Celebrating Halloween
In the northern hemisphere, Halloween coincides with the Celtic Festival of Samhain. In Britain, under Christianity, it became known as Hallowmas – “the Feast of the Holy Ones” – on which people remembered the great saints. The night before came to be known as All Hallows Eve, or Halloween. Today we can use this time for honoring our ancestors and beloved dead.
Some scholars believe it marks the original Celtic New Year. Deceased family members were honored with seats at the evening feast, and people left offerings of milk and baked goods out at the front door for the fairies, “The Good Folk”.
Over time, people started dressing up in disguises at this time to frighten away unfriendly spirits. Tricksters can often turn up now, as can surprising reversals, as the festival ushers in the darker stage of year in the Northern hemisphere. Can we be sure if we'll get a “trick or a treat”? For this reason I prefer a night of quiet reflection at home, perhaps leaving out some candy for trick ’n treaters, and lighting a candle for my ancestors.
Apples and Halloween
Merlin, legendary mentor of King Arthur, magician, prophet and bard, was said to live on the fruit from a grove of apple-trees. Merlin’s forest sanctuary is like a sacred grove of the Celtic Druids, while the apple tree is the Tree of Life in the ancient British Avalonian tradition.
At a time of harvest, the use of apples for divination and cooking reminds us of the journey to obtain a magic apple from the otherworldly Isle of Apples, where people live long and nature flourishes, Avalon. If we would like to celebrate Halloween in the manner of our ancestors, let’s remember the Island of Apples with these delicious baked apples.
Spiced Baked Apples
Here’s a recipe that my mother gave me, using four medium cooking apples.
Stuffing:
Mix together the following
- Half a cup of seedless raisins, sultanas or dates
- 3 tablespoons of honey
- 1 tablespoon of melted butter (or substitute)
- 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon
-1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg
To Make:
1. Wash the apples. Remove the cores. Score around the middle of the skin using a sharp knife.
Arrange them in a greased baking dish.
2. Fill the cavity in the apples with stuffing.
3. Pour the water around the apples.
4. Bake until apples are soft. Bast occasionally during cooking.
5. Serve hot with the sauce from the baking dish. Add custard or whipped cream if liked.
Dreaming with our departed.
Deceased family members appear in many people's’ dreams at regular intervals. For example, I dreamed my father gave me three hand-bound journals, which helped me prepare for a dream presentation. He was always a keen diarist. I find journaling helpful in developing self awareness and tracking life events and themes. Sometimes the departed might appear in dreams to give advice. For example, my deceased sister came to me in a dream and advised me that my mother needed to change her medication. This proved to be correct, and my mother did have to change her meds.
Beloved pets who have passed on can also appear in our dreams. Dog spirits can be valuable dream guides to show us the way in dark places.
At Samhain, Halloween, when the veils between the worlds are thin, it’s an ideal to time for such a dream, and to glean wisdom and support from our dear departed.
Ancestors, whether personal or cultural, often come in active dreaming, such as our Dreaming with Avalon Circle.
Contact me to discuss this topic and how it might be relevant in your life joann@dreamlifenz.com
Crystal Skulls and Our Ancestors
My DNA analysis going back about 1,000 years shows approximately 42% from England and Northwestern Europe, 44% from Celtic countries - Ireland, Scotland and Wales, and 14% from Scandinavia. Perhaps it’s not surprising that I feel drawn to places where my recent ancestors originated, and feel at home there.
Crystal skulls can represent a tangible symbol ancestral wisdom. The skull is a traditional memento mori, reminder of death. But they are also said to be a way to access an information field, or even the Akashic records, representing a vast plain of collective memories and potentialities. They can represent an interface between humanity and the natural order. However we might see the crystal skulls, they come into their own on Halloween.
Contact me on joann@dreamlifenz.com to see what crystals can do for you.
Transurfing Keys: Guiding Signs
Our world sends us guiding signs that help us navigate life. Once you pay attention, you can see them just about everywhere. Signs differ from everyday events in that they show that a shift to a different lifeline is underway, or that one will happen soon. When the alternatives flow makes a turn, we shift onto a different lifeline. The changes may seem insignificant, but we will feel a difference. If an event around you attracts your attention and you feel there is something unusual about it, then it’s probably a sign.
But well-known omens, such as the appearance of a black cat, don’t come true in the way people expect. An expectation of misfortune or good fortune following a certain omen can introduce change into a person’s thought energy, which can then shift them to a lifeline of corresponding quality. If you don’t believe in omens at all and pay no attention to them, they’ll have no influence in your life.
Summary
- Our world sends us signs about what is coming in order to help us navigate events.
- Guiding signs indicate a possible turn in the alternatives flow.
- If we see a sign that signals the shift to a different time line, we will feel the difference.
- Well known omens tend to be fulfilled because people’s expectations change their thought energy, which then shifts them to a corresponding lifeline.
If you’d like to discuss with me how to find guiding signs in your life, email me at joann@dreamlifenz.com