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[blackcrowing]

Important Facts about Samhain from an Irish Celtic Reconstructionist

Pronunciation

SOW-in or SOW-een ~NOT~ Sam-han, Sam-win etc.

Dates

Most reconstructionists celebrate Samhain on Oct 31-Nov 1, however some may choose to celebrate on Gregorian Nov 13-14 as this would match the Julian dates of Oct 31-Nov 1. Some also believe that it was a three day festival spanning Oct 31- Nov 2 on which Nov 2 is specifically devoted to ancestral veneration, but there is no specific evidence of this, only possible extrapolation from more modern practices.

Following the Celtic method of days beginning at sunset, regardless of the specific dates you choose to celebrate on your festivities should begin at sunset and end at sunset.

Importance in the Mythos

Ná Morrighan has a strong connection to this time of year thanks to the story of Cath Dédenach Maige Tuired (The Last Battle of Mag Tuired) in which she is found depicted as the ‘Washing Woman’ (sometimes washing herself in the river and other times washing the bloodied armor of the soldiers that would die that day), on the eve of the battle which is also Samhain. The Dagda approaches her and couples with her (creating the ‘Bed of the Couples’ along the bank of river and granting Dagda her blessing in the battle to come). This encounter seems to over emphasize the liminality of the encounter by taking place during the changing of the year and with the couple each standing with ‘one foot on either bank’ of the river.

She and her sisters (Badb and Macha) then use various forms of magic to rain destruction on their enemies (in the form of fire and blood). After the day is won Morrighan speaks a prophecy that describes what is taken by some to be the end of days and others to be the events which will later lead to the Ulster Cycle.

Beneath the peaceful heavens lies the land. It rests beneath the bowl of the bright sky. The land lies, itself a dish, a cup of honeyed strength, there, for the taking, offering strength to each There it lies, the splendour of the land. The land is like a mead worth the brewing, worth the drinking. It stores for us the gifts of summer even in winter. It protects and armours us, a spear upon a shield Here we can make for ourselves strong places, the fist holding the shield Here we can build safe places, our spear-bristling enclosures. This is where we will turn the earth. This is where we will stay. And here will our children live to the third of three generations Here there will be a forest point of field fences The horn counting of many cows And the encircling of many fields There will be sheltering trees So fodderful of beech mast that the trees themselves will be weary with the weight. In this land will come abundance bringing: Wealth for our children Every boy a warrior, Every watch dog, warrior-fierce The wood of every tree, spear-worthy The fire from every stone a molten spear-stream Every stone a firm foundation Every field full of cows Every cow calf-fertile Our land shall be rich with banks in birdsong Grey deer before Spring And fruitful Autumns The plain shall be thronged from the hills to the shore. Full and fertile. And as time runs its sharp and shadowy journey, this shall be true. This shall be the story of the land and its people We shall have peace beneath the heavens. Forever

(based on the translation by Isolde Carmody)

It is also mentioned in Echtra Cormaic that on this festival every seven years the high king would host a feast, it was at this time new laws could be enacted. (but it seems that individual Tuathas or possibly kings of the individual providence may have done this for their territories at Lughnasadh).

It seems to be a time considered especially susceptible to (or of) great change as it is the time which the Tuatha de Danann win victory over the Formorians and take control of Ireland, the invasion of Ulster takes place at this time in Táin bo Cúailnge, in Aislinge Óengusa Óengus and his bride-to-be are changed from bird to human and eventually he claims kingship of Brú na Bóinne at this time of year.

Celebration Traditions

Samhain is the beginning of the “dark half” of the year and is widely regarded as the Insular Celtic equivalent of the New Year. The “dark half” of the year was a time for story telling, in fact in this half of the year after dark is considered the only acceptable time to tell stories from the mythological and Ulster cycle (the Fenian cycle being assumed to be no older than the 12th century based on linguistic dating). Traditionally anything that had not been harvested or gathered by the time of this festival was to be left, as it now belonged to the Fae (in some areas specifically the Púca).

This was also an important time for warding off ill luck in the coming year. Large bonfires would be built and as the cattle were driven back into the community from the pastures they would be walked between these bonfires as a method of purification (the reverse custom of Bealtaine where the livestock were walked between the fires on their way out to the summer pastures). Assumed ritualistic slaughter of some of the herd would follow (though this perhaps had the more practical purpose of thinning the herd before the winter and creating enough food for the feasting). In some areas the ashes from these fires would be worn, thrown or spread as a further way to ward off evil.

Homes would be ritualistically protected from the Aos Sí (Fae or ‘Spirits’) through methods such as offerings of food (generally leaving some of the feasting outside for them), carving turnips with scary faces to warn them off (we now tend to do this with gourds), and smoke cleansing the home (in Scottish saining) traditionally with juniper, but perhaps rowan or birch might be an acceptable alternative. It is likely these would be part of the components used in Samhain bonfires as well, for the same reason.

Lastly based on later traditions as well as links in the mythology this is a time where divination practices or those with the ‘second sight’ were regarded to be especially potent.

Art Credit @morpheus-ravenna

[crhrrtbeanie]

[beserkerjewel]

Hello, this is the main blog to @cherryblossomsandhydrangeas. I wanted to thank you for your kind words yesterday, it did help me after those replies upset me quite a bit.

