At Samhain, On October 31, mortals may see the fairy sidhe, those beings that dwell in the parallel universe of the supernatural. This is the time to reflect on the journey of death and to remember those that have made the journey.
At
dusk on Halloween, the Sluah, the Host of the Dead, are said to
go drifting by on the wind.
In Ireland,
it was the custom at Samhain to leave the entrances to the burial mounds
open, and to light the interiors until cockcrow the following morning so the dead might more easily find their way along the dark path from the tomb.
Once the
travelers have arrived at their destination, it is only common courtesy
to welcome and refresh them with food and drink, as one would any visitor.
The prisoners
needing rescue are humans who have been stolen by the fairies. The
ideal time to rescue them is at the mirk and midnight hour. On the
night of Halloween when the years meet and the fairies troop out on their
jingling fairy ride, a prisoner may be snatched back to the world of man
at the crossroads.
The
fairy with the closest association with real human death, is the bansidhe,
the banshee, the "woman of the hill". This priestess of the dead
was like a guardian spirit, attached to a particular family or clan.
The wailing and weeping of the banshee signaled a forthcoming death.
This ancient
custom passed into folk memory and the druidic initiators become the Halloween
guisers. These disguisers now parade from house to house, asking
for tricks or treats.
Click on the Axeman below to send a Haunted Virtual Halloween Greeting