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Note From the Founder…
Today is the traditional day citizens celebrate Halloween, but one must wonder if people should be treating lightly ghoulish characters like ghosts, goblins, monsters and witches in what seems like such an insane time to be alive. It is indeed a time in which one must wonder how deeply evil has manifested itself within our contemporary culture. To those who still have their heads on straight, it must seem at times like the inmates have taken over the asylum and they are currently attempting to dictate reality to the ones who still have some shred of sanity left. Even the celebration of Halloween did not start out as something so bizarre as some of the things we are witnessing today, and it seems as if some of what has been happening in our world is not of the natural world.
Religious people of most faith traditions and religions across various nationalities acknowledge and understand spiritual phenomena, which is not accounted for by science since science is not capable of quantifying or measuring, let alone explaining conclusively any spiritual phenomena. Yet, some of the events that have been occurring recently across the world seem to indicate that evil spirits or demons are possessing people and inciting them to evil actions. The recent attack by Hamas terrorists against innocent babies, children and women were so brutal as to cause all same people to stand back in dismay. Such barbaric atrocities would cause people with a healthy conscience to shudder in shock.
Secular people without any religious education or spiritual experience would have a hard time to wrap their heads around the concept of possession - demon possession of a person, yet there are intelligent and specifically trained individuals who are equipped to deal with such spiritual phenomena. This is not a reference to “ghostbusters.” Much of the spiritual interaction is only within a person’s mind, which can be accessed by spirits of once living people. Individuals with weak minds or with low self-esteem or a personal sense of little worth can be influenced in very unhealthy ways through their thoughts. There are various psychologists and psychiatrists who may have encountered patients who “hear voices” or receive unhealthy or destructive thoughts “out of the blue.” The ones who cannot resist random “impulses” are the ones who act upon them. Many times the incidences of outward destruction can be chalked up to illegal drug use, or people are comfortable labeling a bad actor as “just plain crazy.”
There are deeper causal reasons for such destructive and downright evil behavior. Medicine and science can only address what can be identified and defined within a narrow perception of reality rooted in what is physically observable, measurable or quantifiable through instruments technology has made available to us. Yet, many “insane” events go unexplained by “experts” without a clue as to half of the reality of the world we inhabit. Granted, some of the “spiritual phenomena” identified is bogus and it is sourced from those seeking to gain fame, fortune, or power – maybe all three. From fortune tellers to snake oil salesmen, there are many kinds of grifters and opportunists to mislead people and taint perceptions of the power of manipulating people mentally from the spiritual realms. And, I imagine as I write these words a number of people will possibly shriek at the thought of someone claiming the existence of ghosts or spirits.
The “evidence” science seeks for “inexplicable” events will not be forthcoming as the proof of the cause of such events falls into the realm of opinion or the witnessing of inexplicable events. Yet, mass shootings occur, despite politicians wanting to blame the guns. Mass atrocities have been occuring in Africa and other developing countries seemingly “forever.” Yet, experts often ignore the spiritual causes behind the actions. Yet, there is always a mind behind the plan, a will to step outside the realm of thought and into the ‘real’ world. Action comes as the result of ideas or thoughts. Who can say definitively that evil is not transferred and initiated by thought? So, the primitive notions of early peoples may no longer be so marginalized and ridiculed by “experts” with few answers.
The article that I offer as my message for Halloween on this unique holiday is simply providing the roots of the holiday that developed from an ancient people attempting to deal with reality in the ocean of ignorance in which they lived. Ultimately, scientific measurement and the religious testimony or experience could cooperate to obtain a more complete picture of the cause of real insanity in our midst. Such insanity causes destruction and self-destruction. It was not in the original blueprint that God created when he brought humans upon the planet. Of course, there are many who would claim that believing in God is insane. Nevertheless, that would be reveal a totally incomplete picture, and it would express more about those who hold such anemic beliefs.
I wrote this article back in 2017, when things seemed a bit more sane than they are today. Truly, It seems like such a long time ago and so much destruction has occurred in the world in such a short span of time. The article was written prior to the time of COVID, prior to the horrible riots that destroyed a number of American cities, prior to the great theft of 2020, prior to J-6 and the invasion of the Ukraine and the invasion of Israel. Hopefully, divine intervention will manifest in our time as it has in the past when humanity became so inhumane as to wonder if we would continue to exist. May God have mercy upon us all.
The Ancient Origins of Halloween and Samhain
By Dennis Jamison | Oct 20, 2017
October 31st marks the ancient tradition of Halloween and the rituals, from dressing up like goblins and ghouls to transforming their homes into haunts. Then there is the tradition of sending the kids out to collect candy from their neighbors.
