Happy Samhain to all my fellow Pagan geeks...

LordSplodge · 31 Oct 2012 at 10:29

Happy Samhain to the few OCUK pagans on these forums. Has anybody got anything planned? I'm stuck in London so my usual mountain top ritual has to wait until the weekend. I truly am a heathen in a foreign city right now.

Tonight i'll be thinking of things past, been a big year ofchange for me - some good some bad, and looking forward to the new year. If you celebrate it have a good one.

Cosimo · 31 Oct 2012 at 10:33

I suppose you could find an open park, light a sacred bonfire, sacrifice an animal or two and have a party with harvest food from Tesco.

LordSplodge · 31 Oct 2012 at 10:37

simulatorman said:
I suppose you could find an open park, light a sacred bonfire, sacrifice an animal or two and have a party with harvest food from Tesco.

I suppose sacrificing a Londoner would do. Not like people would miss one of them...there's loads.

We don't actually do animal or human sacrifice.

Jono · 31 Oct 2012 at 10:38

I thought Sam Haim was a journalist.

Cosimo · 31 Oct 2012 at 10:39

Jono said:
I thought Sam Haim was a journalist.

He writes for The Pagan Times.

Edrof · 31 Oct 2012 at 10:40

Happy Samhain! Is there a 'traditional' way to celebrate Samhain? Who was the guy who started the thread about the pronunciation of 'Siobhan'? He'll love Samhain.

malfunkshun · 31 Oct 2012 at 10:57

None of that Irish stuff over 'ere, nos galan gaeaf

adref, adref am y cyntaf, Hwch Ddu Gwta a gipio'r olaf!

TrixiBuG · 31 Oct 2012 at 11:00

Happy Samhain! Very surprised to see this on here

With the commercial Halloween over taking everything not many people know about the real reason why today is special

Cosimo · 31 Oct 2012 at 11:04

malfunkshun said:
adref, adref am y cyntaf, Hwch Ddu Gwta a gipio'r olaf!

.... and in English?

Haggisman · 31 Oct 2012 at 11:11

Jono said:
I thought Sam Haim was a journalist.

Isn't it an Eldar craftworld?

LordSplodge · 31 Oct 2012 at 11:12

Edrof said:
Happy Samhain! Is there a 'traditional' way to celebrate Samhain? Who was the guy who started the thread about the pronunciation of 'Siobhan'? He'll love Samhain.

Surprisingly the BBC is a good source of info on all thigs Pagan. See: http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/paganism/holydays/samhain.shtml

malfunkshun · 31 Oct 2012 at 11:16

simulatorman said:
.... and in English?

A home, a home like the first. Tailless black sow took the last.

doofer · 31 Oct 2012 at 11:18

simulatorman said:
.... and in English?

Home, get home first (Or quick). The tail-less black Sow gets the last one.

RobotXander · 31 Oct 2012 at 11:19

Yet another tradition that Christianity assimilated.
Fascinating stuff though

malfunkshun · 31 Oct 2012 at 11:19

doofer said:
Home, get home first (Or quick). The tail-less black Sow gets the last one.

Is actually exactly right

Said tailless black sow would roam the countryside with a headless woman and eat whoever they caught.

estebanrey · 31 Oct 2012 at 11:21

Edrof said:
Happy Samhain! Is there a 'traditional' way to celebrate Samhain? Who was the guy who started the thread about the pronunciation of 'Siobhan'? He'll love Samhain.

Just had to look it up, pronounced 'Sowin' isn't it? I read it as "Sam Hane" in the thread title though.

The Irish really need to sort out there understanding of how the English alphabet works, they seem to have changed how almost every letter is pronounced for no apparent reason.

Reminds me of that Eoghan Quigg fella that was on X-Factor a few years ago, how does 'Eoghan' become 'Owen'?

malfunkshun · 31 Oct 2012 at 11:24

estebanrey said:
Just had to look it up, pronounced 'Sowin' isn't it? I read it as "Sam Hane" in the thread title though.

The Irish really need to sort out there understanding of how the English alphabet works, they seem to have changed how almost every letter is pronounced for no apparent reason.

Reminds me of that Eoghan Quigg fella that was on X-Factor a few years ago, how does 'Eoghan' become 'Owen'?

Really? You consider someone elses representation of their language to be their fault?

LordSplodge · 31 Oct 2012 at 11:36

RobotXander said:
Yet another tradition that Christianity assimilated.
Fascinating stuff though

Made it easier to convert the Romans.

Castiel · 31 Oct 2012 at 11:56

RobotXander said:
Yet another tradition that Christianity assimilated.
Fascinating stuff though

Not necessariy, the two (and more) festivals that we now celebrate as the largely secular Halloween may well have originated separately and only become synomymous as traditions and worship changed over the centuries.....the reason many different cultures share dates for their festivals is largely down to astronomical events such as the Solstice's and Equinoxes and other common factors such as the Seasons, Harvest and Livestock movements common to a range of cultures, (and the exact dates, Samhain being one of those, being fluid until late in their evolution) in determining Festival timings.....as one culture overlaps another they both influence the other and we see an evolution of traditions as a result.

For example contemporary Paganism is based on a range of historical influences and modern invention rather than being a continuance of ancient religious practices. Most Neopaganism has more in common with modern theological and philosophical ideas than in an ancient religious lineage of ritual beliefs.

RobotXander · 31 Oct 2012 at 15:17

Thanks Castiel. It's interesting how these traditions can evolve over time.