Ancient wisdom of past days can also be the key to our future
Have you noticed it? Time is speeding up. Either the functions of our mind are increasing in speed so that it appears time moves faster and faster, or the events of the world are happening at a much quicker rate. There is no doubt that technological innovations are advancing at an unprecedented pace. This makes it difficult to keep up with all that the world now has to offer, day by day, let alone contemplate the implications.
Once, mankind found itself in a much simpler time. In the ancient world, things changed very little over the course of several generations. While the people of this ancient world certainly did not know as much as we do today, they had the opportunity to experiment and refine their techniques over the course of hundreds of years. These techniques included everything from spiritual connections to healing. As they did these things over and over, they set the prototype for how the mind works at an integral level including the functions of perception and how beliefs are integrated.
Over the centuries, mankind has augmented this prototype mindset. The names, mythologies, and ideologies may change from culture to culture and from time period to time period, yet we are all still human. Our brains and minds still work in the same fundamental way. The basic intention of ancient practices still remain with us today: building a sense of community, connecting with something greater than ourselves and innovating in order to survive.
As we look to the future and attempt to see what is to come, it is important to remember where we came from as a species. There is a popular Buddhist saying that goes, “If you want to know your past life, look at your present condition. If you want to know your future life, look at your present actions.” This applies just as much for the individual as it does for the whole of humanity. If we want to know why the world is in its current state, we must understand how we got here. In order to do this, we must study history and attempt to understand why the people of the past did what they did. As we do this, we can change our behaviors in order to create an even better future for generations to come. In essence, we study yesterday to live better today. This way, we can create the space for an even brighter tomorrow.
There is so much for us to learn about the ancient world and the discoveries they made. As we gain a deeper understanding of our modern world, the past innovators walk with us. Ancient guides lead us with their wisdom and inspiration, if only we learn how to listen to them. One day, when this era is considered to be an ancient world, we too will become the guides for distant future generations. They will look to us to lead them to even brighter horizons.
There is much to see atop the shoulders of giants.
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Samhain Unveiled: Tracing its Origins and Time-Honored Rituals
Samhain is a time-honored tradition followed by witches, Wiccans, ancient druids, and countless other modern pagans across the world, and celebrated as October turns to November. Samhain is a festival of the dead, meaning “Summer’s End,” and though you’re probably tempted to pronounce it “sam-hane,” it’s actually pronounced saah-win or saah-ween.
What is a Samhain Celebration?
Samhain is a sacred and ancient Celtic festival that marks the end of the harvest season and the beginning of winter. It holds deep spiritual significance as it honors our ancestors, acknowledges the time of year when the veil between the physical and spiritual worlds is thinnest, and embraces the mysteries of life and death. Samhain typically takes place from October 31st to November 1st and involves various rituals and traditions, such as ancestor veneration, divination, bonfires, costume dressing, feasting, and releasing and renewing rituals. It’s also celebrated as the beginning of the spiritual new year for Wicca practitioners, which is also why it’s nicknamed “The Witches’ New Year.” Samhain serves as a time of reflection, transformation, and connection with the natural and supernatural realms, reminding us of the cyclical nature of existence and the eternal bond with our ancestral heritage. If this celebration sounds oddly familiar, it’s because our modern Halloween, although different, originates from this Gaelic tradition. Historically, most American Halloween traditions were brought over by Irish and Scottish immigrants.
How to Celebrate Samhain
Samhain is typically celebrated by preparing a dinner to celebrate the harvest. The holiday is meant to be shared with those who have passed on as well as those still with us. Set a place at the table for those in the spiritual plane, providing an offering for them upon every serving throughout the meal. In addition to those who have passed, invite friends and family to enjoy the feast with you. Typical beverages include mulled wine, cider, and mead, and are to be shared with the dead throughout the meal.
Halloween Similarities & Differences
Despite occurring at similar times and containing similar themes, Samhain and Halloween are not the same holiday. Halloween, short for All Hallow’s Eve, is celebrated on and around Oct. 31 and tends to be more family-focused. On the other hand, Samhain is more religious in focus and spiritually observed by practitioners.
There are some more light-hearted observances in honor of the dead through Samhain, but the underlying tone of Samhain is one of a serious religious practice rather than a light-hearted make-believe re-enactment. Today’s Pagan Samhain rites are benevolent, and although they are somber and centered on death, they do not involve human or animal sacrifices, as some rumors may claim. Another difference between Samhain and Halloween is that most Samhain rituals are held in private rather than in public.
When to Start the Celebrations
If you want to start honoring this pagan tradition, you might wonder when to start. The timing of contemporary Samhain celebrations varies according to spiritual tradition and geography. Practitioners state to celebrate Samhain over several days and nights, and these extended observances usually include a series of solo rites as well as ceremonies, feasts, and gatherings with family, friends, and the spiritual community.
In the northern hemisphere, many Pagans celebrate Samhain from sundown on October 31 through November 1. Others hold Samhain celebrations on the nearest weekend or on the Full or New Moon closest to this time. Some Pagans observe Samhain a bit later, or near November 6, to coincide more closely with the astronomical midpoint between the Autumn Equinox and Winter Solstice. Most Pagans in the southern hemisphere time their Samhain observances to coincide with the middle of their Autumn in late April and early May rather than at the traditional European time of the holiday. In the end, it’s really up to you!
Honoring Life, Death, & Nature
Samhain isn’t necessarily a creepy, morbid holiday obsessed with death, as some may conclude. Instead, it reaches for themes deeper than that, tying in with nature’s rhythms. In many places, Samhain coincides with the end of the growing season. Vegetation dies back by killing frosts, and therefore, literally, death is in the air.
This contributes to the ancient notion that at Samhain, the veil is thin between the world of the living and the realm of the dead, facilitating contact and communication with the dead. For those who have lost loved ones in the past year, Samhain rituals can be an opportunity to bring closure to grieving and to further adjust to their being in the Otherworld by spiritually communing with them. However, it’s also a way to appreciate life when you get right down to it.