People seldom question such annual rituals; they just do them as year after year this ritual is repeated, yet few celebrants really know how this all got started. The truth is that there are several theories about the origins of Halloween, but few tangible facts.
Nevertheless, despite the lack of hard proof, it does not stop the brave from developing theories of how Halloween originated.
Developing over thousands of years, it is difficult to pinpoint an exact starting point for the more modern traditions of the holiday. One way historians or archaeologists develop their theories about ancient peoples is by using common or familiar reference points in human cultures. In that manner, it is possible to gain a bit better understanding of the origins of Halloween by using some familiar points of reference.
Samhain to Halloween – Where it all began
One popular perception today is that Halloween “evolved” from an ancient people in Ireland thousands of years ago. One of the four ancient Celtic holidays called Samhain (Sa-wain, Sah-ween, or Sah-win – depending on Irish or Gaelic pronunciations) is more than likely the closest holiday connected to the ancient origins of Halloween.
Samhain can be translated as “November” in Irish, but more specifically means “summer’s end.”
While there is little knowledge to indicate how old such a celebration is, popular theory is that it was a simple harvest festival at the end of the summer months, a time when the people would collectively prepare for the arduous winter months ahead.
For a more realistic understanding of the preparation for winter in ancient Ireland, it is important to note that many early European writers considered Ireland as a land of ice and snow. In 1992, James Romm published “The Edges of the Earth in Ancient Thought” exploring that ancient world.
Learned men considered Ireland the outer boundary of the civilized world. It was Julius Caesar who was the first to call Ireland by the name of “Hibernia,” which is Latin for “winterland.” Later writers also portrayed the Emerald Isle as a land of ice and snow. This may have been a bit exaggerated due to lack of actual first-hand experience.
However, winter periods could last six full months.
In preparing for months of bitter cold, that the ancient people of Ireland would gather together at the end of the summer months and get ready for winter. Ireland lies in more northern latitudes, similar to Canada and those winters could be harsh.
Samhain was important as many who gathered could not be completely sure that they would survive the winter.
In this respect, Samhain takes on a more distinct significance within the harsh realities of life and death. Along with Beltane (celebrated on May 1st each year), these two were considered the most important Celtic holidays.
Based upon the limited archaeological evidence thus far, scholars estimate that the ancient Celtic people had likely originated in central Europe, before occupying the British Isles around the sixth century B.C. More recent scholars are attempting to explain the arrival of the Celts via some type of migration into the region.
Yet, it is not clear whether Samhain originated before or after such migrations. However, references to Samhain are found in some of the earliest Irish literature. The annual gatherings serve as a popular setting for different events in Irish mythology and folklore.
Like Beltane in spring, Samhain was understood as a time in which the boundary between the world of the living and the dead was extremely thin. One of the features of both Beltane and Samhain was the lighting of special bonfires. These were not only signal fires to gather people, but huge ritual bonfires.
Halloween gateway to the dead
In some versions of the legends linked to these holidays, the fires would serve as gateways between the world of the living and the world of the dead.
The autumn festival was a time of paying homage to those who had died in the past. The bonfires may also have bee used as a means of guiding the spirits of the recent dead into the underworld (or Otherworld). Unfortunately, that open door to the Otherworld meant that the spirits of the dead could also return.
Coming back from the world of the dead did not always yield good outcomes. If the spirits from the underworld were mean or evil, the time of the spirit visitation could be most unfortunate for the living. Some spirits were reputed to readily play pranks or unleash mean tricks upon innocent living souls.
One of the reasons that masks came into favor at such times was because people could disguise themselves as a means of protection from nasty ancestors or evil spirits. Some masks were simple and basically harmless, designed to disguise. Other masks were created to be quite scary, to frighten the daylights out of people! For much the same reasons masks are worn today, sometimes serving dual purposes.
Logically, since the Celtic people were preparing for survival during the bleak months, for those who had little stores for the winter, it would be a time of desperation. In times of failed harvests or tragedy with the flocks (such as in predators or sickness reducing the numbers of animals available as a food source), some families would be surely threatened with the likelihood of becoming the latest victims to enter the world of the dead.
Records indicate that masks were used, or costumes employed, to go and beg for food as a way of surviving another six months or longer. It is likely that pride-filled parents, not wanting it known they were struggling, would send their disguised children to beg.
These simple practices at Samhain are repeated over and over and have developed into beloved traditions. It is likely they had existed in Ireland for centuries, possibly thousands of years before the time St. Patrick walked the hills and valleys of the Emerald Isle, and likely that they were there when he went as a bishop, and they continue to exist in some similar form in the Halloween festivities around the world in this time – 3,000 or more years later!
