Happy Samhain!
31/10/20 13:22![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
sudden_serenityThe best wishes of the season to you and yours.
It is one of my favourite times of year (as I may have mentioned). The trees are a riot of colour - the horse chestnuts have already thrown off summer and are bare but the elder statesmen of the country are more majestic about it - the Oaks and the Maples are gold and green still, brightening my drive to work. Speaking of which, on my commute this week I have passed homes selling flowers, plants, pumpkins and squashes, eggs, honey, walnuts and cooking apples. How lovely to have these homegrown gems on offer. I will miss that about Suffolk.
Samhain is also the season of my birthday and, like Christmas, I treat the days on either side of these special dates as being almost as important as the day itself. Samhain actually begins this evening and ends tomorrow evening - it is my birthday the day after that. The Christians call it All Souls Day. For me this period of All Saints, All Souls, Bonfire Night and Hallowe'en are like Christmas Eve, Christmas day, boxing day and New Years - the transition between periods doesn't all happen at once and it is good to take the time to reflect, celebrate, and consider at these liminal periods.
So, happy Samhain, and don't rush to throw out your Samhain altar, if that's what you do. Life is not a race, it is an education. Take a few days, appreciate and grow. I have reflective jobs to do over the next few days - scrapbooks to fill with photos and words and mementos - a baby blanket to complete - gifts for midwinter to consider and buy - and of course, this journal to write with my pagan journey through the year.
Happy New (Celtic) Year!
My family will all be back together tomorrow - Sam and Agne are due back in the morning - Agne's birthday is today - she really is a Samhain baby. Kes is making a surprise visit to celebrate my birthday with us which was unlooked for and very much appreciated. This is how I love to mark the transition periods in my life - with family and food and a little time to spend together and in nature.
It is one of my favourite times of year (as I may have mentioned). The trees are a riot of colour - the horse chestnuts have already thrown off summer and are bare but the elder statesmen of the country are more majestic about it - the Oaks and the Maples are gold and green still, brightening my drive to work. Speaking of which, on my commute this week I have passed homes selling flowers, plants, pumpkins and squashes, eggs, honey, walnuts and cooking apples. How lovely to have these homegrown gems on offer. I will miss that about Suffolk.
Samhain is also the season of my birthday and, like Christmas, I treat the days on either side of these special dates as being almost as important as the day itself. Samhain actually begins this evening and ends tomorrow evening - it is my birthday the day after that. The Christians call it All Souls Day. For me this period of All Saints, All Souls, Bonfire Night and Hallowe'en are like Christmas Eve, Christmas day, boxing day and New Years - the transition between periods doesn't all happen at once and it is good to take the time to reflect, celebrate, and consider at these liminal periods.
So, happy Samhain, and don't rush to throw out your Samhain altar, if that's what you do. Life is not a race, it is an education. Take a few days, appreciate and grow. I have reflective jobs to do over the next few days - scrapbooks to fill with photos and words and mementos - a baby blanket to complete - gifts for midwinter to consider and buy - and of course, this journal to write with my pagan journey through the year.
Happy New (Celtic) Year!
My family will all be back together tomorrow - Sam and Agne are due back in the morning - Agne's birthday is today - she really is a Samhain baby. Kes is making a surprise visit to celebrate my birthday with us which was unlooked for and very much appreciated. This is how I love to mark the transition periods in my life - with family and food and a little time to spend together and in nature.
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