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The role of the Priestess is to not only walk between the worlds, but to merge them together, to take the 'as above so below' truths and bring them into one, solid, grounded focus.

The god stands naked at the temple door.

Crowned with antler and autumn leaf, he leads us, also naked, out and down.

Into the Underworld. Into the cave. Into the belly of the Earth.

Darkness of darkness.

He kneels to her. He raises his flame.

It dies.

In darkness, we call out the names of the dead.

In darkness, we sing. Asking for life, we sing.

In darkness, the apple passes, and we eat. Life has a price.

One of my hobbies is genealogy or researching family history.  It fascinates me how people come together, finding a glimpse of their lives whether through a family story, newspaper clipping, or document.  I can spend hours lost in the past and digging through old documents, visiting cemeteries, and searching online.  

What's the purpose of this?  Part of it helps me know who I am, where I come from, and how I got here.  Another part is my way of honoring those who have given me my foundation.  Strong women, determined men are a large part of my history - like most other people.  

Where I live in the northern hemisphere, the wheel of the year is turning inexorably toward Samhain, and my thoughts of course turn toward the ancestors and the Blessed Dead.

Like many other ancient cultures, the Minoans held their ancestors in high regard and honored them in their spiritual practice. But they didn't celebrate Samhain.

It's the Eve of Samhain in the Royal Hall at Cruachan.

The fires burn, the mead flows freely; already people have begun to draw indoors. For this night, of all nights, is indeed dark and full of terrors.

While waiting for the feast to be served, Aillil proposes a feat: Who will dare to tie a withy around the ankle of the corpse that hangs from the gallows on the hill of Cruachan?

One by one the heroes try. One by one, they return in fear and failure.

Then Nera mac Niadhain says: I'll do it.

Taos, where I recently moved, is famous for its celebration of Day of the Dead.  Not surprisingly Day of the Dead themes have been integrated in to Halloween celebrations here.  Day of the Dead also shares many points of overlap with Samhain.   For the previous two years I worked with Mexican friends to organize a joint celebration of Samhain and Day of the Dead in Sebastopol, California. We had side by side altars and people were encouraged to light votives honoring their deceased loved one, and to place them on the altars of their choice.  My Wiccan altar had marigolds on it, and the skull was a colorful one in keeping with Day of the Dead symbolism. Otherwise it was very traditional.

“Halloween (or All Hallows’ Eve) was traditionally a Celtic winter festival called Samhain (pronounced sow-en) which marked the beginning of the colder season and the process whereby the earth begins to retreat and "die". That’s why the central theme of this ‘holiday’ is essentially death, but looked at from a more positive perspective, it can also be seen as the quiet beginning of life”. – Stacey Demarco