"This is the night when the veil is thin that divides the worlds," Starhawk wrote of Samhain 23 years ago in The Spiral Dance, inspiring a generation of witches. A good time to look at our Craft or pagan practice, a good time to review and renew our commitment. As I write it's Indian summer -- the poignancy of the last fruiting before winter. A bright year ends in the Northwest. Big-leaf maples flash brilliant yellow, and vine maples flare blood red; crimson of new blood, deep tones of drying blood. It's a time that makes you want to press out the last of it, distill it, capture it, before the rains come, with winter, peace and death.
A good time to look backward at our own past, and the past of paganism. As you've seen on the front page, Lisa Harris recently spent some time with Aidan Kelly reviewing his pagan past. This elderly young Turk has slowed down and admits his faults, but by the end of the interview decides to add more fuel to the fire. Everything changes, everything stays the same as we cycle between seasons.
Kelly speaks of an American and British past, but there are many paganisms, many paths -- some forever lost, at least as those who followed them understood them. The Chavin culture of Peru left us the mysterious statue of the Lanzon, which accepted blood sacrifices for the Chavin gods. Janice talks about that idol and its effect on her worship.
The Witches' New Year is a good time to look forward and set goals. Cynthia in her astrology column suggests that any plan we make at Samhain, which falls just before the New Moon, be incubated for three days and sent at the Moon. Freya talks about how to plan goals for the new year. Sannion looks forward to the urban future of the Craft, with nature spirits wriggling up between cracks in the concrete to meet us, despite our cities. Jerry reviews a book that talks about how to make space for these nature spirits. And George talks about science fiction, one imaginative scope into the future, and its influence on his magick.
A good time to look forward into darkness. Catherine talks about the roots and bones from which our forebears made winter meals, which in reverence for the earth we too can use, as local, seasonal, organic foods. Janice talks about welcoming darkness as a time for crafts and dreams. Genevieve talks about contemplative music appropriate to the season -- and finishes with head-banging tunes for all seasons!
Let us be merry at Samhain, for now we celebrate our faith, as witches and pagans.