by Allison Beldon-Smith

Created on: January 24, 2009

One has only to look back into antiquity to know there is an allotted time for replenishing memories, it is called Samhain. Now more widely known as Halloween', this once traditional time of ancestral celebration for the remembering of past relatives has been culturally destroyed due to past ignorance, fed by zealous Christian fervor.

So devalued now is this much needed dark' festival that most of the population simply regard it as a time of farce, which unfortunately still perpetuates the Medieval degradation of women, by ridiculing the calling of witch, the local wise woman, with her wits about her', derived from the Anglo-Saxon. Halloween is the shadow left from the burning times, culturally sanitized to eliminate the injustice and horror with a subterfuge of hilarity. It is time Samhain was reinstated, so here is my suggestion.

Hold a party in the evening and into the night, there are wonderful recipes to make, although far too many including pumpkin. I always have a large Bread of the Dead' which is just a large plain cake shared with all present and then last thing before going to bed the remains are taken out into the garden and left as an offering to the wildlife, who consume it on behalf of the spirits. This I adapted from the South American tradition of Pan de Muertos', sweet bread that is baked especially for 2nd November, the Mexican Day of the Dead, Dia de los Muertos'. It is a family activity and children mold it into many appropriate Samhain shapes like the people, and animals they wish to remember.

Let your party become a ritual celebration of ancestral memory. In accordance with ancient tradition the table becomes your sacred circle, so dress each quarter appropriately, the western facing quarter will be colored blue, having water' as the theme of decoration. North will be decorated with green and the theme of earth' , east with yellow and the theme air, and south with red and the theme fire'.

Start the celebration by calling everyone to the table to eat; as everyone sees the table's quartered decoration they will ask questions and you can inform, relating to ancient times. Keep it simple, ask for a moments silence and then turning first to the east say:
"Winds of the East, life giving breath
Tonight you blow away the power of death."
Then turn to the south,

"Spirit of fire, into darkness you bring light,

Ancestors come join in our party tonight"

Then turn to the west, "Hail to water, spirits of the west
Keep us always pure and blessed."
Then turn to

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