Many Blessed and Greetings to All this Féile Moingfhinne i.e. Feast of Mongfind, Samhain, and Feast of the Dead. This is the time in which we honour those who came before us, our Ancestors those who came from the roots and earth of the Old Religion and always remembering where they truly came from, what the spirit of family, land, and the heart truly came from, from the land of the dead from the realms hidden inside the veils of the unseen and Greater Mysteries. Mongfind means one of fair hair or white hair, she is also of the bean sidhe and she was the Queen of Ireland Foras Feasa ar Éirinn FFE 344-351 she was the head wife of Eochaid; he took a second wife, Cairenn, who gave birth to Niall of the Nine Hostages. Several stories depict Mongfind as an adversary of her stepson. to learn more of her visit Mongfind.
What we know today as Halloween celebrated on the 31st of October is not the original date or name of the day, the original date for what we know and call Old Samhain (originally the Feast of Mongfind) was the 15 of November when inside the constellation Scorpio is at 15° over the Northern Hemisphere. The 31st of October was the date in which the church gave to our day in a way to stop us from our celebrating and doing our rites, this gave us only two times a year to celebrate as is the case with most if not all of our sacred rite days. Now, this is the time when the oldest magic of conjuring, divinations, communicating with the dead and doing sorcery to honour the dead. We now as those who follow the Old Religion at least I myself personally do, do much of the magic for healing and renewal and ask those things of Hecate to manifest in the next year (this being on her day of feast the 30th of November) and if done on her day she will grant your wish for it to manifest one year from the date of your request. There is many forms of magic done in this time, but do so with a pure heart and be justified in the works that you do, do for only then shall they manifest as you have cast them out to the Universe.
We are of many heritages, cultures, religions, traditions and paths in our lives, ancestors and our personal spiritual journeys, we must all remember that we do not have to agree with each other and how as individuals we practice and believe, but one should respect one another for having the free spirit and mind as an individual to practice those beliefs in which are deep in the heart of each of us and not worry so much about others and how they practice. If we all step up and honour the ways of Old, or honour the Gods and Goddesses, God, Allah, Budda, Orishas or whatever you choose to follow let us remember acceptance towards all humanity and respect one another for individual beliefs.
This Samhain season as with all I am reminded of many things, death, life, change, growth, loss, gain and most importantly the powers of the nature in which not one of us have any control over. Sandy was an evil disaster one in which I know was from the wrath of the Gods and the Mother of the Oceans to remind us who truly has the say over all life. We are mere ants in this world and as descendants to those ancestors who were from the lines of the Old Religion and of the path of Warriors, justice keepers, healers, prophets, readers of the stars, visions of the hidden realms and more we must remember we are here to work together not to harm those who seek our counsel and guidance.
My Ancestors are of the Milesian and of the line of Erimon, cousins to the Tuaha de Dannan, they fought and defeated the magic of the Tuaha to then become the last of the invaders of Ireland, but not before travelling over vast lands masses, and learning the arts of the ancient craft, Mongfind was the head wife of Eochaid the High King of Ireland. Eochaid had two wife’s, Mongfind and Cairenn she was of the family of Sachell Balb, King of the Saxons. Caireen was pregnant with my ancestor Niall of Niall of the Nine Hostages captures of St. Patrick and his sister. Mongfind so jealous of Caireen sought out to prove how much she loved her husband and on what we now call Samhain drank poison to prove her love to her husband and died, hence the beginning of what we today celebrate as Samhain. Originally Feast of Mongfind and originally dated it to have begun at the time of her death circe 351. Mongfind means fair main. As the Queen of Ireland the people honoured her death and from this is where we today get Samhain the feast of the dead. Mongfind was later turned into a deity and is the known as the Sorcerer of Magic, while Caireen is known as the Goddess who protects children.
This time of year has a much deeper rooted meaning for myself as it is the one time of the year I have always felt most drawn too, the darkest time of the year (but only because it is when the sun sits lower on the earth) when those things that are hidden are revealed and seen. I find that when we understand the meaning of our festivals we better connect to the energy of the season. The Church calls this the season of the devil; the devil never was mentioned in any ancient works that of the Old Ways in any culture, it was only after the Church forced those who lived in the county side to convert was he created by the Church itself. There in honouring the dead is to remember where we came from, our roots and the deepest core of our true heritage. Yes, it is true not all can follow this path and work magic or walk with the dead, it is a path for those whose path it is destiny to wake our fate.
True witches/Witches, Crafters of the Wise, Priests, Priestesses, Shamans, and all such titles of the old have never needed to cover their faces or decisive themselves from being seen by the dead that at this time of the year when the veil is at it thinnest walk among the living to return home and visit their loved ones, miss out on something powerful.
Samhain is a time we honour the dead and all who have given and had their lives taken for us to have the liberties we have today. During this time of the dead as well as the forever living for this is the true meaning of death, in death we live in life we are dead, take time and really give your heart some focus on what this time means to you. For those whom you have and do love who are no longer amoung the physical realms set them a plate at the table and dine with them in silent, prepare a dish of favourite for them and invite them home. Place their photo for all to see and talk about them and light your spirit candles for them all. Welcome them home for in this time they do walk amongst the living Honour your Ancestors and remember them always, for they are never truly dead they are always living just not always there in the physical.
To my family and friends and those who are of my Craft family I shall miss gathering with you all in this year, but I shall see you all soon and we shall celebrate next year in honouring our ancestors.
May all be blessed in the Feast of Mongfind i.e. Samhain (so wín) Blessings, Prosperity and Health to all in the coming year.
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