Progress

I've finally got one of my windows mostly done, despite a busy morning (yay, customers!) and some slacking on my part.

So it's finally fall instead of summer in the store. *rolls eyes*

I feel extra pagan right now-I'm listening to Loreena McKennit's "All Souls Night" (which should be called "Samhain Night" but anyways...) and I just set up my garden goddess with a harvest bounty of pumpkins, gourds and fall foliage. Fake stuff, but still counts. Plus there's scarecrows a plenty and I'm getting ready to Halloween make over the other window.

It's one of the biggies of the pagan calendar, Samhain. It's said "sow-een" or "sow-wain", BTW. Those are the most widely used pronunciations. Last harvest fest, the Celtic new year and the time to remember the beloved dead, for October 31st is one of the days that the veil between the worlds is thin.

Somehow, over time and with the influence of those who thought that paganism is evil, the custom of remembering and honoring the dead, of inviting them to share at your table once more became perverted and twisted into a night to fear having your soul snatched away by demons. The Wild Hunt, where you might be caught up with the Gods or the Faerie Folk to revel the night away, became something to fear; an evil force would take you and hunt you to steal your soul, or the Sidhe would entice you into their world, never to be seen again.

Religion seems a silly thing to get bent out of shape over. Faith can't be proven, after all. Am I right? For me, I am. For others I'm way off base. So what? I'm happy, my faith gives me comfort and I don't push it on others. Do I care what religion someone else is? As long as they don't push it on others and don't harm anyone I could care less what they believe. Want to worship a statue of a lawn gnome? Rock on! Just don't start killing in the name of Lawn Gnome and we'll get along fine.

;)