Happy Halloween 2023

 This picture is from Microsoft Clip Art

 

 

The information in this article comes from The Information about Ireland Site Newsletter, The Newsletter for people interested in Ireland (http://www.ireland-information.com).  We thank them for putting out such detailed information to share with all of us.

 The Celts celebrated Halloween as Samhain, "All Hallowtide"  (the "Feast of the Dead," when the dead revisited the mortal world. The celebration marked the end of summer and the start of the winter months, and 1 November began the Celtic New Year.  

During the eighth century, the Catholic Church designated the first day of November as "All Saints Day" ("All Hallows'" -- a day of commemoration for those Saints that did not have a specific day of remembrance. The night before was known as "All Hallows Eve," which, over time, became known as Halloween.

Here are the most notable Irish Halloween Traditions:  

Colcannon for Dinner:  Boiled Potato, Curly Kale (a cabbage) and raw Onions are provided as the traditional Irish Halloween dinner. Clean coins are wrapped in baking paper and placed in the potato for children to find and keep.

The Barnbrack Cake:  The traditional Halloween cake in Ireland is the barnbrack,  which is a fruit bread. Each member of the family gets a slice. Great interest is taken in the outcome as there is a piece of rag, a coin and a ring in each cake. If you get the rag then your financial future is doubtful. If you get the coin then you can look forward to a prosperous year. Getting the ring is a sure sign of impending romance or continued happiness.

The Ivy Leaf:   Each member of the family places a perfect ivy leaf into a cup of water and it is then left undisturbed overnight. If, in the morning, a leaf is still perfect and has not developed any spots then the person who placed the leaf in the cup can be sure of 12 months health until the following Halloween. If not. . . .

The Pumpkin:  Carving Pumpkins dates back to the eighteenth century and to an Irish blacksmith named Jack who colluded with the Devil and was denied entry to Heaven. He was condemned to wander the earth but asked the Devil for some  light. He was given a burning coal ember, which he placed inside a turnip that he had gouged out.  Thus, the tradition of Jack O'Lanterns was born -- the bearer being the wandering blacksmith -- a damned soul. Villagers in Ireland hoped that the lantern in their window would keep the wanderer away. When the Irish emigrated in their millions to America, there was not a great supply of turnips so pumpkins were used instead.

Happy Hallowe'en!

Blessings,

Judy

Music Speaks to The Soul

One of the interesting thoughts that was presented to me in a meditation was that the reason that I “hear” so much music in my awake time, even if I am not listening to my ipod or to the radio, is that music transcends the ego.  This means that the ego has not figured out how to control the effect music has on us.  When the music is particularly powerful, such as the music “Silk Road” by Kitaro, then we have an opportunity to grow the union between our body, mind, and spirit.  As you know, your body instinctively wants to move with the music.  What your body is really doing is coming into alignment with the mathematical perfection of the sound, a sound that has Divine inspiration.

Think about all the music that you enjoy.  Think about how it uplifts you, or makes you happy and takes you out of yourself.  Play some music!

Enjoy!

Many blessings,

Judy

About Grasshopper

Spirit Animal - Grasshopper

Grasshopper picture from email

 

John Keats - On The Grasshopper And Cricket

The poetry of earth is never dead:
When all the birds are faint with the hot sun,
And hide in cooling trees, a voice will run
From hedge to hedge about the new-mown mead;
That is the Grasshopper's—he takes the lead
In summer luxury,—he has never done
With his delights; for when tired out with fun
He rests at ease beneath some pleasant weed.
The poetry of earth is ceasing never:
On a lone winter evening, when the frost
Has wrought a silence, from the stove there shrills
The Cricket's song, in warmth increasing ever,
And seems to one in drowsiness half lost, 

The Grasshopper's among some grassy hills.

                                  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


Most of know Grasshopper by its cheery sound through the spring and summer, and into the fall.  Grasshopper sings some of the most ancient songs on Earth, and sings the same songs that our Ancestors heard.  In fact, the song of Grasshopper is about the wandering that one needs to do to find a mate, to find food, and to find a place to die.  The song would change when the weather changed, so our Ancestors knew that rain or drought was near.  The sound of the grasshopper is like a meditation in the summertime.  It fills the air with a melody that relaxes and soothes.  Grasshopper reminds us to connect with our Ancestors through song and music.  We can learn their wisdom from the memories stored deep in our cells.


Grasshopper has the ability to leap great distances, and she is able to leap quite high in the air.  Therefore, she has the gift of travel; of bi-location; of astral travel.  She is associated with the mysteries of translocation and teleportation. She tells us to trust your knowledge and to leap through time to the place where you need to get your answer.  She tells us to astral travel or remote view the place that you need to travel to next, to survey the lay of the land.  This ability also allows us to connect to the heavens in a new way.


Enjoy the gift of grasshopper!

Many blessings,

Judy