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WHEEL OF THE YEAR - SPECIFIC WICCA WICCAN SABBATH HOLY DAY RITUALS

Samhain - History of Samhain / Halloween

"Halloween or All Hallow's Eve, traditionally called Samhain (pronounced Sow-in or Sah-vin) is the High Holiday where it is believed that the veil between the seen and unseen worlds becomes thin. It is believed that the spirits of deceased ancestors and other friendly spirits can be contacted on this day. AND if good spirits can pass through the veil, bad ones can also. Because of this we take precautions to build a positive protective energy around ourselves.

"Because it is also time to celebrate the harvest, our Altar is decorated with fall leaves, fruits and flowers. We burn incense, because the aromatic smoke from these plants is considered to provide powerful protection against unwanted negative energies.

"Wiccan ritual celebrates the eternal wheel: the process of life, death and rebirth. The Samhain ritual honoring death prepares us for the coming holiday season of birth. In the prayer of St. Francis de Assisi, he says, ?it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.?

"Samhain is a ritual which marks the symbolic transition or death of the elderly Great Horned God. (This should not be confused with the image of Satan with whom he was falsely identified - he is simply the male energy of the Divine.) It also celebrates the aging Goddess who is often incorrectly shown as an evil old witch. She is more accurately portrayed as a crone - a wise and caring old woman.

"Our reason for wearing masks is twofold: first they act to disguise us from any unwanted negative spirits. Secondly and most importantly, they are an outer symbol of our goals and aspirations. By wearing them in this light we are aligning ourselves with the positive forces that support us achieving our dreams. This is known as "sympathetic magick." Ritual drumming is performed to beckon these friendly forces into our circle.?