This is called Hallowe’en by Kathryn S. Gibson from Good Reading and featured in the Farmer’s Almanac for 1990, edited by Ray Geiger. “When the ghosts walk by and you count thirteen, / And the big black cats are long and lean, / And the witches go for a nightly ride, / Astride their broomsticks side by side; / When you see the friendly pumpkin man, / Who always laughs as hard as he can, / And the owls in the trees and the owlets, too, / Begin their wailing, ‘Who, Who Who-O-O’; / When the goblins stalk and the doorbells peal / And the grownups shudder and children squeal; / When the moon rides high and the winds are keen, / Then everyone knows its Hallowe’en!”
In a rather old encyclopedia it said this about Jack-O’-Lanterns: “People in England and Ireland once carved out beets, potatoes, and turnips to use as lanterns on Hallowe’en. According to an Irish legend, Jack-O’-Lanterns were named for a man called Jack, who could not enter Heaven because he was a miser.” Apparently, as the legend goes, he couldn’t enter the other place, either, “…because he played jokes on the Devil. As a result, Jack had to walk the earth with his lantern until Judgement Day.”
The pumpkin has its night and creates the atmosphere appropriate for trick-or-treating. It will illuminate the path to the door and light up the dark night. Later that same night, it will end up looking rather dark and dismal. From lighting the way a few hours earlier to being cast aside, ready to go out with the trash, or left in the garden to recycle. And yes, you will even see a few that have mysteriously made their way into the middle of the street. Not such a glorious end to their rather short moment of fame…
These are a few old rituals. I don’t know if they work, but reading it gave me the impression that it might help appease some of the ghosts that haunt late in the night.
This is a Samhain ritual for banishing fear from A Complete Guide To Magic and Ritual: How To Use Natural Energies To Heal Your Life by Cassandra Easonand published in 1999 by Judy Piatkus Publishers. Its ISBN is 0-7499-1962-0. She writes, “Begin work as dusk falls on Hallowe’en, or whenever old fears and voices from the past come to haunt you.
“*Use a turnip or large golden swede, the forerunner of the Hallowe’en pumpkin, and hollow out the inside, placing the discarded vegetable in a bowl.
“* As you work name your fears, saying between each scoop words such as : ‘Out fear, out doubt, out pain, out phantoms from my past who seek to haunt me, out old voices that hold me back when I would go forward, out old faces that paralyze me with uncertainty and needless guilt.’
“* When the shell is quite empty form eyes, nose and mouth, saying: “Enter light and hope and new life.’
“* Light an orange candle and place it in the turnip or swede, letting it fill the growing darkness and banish the shadow.
“* Let the candle burn away naturally in a safe place, preferably near a window.
“* Sprinkle the discarded part of the vegetable with sea salt, season with sage and a pinch of nutmeg, cook and eat as a symbol of new coming from old and hope out of fear.”
Of course this is not real magic but something to do to help change your perspective. It very well could be that the atmosphere you create while doing this very simple ritual will help you make a change for the positive..
This is A Hallowe’en Charm featured in the 1984 Avon Calendar Of Roses, published by Ariel Press Ltd., in 1983. As the writer says, “…the following unwarranted procedure is offered for those willing to experiment.
“‘While thinking constantly about the desired person, make a small bag from material that he or she has worn or slept on (a thoughtful witch will pick an old inconspicuous garment rather than a new sheet but make sure whatever you use has not been washed since it was worn). Into the bag put three rosebuds you have carried next to your heart for a day, a lock of your hair and one of your lover’s, and then tie the bag shut by wrapping it seven times with a red ribbon consecrated to Aphrodite. Clean the house, prepare dinner, and follow your own beauty rituals still thinking of your lover. When the object of all this attention crosses the threshold, bury the bag under the doorsill. He or she will never want to leave you.’”
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Don Jackson