I don't know how those people got...all that from my post, but I've blocked them and a few others on all my blogs so they'll never get to misread a post of mine again. Hopefully, that whole event is over now, as the Sk8 fandom is pretty inactive on here, but if not I'll just have to bear my teeth and block some more, cause I refuse to let people ruin the bit of fun and love I have towards this show cause they decided my posts said something that they didn't.

-----

Hope you have a good day! And thank you again!

Oh, it's no problem at all, and I'm glad I could help! The fandom is incredibly awful and annoying, and no one should have to face them alone. And yeah, blocking them is the only thing you can do sometimes

[davidwfloydart]

Velcrows… #velcrows #humor #funnyanimals #birds_captures #blackcrows (at Catalina Foothills, Arizona) https://www.instagram.com/p/CnFz3g7SGlWeW4Knr7bO8Lc9sXpwaqQoIYPocU0/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[marvelman901]

Captain America vol 1 443 (1995) . Twilight's Last Gleaming . Written by Mark Gruenwald Penciled by Dave Hoover Inked by Danny Bulanadi Colors by George Roussos Lettered by Michael Higgins Edited by Ralph Macchio . Captain America was trying to cope with the fact that he only had 24 hours left to live... . See more relevant content here: #marvelman901captainamerica #marvelman901avengers #marvelman901falcon #marvelman901blackwidow #marvelman901crossbones #marvelman901pym #marvelman901quicksilver #marvelman901crystal #marvelman901freespirit #marvelman901jackflag . #captainamerica #avengers #blackwidow #crossbones #90s #batroc #pym #blackcrow #falcon #quicksilver #crystal #jackflag #freespirit #superia #diamondback (på/i New York City, N.Y.) https://www.instagram.com/p/Cky_jIpsUnL/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[naarrt]

This year went incredibly fast with all my commercial work blending with my personal commissions. I’m excited to continue working professionally as a designer and artist where I can interject some of myself in every work I create. These selected images are only a handful of my output this year, but wanted to highlight a few here. I loved creating merchandise for properties that don’t get enough love (High Maintenance and Mandy), I got to collaborate on projects I loved as a child (Are You Afraid Of The Dark and The Quest), I was able to create artwork for friends to help in their festival runs (Booty Boys I see you!) and was able to make a piece for favorite film and have it praised by one of its stars! (Bill And Ted), I created moody artwork for a book adapted to a film (So Cold The River) and saw it go everywhere and I even pulled off another Halloween costume somehow that might be hard to beat (Black Crow). Thanks for all who stuck with me and purchased my work this year. I’m excited to produce and share more with you all in 2023! #artvsartist2022 #art #mandy #blackcrow #areyouafraidofthedark #billandtedsbogusjourney #bootyology #socoldtheriver #thequest #highmaintenance #naarrt #nathananderson https://www.instagram.com/p/Cm1_aQpJ64r/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[blind-seeing]

"I believe in everything."

[bloodfirewhiskeyink]

Just perfect, interview and all!

[millenniumstrike]

DATABASS (BlackCrow) Millennium Strike - Episode 1 MS002 06/26/2021

[xiongyu1988]

Big Bear Snow Mountain in March. #blackcrows #blackcrowsmiruscor (at Snow Summitt Big Bear Resort) https://www.instagram.com/p/Cp_MVhkv-4N/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[fabiogianesi]

Que show impecável do @theblackcrowes!!! Pra começar, uma turnê comemorativa em que eles tocam o álbum “Shake Your Money Maker” na íntegra, já é garantia de um espetáculo e tanto! Esse álbum é sensacional, só com musicão do começo ao fim! E o show não poderia ter sido diferente. A banda é impecável, com uma seleção de timbres (e guitarras) pra deixar qualquer um boquiaberto! E, ainda mais, a voz do Chris Robinson continua sensacional… como está cantando! Em pareceria com seu irmão Rich Robinson e outros músicos incríveis, entregaram um show mágico! Que botou todos pra dançar e curtir! #concert #show #live #rock #rocknroll #bluesrock #shakeyourmoneymaker #blackcrowes #theblackcrowes #tour #espacounimed @espacounimed #chrisrobinson #richrobinson #shetalkstoangels #remedy #liveband (at Espaço Unimed) https://www.instagram.com/p/CpzaxgDuP1t/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[blackcrowing]

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My kofi

Art Credit - Familiar_flower

[cestlamodedavoirun]

Windy moment @greg.ratel & @trapanelle #laplagne #maplagne #savoiemontblanc #savoie #tarentaise #frenchalps #paradiski #freeski #skiing #sendit #freeskiing #powhub #snowdump #freerideskiing #beautempsbelleneige #blackcrows #chamoissauvage #skisauvage #skilibre #savoielibre (à La Plagne) https://www.instagram.com/p/CoCyeRQs_pP/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[beserkerjewel]

Hi! Just wishing you a happy new years and many well wishes to come!

:D Thank you! Happy New Year to you, too!

[thebgo]

This week’s Vault update includes rare and pricy LPs from Tom Delonge, Tool, David Bowie & more. All items can be ordered to your local Beat Goes On location at no extra charge. Free Canada-wide shipping on LP orders over $125. #vinyl #usedvinyl #records #usedrecords #lps #recordstore #jimmypage #blackcrowes #davidbowie #tool #tomdelonge #omarrodriguezlopez #fairportconvention #ladytron #coloredvinyl #4menwithbeards https://www.instagram.com/p/Cn2aB2Rujsk/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[nlcc-akron]

Alot of black crowes in school yard today!