Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-10-26

one or more of the elements OF matter.
These elements figure in all of the divi-
nation systems used at Halloween.
In order to summon the spirits Of those
drowned at sea 1t is generally customary
In Scotland to go alone in the darkness
or moonlight. entirely without artificial
light. on All Hallows Eve to the shore
OF the sea or some body Of water where
, persons have been drowned. II the
would-be viewer of spirits has sufficient
Will power and fearleSsness to repress
the morbid feelings or fears that such
an environment usually inspires. and If
he determinedly persists in summoning
the dead by the concentration Of his will
power, It Is said that they will eventual
ly appear to him unless there Is some
fault In him or unless they have some
objection to him or his method of sum-
moning them.
In this manner 1t is said that drowned
friends may be summoned and will ap-
pear, unless the caller has in some way
wronged the spirit whom he summons.
In such a case it is easy to see that q
guilt or more or less latent fear OF
reproach might make the summoner
somewhat fear to see the very spirit
whom he desired to see, and he would
thus unconsciously fetter the dominant
action of his will whose vibrations or
emanations where needed to summon the
spirit. An experiment of this sort would
be of doubtful success or satisfaction to
any one who had not fearless spirit
and clear conscience toward the spirit
summoned. Children born on Halloween
are popularity supposed to be endowed
with various mysterious faculties, which
include the faculty of seeing and speak
ing with supernatural beings.
From the most ancient times November
1 has been observed as a religious fes-
tival in England. On or about this day
the ancient Druids. the priests Of the
swarthy Britons, were accustomed to
hold a great autumn festival long be-
fore the conquering Romans ever landed
in Britain. This festival was said to be
one Of special thanksgiving for the
gathered harvest, and on this day old
tires were everywhere extinguished and
new fires were lighted in honor of the
sun god, to whose watchful care they
believed that their life and its main
Ienance were due. Later when the
Brit0ns became Christianized, this func-
ton OF watching over and caring for
the faithful was ascribed to all the saints
in whose honor the festival was held on
the nr,,, same me- day as that chosen for the old
In writing Of the Druid customs Bor.
lase said that the Druids. like the Per-
slams. had also their solemn fires on the
eve Of November. to which the people
were obliged to resort. and rekindle the
consecrated fires Of the Druids. the do
nestle fire having been, for that pur-
pose, first carefully extinguished; the
GEavri: Of the ancient Persian religion
have the same custom to this day
The new Druid fire for the ensuing year
was kindled by the friction of two great
planks rubbed one against the other un-
til fire was produced. A pot full of water
later sprinkled on the people, or on cat
tie infected with plague. This. the
Druids claimed. was shown by experience
to be successful.
Borlase thought that it was very prob
able that the "tinegin'' or forced FIRE
not long since used in the isles as an an
tidote against the plague or murrain of
cattle is the remainder of a Druid Gus
tom.
Borlase also mentions that the Persians
thought that their holy fire was the cause
OF domestic plenty. and placed the sick
before 1t, thinking 1t of great and healing
virtue. and that the Druids probably had
the same opinion of 1t.
The custom of lighting fires at Hal
loween has until comparatively recent
years been kept up In Scotland and
wales. parts of Great Britain, where the
descendants of the ancient Britons are
most numerous. A real or fancied rela-
ton between it and the welfare Of those
sitting around it led to the custom Of
placing in the dying embers as many
small. stones as there were persons around
the fire. If in the. morning any pebble or
pebbles were found displaced. 1t was con-
sidered certain that the person whom the
displaced pebble had represented would
die within year.
The Druids had a curious belief that
on the eve before the Thanksgiving fes-
tival in honor of the sun god the dia-