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10/17/2018 07:00 AMWhen Sara Walka of Guilford thinks about celebrating Halloween, she thinks about trick or treating, and decorations, and carved pumpkins.
But she also thinks about the rich history of Halloween, and the link between what she characterizes as ancient seasonal celebrations and today’s modern commercial celebrations.
“Halloween, as we celebrate it, is different from what it originally was,” says Walka, who runs a business called The Sisters Enchanted in Guilford, and will be discussing the history of Halloween at the Henry Carter Hull Library, 10 Killingworth Turnpike, Clinton on Wednesday, Oct. 24 at 6 p.m. “So Halloween falls on Oct. 31, but pre-calendar, before we knew it was Oct. 31, in ancient times, people would be more in tune with seasonal changes. They might notice they were moving into the dark part of the year. In agrarian cultures, they would hunker down and hope they would survive the dark months ahead.”
Scary Fun
As part of that hunkering down, families would honor their ancestors “in the hopes that their ancestors would be with them, and support them, and guide them through the dark months,” she says.
Then, traditions changed with the times, and some of those new traditions and beliefs held that the idea of dead ancestors visiting was scary.
“So they would carve scary faces to scare those spirits away,” she says, sometimes using turnips and then, eventually, pumpkins. “What was originally rooted in inviting ancestors to support you and keep you alive, shifted into being afraid of spirits and carving scary faces.”
And then scary costumes became part of the fun.
Walka, who uses oracle cards and tarot cards and pendulums along with modern day teaching and coaching techniques to work with her clients, is all for integrating the old and the new when it comes to Halloween.
“I think for adults in particular, it’s a really good time to explore the idea that we are shifting into these winter months. It’s a great time to ask yourself, what can you leave behind as the sun is setting and moving into these colder months? What can you explore inwardly about yourself, about your family?”
Instead of scaring our ancestors away, Walka says another option might be to invite them to the table, both literally and figuratively.
A Place at the Table
“Maybe set a place for your ancestor at the dinner table before you go trick or treating,” she says. “After you come back from trick or treating, put a Reese’s next to that photo of your great, great grandma.”
She says she’s all about integrating the idea of honoring ancestors, and their wisdom, along with having some fun at Halloween.
“For women in particular, this is a good time to do this,” she says. “Maybe as you put away the Halloween decorations, think about what else we are putting away for the next few months. What are you going to do to explore that quiet time that comes with winter?”
There are two more great reasons to use Halloween as a time to slow down and reflect, she adds.
“There’s Halloween, then comes Thanksgiving, then comes Christmas,” she says. “The mainstream holidays can be crazy. They come one right after another. So it makes sense to use whatever tools you have to tap into your inner wisdom. Slow down, be present, see how you feel. See where you need to relax, and let go. Ask for whatever help you need. Incorporate the older way of following these traditions to tap into yourself and your energy. So it’s a great time to slow down to appreciate this season as we head into it.”