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TWV Presents... Popular Pagan Holidays [Show all] Views: 5,248,941 Holiday: ... Autumn: The Croning Time The Hidden God: an Observance of Samhain Samhain: A Time for Introspection---and Activism Samhain Cleaning: Remembering But Letting Go It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Chri... Yuletide! The Holly King Presents Christmas's Pagan Origins The Dark Half of the Year La Befana The Path to Avalon: An Inner Journey for Samhain The Halloween Witch: Sense of Humor or Sense of Ire The Holiday Season, The Constitution and What's REALLY Important What Is A Real Witch's Sabbat? A Beltane Celebration The Beltaine Storm Spiritual Aspects of Yule Alicia Meets Grandmother Autumn: A Children’s Story Supermoms’ and Superdads’ Defense Against “Holiday Kryptonite” Lughnasadh, The Ritual Winter Solstice By Any Other Name Mabon: Preparing the Celebration For A Religion So Opposed to Paganism, You Sure Stole a Lot of Our Stuff! Mabon and the Coming of Autumn A Story For Autumn The Ostara Transformation Key Points of the Pagan Wheel of the Year The Babylonian Ghost Festival A Meditation on Samhain: How Lucky You Are. Let Slip The Past, Free The Now: The Alchemy of Samhaine The Theme of Mabon Samhain: The Ritual Samhain: Learning to Release Samhain November Days The Celtic Origins of Samhain Ostara: Enter the Light! Mabon Equinox. Circa September 21st August: Celebrating The Harvest Honor The Father, Honor the Sun: A Summer Solstice Tribute Those Magickal, Mellow Days of Summer Solstice Swim at Beach 69, Puako, Hawaii Musings On October Virginia, Get a Life. The Best Thing About Death Samhain is Ablaze with Reflections of My Father Connection To The Dead: The Meaning Of The Fall Season First Thanksgiving... in China Holiday: All ... A New Pattern Glimpsed in the Holidays We Want them Back! (A Pagan View of the Holidays) A Beginner's Guide To The 8 Sabbats How to Get the Most Out of Your Year The Wheel of the Year: Round and Round She Goes and Where She Stops! Turning The Wheel By Choice Holiday: beltaine ... INDEX: Beltane Beltane -- Holiday Details and History You Call it May Day, We Call it Beltane In Praise of Pagan Men Beltane -- Enlightening Links Beltane Essay (4) Beltaine - Our May Morn Beltane: Return To Feeling Mother Earth and Sister Moon: A Beltaine Story of Creation Holiday: imbolc ... INDEX: Imbolc You Call It Groundhog Day, We Call It Imbolc Imbolc Regained: The Tale of Valentine's Day Holiday: lughnasadh ... INDEX: Lughnasadh Lughnasadh - Overview by Christina Holiday: mabon ... INDEX: Mabon/Autumn Equinox Mabon - Overview by Christina Mabon and the Harvest in Modern Times You Call it the Autumnal Equinox, We Call it Mabon You Call it the Autumn Equinox, We Call it Mabon The Return of Harvest Home Holiday: midsummer ... INDEX: Midsummer/Summer Solstice Midsummer/Summer Solstice Solstice... Season of light and dark A Pagan Pilgrimage: The Destination in the Journey Holiday: ostara ... You Call It Easter, We Call It Ostara INDEX: Ostara Ostara - Overview by Christina Ostara - Powerful Links by Christina NOTE: For a complete list of articles related to this chapter... Visit the Main Index FOR this section.

Article Specs Article ID: 2201 VoxAcct: 1509 Section: holidays Age Group: Adult Days Up: 4,067 Times Read: 15,177 My Samhain - by Mark Sosnowski Author: Moonspider [a WitchVox Sponsor] Posted: October 5th. 1998 Times Viewed: 15,177 Ah... . the Witches' New Year. No other time like it. This is our time and we must claim it. Each one to our own preference. But, it is our time unmistakably. Personally, I prefer to be alone and quiet at this time. Some may find this strange, since it is probably the most widely known of our holidays to both pagans and cowans. Why this strange dichotomy. Most likely the cowan has feared the darkness that we embrace. They must run and create noise from it for they fear it. We, however, understand that the darkness is part of the cycles of our life. Like a cave, we come from the dark womb, that from which we were conceived. We return now to that cave, to the warm darkness of our ancestors who brought us forth. To sit in wondrous silence at this time is truly glorious. An experience unlike any. That cannot be experienced if we are involved with outer concerns. We must return back to the darkness from which we came. We can celebrate the joy of this with communal celebration. For as Witches it is our obligation to reclaim our most sacred of holidays. Does this sound conflicting. Not so. It is balance. We can have celebration, but we must have time to reflect. Reflect on the past, reflect on the future. But, that is what holds for the season not just that night. For Samhain leads us to ultimate darkness, Yule--the longest night. Some people like to think of this as the time of the cave. The cave can be dark, warm and comforting. We rejoice in the dark time. For we must turn within to learn. That is, where all is. You can't find it without, for that which you seek outside you shall never find. Remember the line from The Charge of the Goddess, "And you who seek to know Me, know that your seeking and yearning will avail you not, unless you know the Mystery: for if that which you seek, you find not within yourself, you will never find it without." It is time for reflection--to examine the cave of your own being. Can we be merry at this time? Yes. Every time we Witches join with each other is time for rejoicing. For as we embrace each other we share our combined power. We each gain in strength from our interchange. But, since we strive for balance in our lives. We can be drawn together for celebration, and still need time to be alone. We must reflect on our ancestors. For like the caves of our lives, it is from whence we came. We must know our heritage, our roots of existence. Like a tree with deep roots we can grow tall and strong. For shallow roots give way to the wind's whims. Reflect and rejoice for this is just part of the cycles of change. And change shall bring us forward on our inward path to be reborn. Do you know where of the roots lie? Like Yggdrasil, we must sacrifice ourselves unto ourselves. For in this journey we grow. Our Craft is not static. It grows and changes. Love your heritage as a Witch and as a human. Your mortal bloodlines contain the life force that flows through you. Be proud of your make-up. You chose it this lifetime, just as you will chose yours in the next. Know those differences that make us unique, and then discover that we are all alike underneath it all. Enjoy the journey, Mark MoonSpider Sosnowski Bio:: Mark "MoonSpider" Sosnowski, has been on this path most of his life. Life has dealt him many twists and turns, and usually says he came into the Craft through the back door. He loves books and reading and makes his living as a librarian. Numerology is his main form of divination having worked it for over 15 years. But, his Gemini mind, never at rest, has studied astrology, crystals, runes, I ching and whatever else strikes his fancy. ABOUT... Moonspider Location: Bridgeport, Connecticut Author's Profile: To learn more about Moonspider - Click HERE Other Articles: Moonspider has posted 16 additional articles- View them? Other Listings: To view ALL of my listings: Click HERE Email Moonspider... (Yes! I have opted to receive invites to Pagan events, groups, and commercial sales) To send a private message to Moonspider ... 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