On Halloween (also known as Samhain), Wiccans honor the dead.
We might grieve, or we might be at peace. It can be a solemn celebration, or a joyful one. We can honor our ancestral dead, our predecessors, our loved ones, our pets, friends, or heroes. The veil between the world of the living and the realm of the dead is thin at this time, and we can communicate with the other side. We can share a feast, make merry, weep, or simply remember. Tomorrow the veil will thicken, but once a year we walk the worlds together.
So, to my honored dead…
To John Shaffrey, whom I loved with all my heart,
To Kathleen Houlihan, who was my friend, my enemy, my challenge, and my blessing,
To friends JP McClimans, Karl Steinmeyer, and Ray Souci,
To family: Nana Jean, Papa, Nana Ann, Uncle Leo, Grampa Murray, Aunt Millie, Uncle Irving, Gramma Rose, Gramma Molly, and to all the relatives I never knew,
To beloved pets: Charlotte, Cuddles, Princess, and Pie Dough,
To those lost in Hurricane Katrina,
To those lost on 9/11,
To my honored predecessors in the Craft, to Gerald Gardner, Doreen Valiente, Dion Fortune, Aleister Crowley, and every unnamed Witch, wise woman, and cunning man,
To the six million,
To Betty Friedan,
To Wendy Wasserstein,
To the soldiers who will not come home from Iraq,
To the Iraqis who will not live to see the soldiers leave,
To the beloved dead of you who are reading this,
Welcome. Blessed be.
Gods bless them.
Beautiful Deborah. Really well done.
Wonderful, saddened, inspired and comforted me. Goddess Bless
Thank you. Beautiful!
Thanks folks. Blessed Samhain.
You know that was really great the way you said that. I could feel my ancestors but most of all Cissy smiling on me tonight for the first time in many weeks. All I can say is we did her proud, strobe light sand all this year, I’ll send pictures don’t worry.
I raise my glass to your dead and mine and I hope that they are all doing well in their new adventures.
Deborah,
I was reading your Honor Roll of Beloved Dead and came across the name JP McClimans. A small wee bit of his ashes are in a tiny bottle hanging from a ribbon off of a tree branch decorated with love by a bunch of folks. These folks hung small tokens/totems that represent something of themselves or loved ones who have crossed over. I was one of those folks. I have heard much of John Patrick and all I have heard was really amazing good things.
Peace/Lynne
Isaac was living with JP & Shirin when he and I were in the long-distance romance part of our relationship. You can imagine the forbearance it takes to field that many phone calls from a housemate’s girlfriend. And although I could have been construed as the most annoying person in the world, and although we hadn’t yet met face to face, JP was nothing but kind and friendly and welcoming.
JP was, as you may know, a map collector, so when we finally met I brought him some unusual NYC subway maps, showing temporary lines and construction—short term maps that were quickly pulled from circulation. He was thrilled.
[…] for the modern day meaning of Halloween, Wiccan author Deborah Lipp writes: On Halloween (also known as Samhain), Wiccans honor the […]