From: wolfe@wolves.uucp (G. Wolfe Woodbury)
Newsgroups: alt.pagan
Subject: Re: Halloween
Date: 27 Sep 92 04:05:23 GMT
Organization: Red Wolfe @ The Wolves Den
X-Md4-Signature: 31fb9a48b37678c31aecba55f00d2666

In article <1992Sep25.163434.1@uwovax.uwo.ca> wrchurch@uwovax.uwo.ca writes:
>1.  What does Halloween mean to you?

	Halloween (All Hallow's Eve) is the Christian name given to the
ancient festival of the cross-quarter day between the Autumnal Equinox
and the Winter Solstice (Samhain in most neo-pagan vocabularies.)
	In some traditions, this is the new year, with the day of the
festival belonging to neither the old year nor the new year.

>2.  Do you know of any places with a Halloween legend attached to it?
>    If so, where?
	Several. The classic northeast USA legend is "The Legend of
Sleepy Hollow" recorded by Washington Irving in his
_Knickerbocker_Tales._   Sleepy Hollow is about 50 miles north of New
York City, east of the Hudson River.  I've walked the area a time or two
and there is some telluric current, but I got no sense of more esoteric
power.
	There are several other places that have interesting legends
that attribute an increased activity to the time around Halloween.  Most
don't bear a statistical study.

>3.  Halloween is supposed to be a time when the veil between this world and the
>    next is briefly lifted. Do you know of any "true" stories of ghostly
>    visitations/warnings, cases of clairvoyance/premonitions, encounters with
>    "non-human spirits", deeds involving witchcraft, etc...
	Garbage.  Your ignorance, or at least lack of consideration for
the audience, is showing.  Most of the folk here in alt.pagan will know
lots of "deeds involving witchcraft", but probably not in the pejoritive
and intolerant way you probably meant the phrase.
	As for the "veil between the worlds."  Since the day was
"between the years" (see above), there was not as strong a flow of time
on the day, and the currents of time could be overcome by the
strong-willed (one of many theories.)  IMO, the veil cannot be lifted
completely, but it gets very thin and can be easily torn for short
periods of time.

>4.  Where is the Halloween capital of the world? Is it in the British Isles
>    (i.e. Ireland, Scotland, Wales) or is it in the USA ( one of the New
>    England states)?
	Any Xtian country. (Since Halloween is a christian adoption name.)

>5.  What sort of activities take place on Halloween in your part of the world?
	Choose any commercial view of america you want.  Additionally,
throw in more respectful observences of Samhain.

>6.  Is the Halloween Sadist a myth or are some people really driven to perform
>    unspeakable acts of cruelty on Halloween.
	According to the Skeptical Inquirer, the "phenomenon" of the
Halloween Sadist is a recent invention by Hollywood.  Prior to 1965,
there are practically no reports of the phenomenon - the data does not
rise beyond the noise level of the culture.  After 1983, the data shows
a strong spike.  In most communities where the paranoia of the
population is sufficiently high to cause various facilities to offer
"free x-ray scanning of your child's trick or treet bag", the actual
evidence for tampering is very low compared to the number of cases
reported to the authorities.
	Ask this one on sci.skeptic if you really want information, and
don't come taunting the pagans with your claptrap.

>7.  In your community, does organized religion still condemn Halloween as an
>    evil practise. If so, what has the church done lately to counter its
>    popularity.
	Actually, here in the NC Bible Belt, none of the "mainstream"
churches make a "big deal" over the holiday.  It's the fundagelical
finge churches that issue the press releases and hold special "revival"
services that scream about "witches and pagans."
	This question, more than any other shows your hidden agenda.
	Additionally, there are a few "organized" religions (with legal
recognition yet!) who actually cherish and celebrate Samhain.
"Organized religion" is NOT synonymous with "Christianity."

>9.  Do people have anything real to fear from Halloween?

	Only if they are ignorant.

>I want to thank you in advance for your input. Its hard to tell without any
>feedback as to whether my questions are valid or way off the mark for this
>group. In any event, if you would like to add something else or make a point,
>by all means feel free to add your $0.02

I figure you've got about $10.00 worth of my time, where shall I send
the bill? :-)

					Wolfe
-- 
G. Wolfe Woodbury @ The Wolves Den UNIX, Durham NC         [use the maps!]
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