“The Celts, however, perceived an even simpler pattern behind the Wheel of the Year: the two fundamental seasons of fire and ice, or summer and winter. In Celtic tradition the new year began on Samhain, October 31, now called Halloween, which for them was the first day of winter. This day was a very powerful time in Celtic spirituality, for it belonged neither to the old year nor to the new one. It stood between the years. It was a time between time. Not only did it end the old year and begin the new, but it lifted the veil between the worlds. Witches still believe that the boundaries between spirit and matter are less fixed at this moment in time and life flows more easily between the two worlds. Spirits can visit our world of denser matter and we can make forages into their world to communicate with our ancestors and loved ones. The great exchange of energy, so important in keeping the worlds of spirit, nature, and the human in balance, takes place at Samhain, as the old year flows into the new. Witches take advantage of this time to communicate with the other side, retrieve ancestral knowledge, and prepare for the coming year.”

– Laurie Cabot (courtesy of the Astrarium)
Power of the Witch: The Earth, the Moon, and the Magical Path to Enlightenment
http://amzn.to/1GTUOko

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