lord our God with all of our hearts, minds, and souls, and to love one another as we do ourselves. I suspect that then, as now, it was human to secretly harbor the desire to put down others, to point out their flaws, to criticize, and to essentially obey the letter of the law rather than it’s spirit. I think we should all strive to overcome this tendency and have humility and kindness in our hearts - not that it’s always easy! But the spirit of the law is what is most important. Observing the letter helps us to be focused and disciplined as well, but if there is ever conflict, it is the spirit of the law which trumps all.
Wishing you well,
Dara Anzlowar