| Show 11 1 f J. J sheds on the dark side History of halloween rites light i. i Y c i Terry Dillon Staff Writer r i. i ma matrons t rons were Ch Christian h hung u n g f for 0 a alleged II e g e d wit witchcraft c h c r aft in Mas Massachusetts a s- s land of religious freedom The witch hunts of 1692 will never be forgotten n. n But just because the testimony testimony testimony tes tes- tes- tes precipitating the hangings was later recanted doesn't mean that witchcraft was never practiced an African slave fl woman probably did teach a abit abit abit bit of earth magic to someone someone someone some some- one in Salem These some ones were excitable Salem teenagers the teenagers the puritan equivalent of bobby The devout women who took the heat however were not rs the practitioners but the victims victims victims vic- vic tims of hysterical projection i To this day people are afraid of witchcraft Its It's little f wonder onder with with cults involving Satanic Satanic worship around True witchcraft has s an ent entirely rely different dif- dif g i- i J ferent i ferent erent origin and it is not fJ evil t Halloween originates with the Celtic which means the end of pf summer Priests called perform magic t rituals on that day which ins involves involves in- in s marching around Celtic Celtic Cel Cel- Cel- Cel tic holy sites sites' like Stonehenge goblins and ghosts haunt the earth on r Bonfires acco according ding to legend f f r are built to drive evil away i L f When the ancestors of Ireland were first proselytized by by Christian missionaries missionaries' l with w with i t h a in message e s sag e. e t that hat T T amounted to join us or well we'll v burn you at the stake the Druids and Wise Women of the Celtic faith rebelled The J. J Celtic name for wisdom is hence hence witches are 5 believers in tribal earth magic According to Crowell book on Halloween The liThe church tried to stop the practice of magic but people who worked in witchcraft banded together and made fun of the church On Halloween Halloween Halloween Hal Hal- loween they held large meetings meetings meetings meet meet- ings called witches' witches sabbaths They feasted sang and danced wildly in a ring They promised to use their magic power to do mischief Joy Hoban of Jeweled Maidens book store makes this anal analogy gy An automobile is a valuable tool but in the wrong hands it becomes a dangerous weapon God has given us herbals for medicines and incense our minds and bodi bodies s for good uses but they too when used wrongly become powerful tools of destruction Christians do magic w when hen t they h ey p pray ray The They y meditate by focusing on a scripture such as a verse from the book of Proverbs The results can be analyzed good good will breeds goodness Likewise hostile persons breed hostility People who have haye a positive tend to fi find d goodness goodness goodness good good- ness in the world Hostile embittered types see only hostility and arid evil Halloween celebrations are held the last Sunday of October by Unitarian Children especially enjoy worship that borrows from Celtic tradition and values Congregants of the church include wise women women modern modern feminists who are revitalizing older oriented earth-oriented religions f r. r j i u A J Il t 1 N I C 1 c a s 7 B y mIL 3 iii I fir f S Ot e i f a e u v a s t r kv ri w roL ad i r rn M dc 4 y r day ys h i |
