Avarind Balaraman
Halloween is here and I wasn't going to write about it!
Much like my old friend Lou, a wonderful labradog (labrador and unidentified other breed to you) who used to howl all through Halloween, I am not a great fan of Halloween.
I don't like dressing up in costumes.
I worry about children roaming the streets and being unsafe.
And I deeply dislike the commercial aspect of the day.
But this year, I decided to explore the spirituality behind this festival.
In Irish, Samhain (pro. Sow-en) means summer's end.
Samhain marked the bringing in of all the fruits of summer and the creation of the winter store.
It also marked the time when the long days of light ended and the dark came in.
The old people believed that the veil between this world and the next became thin.
Samhain was a time when intuition was sharp and dreams and premonitions were more common.
Samhain was also a time to honour the dead, those we love who are significant in our lives.
You are welcome to join me, either silently or in the comments box below, as I honour some of the significant people in my life.
I remember my small granny and all the love she gave me which is woven in every fibre of my being.
I remember Declan, my friend, who protected me from a bully and made me laugh.
I remember my brother Michael who was forbidden a Christian burial.
I remember my daughter Hannah, who brought so much love into my life.
I remember my friends George and Kernochan who walked beside me for more than twenty years.
I remember the young man I was privileged to hold as he was dying from AIDS.
I see your faces.
I hear your voices.
My life is made rich by you.
Much like my old friend Lou, a wonderful labradog (labrador and unidentified other breed to you) who used to howl all through Halloween, I am not a great fan of Halloween.
I don't like dressing up in costumes.
I worry about children roaming the streets and being unsafe.
And I deeply dislike the commercial aspect of the day.
But this year, I decided to explore the spirituality behind this festival.
In Irish, Samhain (pro. Sow-en) means summer's end.
Samhain marked the bringing in of all the fruits of summer and the creation of the winter store.
It also marked the time when the long days of light ended and the dark came in.
The old people believed that the veil between this world and the next became thin.
Samhain was a time when intuition was sharp and dreams and premonitions were more common.
Samhain was also a time to honour the dead, those we love who are significant in our lives.
You are welcome to join me, either silently or in the comments box below, as I honour some of the significant people in my life.
I remember my small granny and all the love she gave me which is woven in every fibre of my being.
I remember Declan, my friend, who protected me from a bully and made me laugh.
I remember my brother Michael who was forbidden a Christian burial.
I remember my daughter Hannah, who brought so much love into my life.
I remember my friends George and Kernochan who walked beside me for more than twenty years.
I remember the young man I was privileged to hold as he was dying from AIDS.
I see your faces.
I hear your voices.
My life is made rich by you.
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