A Bit of History
From HISTORY.com (w/ video): Samhain - Celtic Origins, Rituals & Halloween
From The Economist: The meaning of Halloween – 10/29/2015
From National Geographic: Inside the Irish ‘hell caves’ where Halloween was born – 9/26/23
A Spiritual Perspective
From Jonathan Cahn: The Mystery Of The Possessor | Jonathan Cahn Special | The Return of The Gods – 1/3/2023
From World Outreach Church with Allen Jackson: Revelation [Spiritual Forces in Conflict] | Pastor Allen Jackson – 1/8/2023
From The Victory Channel - FlashPoint: Dutch Sheets: This Is A Spiritual War of Principalities! – 10/11/23
From CBN News: 'Literally God vs. Satan': Is U.S. Revival & Gaza War a Sign of the End Times? – 10/30/2023
ONE FOR ISRAEL Ministry: The anti-semitic nature of Moral Equivalence in the Hamas War. - Pod for Israel – 1/19/2023
From Kingdom League International with Tim Taylor: Can You Command Angel Armies? – 10/22/23
From Troy Black: This Ancient Goddess Is Back (she's even hiding in the church) - Jonathan Cahn – 1/17/2023
Review > From Dutch Sheets Ministries: Jezebel on Display | Give Him 15: Daily Prayer with Dutch – 1/13/21
A “Mind’s Eye” Perspective
From Russell Brand: Jordan Peterson On Israel-Palestine Conflict, Symbolism & the Psyche - Stay Free #234 – 10/30/2023
From 'Life, Liberty & Levin' w/ Mark Levin: Mark Levin: These are Biden's 'insane goals' – 10/29/2023
From Uncommon Knowledge: Consequences Matter: Thomas Sowell on “Social Justice Fallacies” – 9/7/2023
From American Greatness by Shelby Steele: ‘White Guilt is Not Real Guilt’ – 10/2/2023
From Bits of Knowledge: Don't let the "Spirit Of Cain" in you! - Dr. Jordan Peterson! – 1/12/2023
From The Eric Metaxas Radio Show: Searching for Truth Interview with Eric Metaxas – 3/29/23
From The Standard: “Silence in the face of evil is itself evil…” – 2/18/2023
A “Real World” Perspective
From CBN News: Hamas Using Women and Children as Human Shields, and Its HQ Is Beneath Gaza's Largest Hospital
From FOX News - The Ingraham Angle: Victor Davis Hanson: This is the message that’s going out in the Middle East – 10/18/2023
From My Faith Votes: THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN WAR & TERRORISM
From FOX News: Martha MacCallum: I witnessed the darkest evil that can exist – 10/30/2023
From CBC News (Canadian): Journalist describes footage of Hamas atrocities compiled by the IDF – 10/24/2023
From Piers Morgan Uncensored: Israel-Hamas War: 'Hamas Opened Up The Gates Of Hell' - Mosab Hassan Yousef Tells Piers Morgan – 10/26/2023
MUST WATCH > Trailer to new D'Souza Media Movie: Police State - A Film by Dinesh D'Souza
Around the “Real World” What affects one, can affect all!
From Toronto Sun: CAUGHT ON CAMERA: Hamas is a sadistic, criminal, terrorist, death cult" - Poilievre – 10/17/2023
From Canada Free Press: In Canada is it only the Left that get to express their views in public – 10/30/2023
From BBC via Fox News Video: Hamas spokesman storms out of BBC interview when asked about killing Israeli civilians: 'I want to stop this'
From WION - Gravitas (Shorts): Unhinged Pakistani minister justifies Hitler's policies against Jews - undated (likely - 10/31/23)
From American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ): Dispelling the Media Myth That Israel Must Be Constrained in Rooting Out and Eliminating Hamas – It Has Every International Law Right To Wage a Just War
From New York Post: Ceasefire — ‘surrender to terrorists, surrender to barbarism’ — ‘will not happen,’ Netanyahu says – 10/30/2023
From AIJAC: Gilad Erdan, Israel's Envoy to the UN delivers a strong message – 10/30/2023
From CBN News: Iran, Turkey Threaten Israel | CBN NewsWatch - October 30, 2023
From CBS News: Antisemitic mob storms Russian airport looking for Jewish passengers – 10/30/2023
From Forbes Breaking News: 'Looked Like A Pogrom': State Dept Denounces Russia After Mob Storms Airport Looking For Israelis
From Washington Examiner: After the attack on Israel, terror threats loom over US southern border – 10/30/23
From American Center for Law and Justice: The “Invasion” at the Southern Border – 10/28/23