This is not the Halloween you’re looking for

With the upcoming celebrations close at hand, I’ve been checking out the decorations and such of others.  Most are the typical hollyweird version of what it’s supposed to be about, the blood, gore, zombies etc that make tons of money for stores and movie studios.  Occasionally I run across some people’s altars set up and say “yeah..THAT is what’s is about”.   Now to be fair, those outside the pagan world celebrate with haunted houses, parties, dress up and tons of candy, and that is fine since its Halloween after all.  Others celebrate differently..Samhain, Dias de la Muerte, Fet Ghede.  Those celebrations are all about ancestors..those near and far who have moved beyond the veil.  We acknowledge their presence in our lives, their influence and their knowledge that continues. Some do this on Halloween night after other festivities as a way of bridging the secular world with their spiritual one, others work Nov 1, All souls day(the 2nd in some places).  For many its the last harvest time, beginning of New year, time of introspection in which to grow.
So imagine my dismay when I saw in a group of pagans people where one  speaks of Halloween as this is time of party games, and send the soul on its way, and “don’t all witches prefer the scary”? So many headdesks, I would not even know when to stop.   First, as I have pointed out many times, “we” are NOT all alike.  Some people like the horror shit.  I am one who does not.  Secondly, when the veil is thinnest, we do NOT send souls on…that isn’t our job.  We honor ancestors, invite them in, and feed them(dumb suppers), candles are lit to give them guidance to us.  I have no idea where this person got her info…it was just ignorant and to openly put it out in a group showed that.  What bothered me was that nobody chewed her ass for it or educated her as to why her info was wrong..Hell even a suggestion of Google would have been preferable to let that stand. People like that make me angry.  It’s why pagans aren’t taken seriously because of the fluff that abounds. This is stupidity at its best.  It’s not role play people.  Majority of us..this is our spiritual life you are speaking of.  Full of tradition(some of it UPG, others reconstructed from older path), and not some cloak that we put on and take off like some game when it suits us.  it encompasses all areas of our lives, and this is one of the most holiest of days for us as we thank those who came before us and guide our steps today.

I celebrate Fet Ghede.  I go to the cemetery , clean up around my parent and brothers place, speaking to them as I do so.  I place flowers and libation there as well.  Later I will have a dumb supper for those ancestors I did not know, those I did but are not buried close enough to visit their graves.  Lastly I will have a private ritual., making resolutions/plans for the new year. Nothing about this sounds remotely to what said above asscricket spoke about does it?  Of course not.  because this is part of my spiritual self.  Part of who I am.  And every time some jackass makes a comment like that, it pisses me off, because I feel that they are insulting the very fiber of what holds my path together.  Ancestors are damned important.  They have much to teach.  They give you roots upon which to build .

So for those of you playing around, celebrating Halloween, partying and all…that’s cool.  I have no problem with that.  Just remember that some of us take this time of the year pretty serious and could you educate yourself a little before opening the mouth and saying something insulting? It would be highly appreciated.