| When the night of October 31st comes
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| | to 'other realms', this would include the
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| around most of the Western world will
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| | Lands of the Sidhe - pronounced 'shee' -
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| witness a surge of spooky activity. So
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| | or the Faery Realm! Gifts of food for
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| many people these days join in the fun of
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| | these unseen ones was an intention to
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| Halloween!
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| | gain favour and avoid any ill fortune or
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| But what is the origin of these spooky
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| | mischief by these powerful beings - early
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| festivities? Why do we dress up as
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| | Trick or Treat!!)
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| ghouls, skeletons, tortured victims,
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| | Samhain was said to be a very potent time
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| headless lords, witches and warlocks?
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| | for magic and divination. Druids would
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| Why do we carve out pumpkins and Turnips,
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| | perform rituals for communicating with
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| bob for apples and trick or treat?
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| | the dead and of divining the future.
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| The truth is it's a mish mash of
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| | Roasted nuts and cakes would contain
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| cultures, traditions and belief systems.
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| | tokens of luck to predict favor to those
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| Both Samhain and Halloween are celebrated
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| | who found them.
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| on October 31st - Northern Hemisphere,
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| | It was custom to light a candle to
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| but what's the difference between the
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| | signify the 'New Year' and a great
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| Festival of Samhain and that of
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| | bonfire was set by the chief Druid. On
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| Halloween?
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| | this, members of the communities would
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| One notable difference is that most
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| | sacrifice animals and crops to the Celtic
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| people are not even aware of Samhain and
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| | deities and the fire would become sacred.
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| only know the night to be called
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| | Hearth fires would be extinguished only
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| 'Halloween'.
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| | to be re-lit by family members lighting a
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| So how do we know for sure what we are
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| | torch from this great, sacred fire and
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| celebrating? Firstly, it's necessary to
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| | carrying it all the way back to rekindle
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| look back in time to see which came
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| | their own hearth fires. These hearth
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| first!
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| | fires were kept continuously burning
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| Samhain pronounced 'sow en' reaches
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| | until Beltan or Bealtaine arrived - the
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| thousands of years back into early
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| | start of the Celtic summertime. It was
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| European Celtic roots. The Celtic
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| | extremely bad luck if the fire was left
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| culture, religion and beliefs were
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| | to go out before this!
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| strongly tuned into the earth and sky
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| | The tradition of carving out turnips,
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| around them, including the cycles of
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| | beets and potatoes and lighting a candle
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| nature, the arrival of the different
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| | inside was said to ward off evil spirits.
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| seasons & stages of the sun, moon and
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| | This practice obviously led to the
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| stars.
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| | 'Jack-O-Lantern' fable about a damned
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| The important dates on their calendars
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| | soul, popular with the later Catholic
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| were marked by these seasonal changes.
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| | religion, particularly in America where
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| They gave great respect to nature and
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| | the turnip was replaced by the Pumpkin.
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| knew that winter would be a harsh time
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| | Winter apples were one of the main
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| for them and they must prepare well and
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| | harvest fruits and therefore used
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| work with the season in order to survive.
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| | prominently for the festivities. The
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| They believed that they were part of this
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| | Roman Goddess of Pomona, symbolized by
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| continuous regeneration of the earth -
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| | the apple, was NOT the reason for 'apple
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| the sacred circle of life!
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| | bobbing' nor had it anything to do with
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| Samhain became the mark of the first day
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| | Samhain. They were celebrated on
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| of winter and the start of the Celtic New
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| | completely different dates and not merged
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| Year. The ancient astrologers had
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| | as some may think
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| calculated that November 1st was the
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| | Christianity & Halloween
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| exact half way point between the autumnal
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| | Several hundred years after the death of
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| equinox and winter solstice (winter
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| | Christ, the Christian church had gathered
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| solstice was midwinter - the return of
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| | enough influence within Celtic lands to
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| the sun).
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| | establish a day of honoring the deaths of
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| There is some debate over whether the
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| | their Martyrs, it was on 609AD that Pope
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| Celtic New Year started at Samhain or at
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| | Boniface IV designated May 13th to
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| winter solstice but, as their days always
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| | remember all martyrs.
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| began at sunset, when darkness came, it
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| | However this date was changed in 837AD,
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| seems significant that the New Year
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| | Pope Gregory IV extended the festival to
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| should start at Samhain, when the winter
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| | include all of the saints and changed the
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| darkness begins
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| | date to November 1st, the day was called
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| The astrologers also believed that this
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| | 'All Hallows Day'.
