Trick or treat! Happy Halloween! Just what do those words mean exactly?
According to Wikipedia, the Celtic festival of Samhain (old Irish for summer’s end) celebrated the “end of the lighter half of the year and the beginning of the darker half” or what became known as the Celtic New Year. Ancient Celts believed that the border between this world and the next one became so thin during that time it allowed spirits to pass through.
In order to keep harmful spirits away, costumes and masks were worn as disguises. The rationale was that if the costume you wore made you look like a harmful spirit yourself, the authentically harmful ones left you alone. Trick or treat!
Eventually, Samhain became today’s Halloween, or the evening before All Hallows Day. Happy All Hallows Eve!
During my childhood, Halloween meant months of planning the perfect costume I would wear. I also looked forward to drinking hot apple cider, eating candied apples and popcorn balls, and, of course, gorging on all the candy I’d collect from neighbors.
As a little girl, I loved fall, October and Halloween. Without realizing it then, I probably felt a connection to the Libra Sun moving through my Ascendant at that time of year. And, the brilliant sunset colors of leaves turning orange, scarlet and sienna inspired me as an artist. October is also a month of windy storms and cemeteries—domains of the Ifa deity Oya.
Strangely, my Japanese immigrant mother dressed me as a gypsy nearly every year until I was in junior high school. Was it her psychic ability at work? How did she know I would end up reading Astrology charts and Tarot cards someday? Intuitively, my mother would clothe me in full skirts, wrap my long hair in a colorful scarf, add large hoop earrings, bangles and bright red lipstick--all the while knowing nothing of the Romany.
Perhaps there was something in me on a deeper consciousness level that recognized early on who I would become, and that something communicated to my mother to attire me appropriately. At any rate, the whole thing is another one of life’s great mysteries.
But don’t you remain one. Drop us a line at gypsystars@me.com to share your Halloween story with our readers. Hopefully, it will be as entertaining as my favorite short story author’s, Shirley Jackson’s, The Haunting of Hill House—available below.
Soon, we’ll meet again. Meanwhile, remember our T*zing t-shirts. And, don't forget to friend us on Facebook and like The Urban Goddess, too.
Above is a pix of me on my way to Sorrentino’s Halloween party dressed as a Persian cat. Meow!
Leaving you with good luck, light and love;
Gypsy Stars
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