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| time was a kind of no-mans land and
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| | Moving the date was an attempt to
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| signified a thinning of the 'veil'
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| | Christianize the pagan festival of the
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| between those who lived on the earthly
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| | dead. The evening of October 31st was
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| plane and those on the spiritual and in
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| | changed to 'All Hallows Eve' - the
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| other realms! Therefore, the doorways to
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| | evening before 'All Saints Day'. Or, as
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| and from these other worlds opened up for
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| | we call it today, Halloween - Hallow'en!
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| a time!
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| | In A.D.1000 the church further made
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| When Samhain was approaching, the earth
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| | November 2nd 'All Souls Day' to include
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| was beginning to draw it's energy within,
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| | all those who had died in the name of
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| preparing for sleep and regeneration, the
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| | Christianity, not just the Saints and
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| vegetation was dying and the cold, dark
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| | Martyrs. It was celebrated similar to
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| winter months and baron lands lay ahead.
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| | that of Samhain with big bonfires,
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| And so communities would work together
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| | parades and dressing up with Christian
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| harvesting and storing crops, berries and
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| | symbolism of devils, the bloodied &
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| herbs, bringing cattle out of the open
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| | tortured Saints and biblical angels!
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| fields and into the sheltered barns &
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| | The combination of the three days was
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| homes. They would sacrifice animals to
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| | then called Hallowmass.
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| their Gods, in order to give thanks for
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| | How Should We Celebrate Halloween Today!
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| the food & to gain protection, then
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| | The Christian festival of Halloween is
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| prepare and preserve the meats to sustain
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| | ONLY about commemorating those who have
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| them through the long winter months.
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| | died in the name of Christianity and
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| The climax of the harvesting would be to
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| | perhaps a reminder about our own fragile
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| hold a feast at the sunset of October the
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| | mortality.
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| 31st, the first day of November - Samhain
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| | If you see those dressed as evil witches
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| and the start of the New Year!
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| | remember, it is Christianity and it's
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| The feast was known as 'The Feast of the
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| | infamous witch hunts that originally
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| Dead' ('Fleadh nan Mairbh') and, in tune
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| | portrayed witchcraft as evil. The
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| with the sleeping earth, it was a time
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| | Christian philosophy has always been to
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| for reflection of the year just passed,
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| | convert others to Christianity and it's
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| introspection & to commemorate those
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| | damnation of paganism was (and still is)
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| loved ones that had passed over and to
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| | a mightily effective one!
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| welcome them back in through the 'open
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| | The Celtic or Wiccan 'Witch' in fact,
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| door' to share the feast.
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| | treasured the earth and it's sacred
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| A verse may have been chanted at the
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| | cycles. Rather than 'evildoers', they
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| beginning of the feast and would have
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| | were the highly respected and important
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| been similar to this known one:
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| | healers of the society. They had
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| "And so it is, we gather again, The feast
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| | knowledge of herbal remedies and medicine
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| of our dead to begin. Our Ancients, our
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| | and worked in tune with the forces of
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| Ancestors we invite, Come! And follow the
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| | nature to help others. They felt the
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| setting of the sun. Whom do we call? We
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| | earth and all of it's creatures should
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| call them by name (Name your ancestors
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| | live in harmony and balance!
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| that you wish to welcome.) The Ancients
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| | The modern Witch of our day will more
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| have come! Here with us stand Where ever
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| | likely spend the evening of Samhain
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| the country, where ever the land They
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| | meditating in quiet reflection.
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| leave us not, to travel alone; Flesh of
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| | Remembering those that have passed over,
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| our flesh, bone of our bone!
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| | the year just gone and all they have
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| Grandmothers, Grandfathers, Great be
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| | learned. Perhaps they will partake of
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| their Power! Past ones and present-at
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| | 'the feast of the dead' and offer a plate
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| this very hour! Welcome within are the
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| | for those missing at their table.
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| dead who are kin, Feast here with us and
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| | Perhaps, and let us hope so, they will
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| rest here within Our hearth is your
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| | perform their dignified ceremonies of
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| hearth and welcome to thee; Old tales to
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| | thanks, forgiveness and hope for the
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| tell and new visions to see!"
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| | future of ALL mankind!
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| Not only this, but as the door was open
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