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Samhain: The religious aspect of Halloween
Elizabeth Laird
STJUT WRITER
Halloween is not just a time
for candy and costumes. To Pa
gans, it is a significant, deeply
religious holiday for meditation
and reflection. Halloween is a
modern name for the ancient
Celtic holiday of Samhain (pro
nounced "SOW-in" in Ireland,
SOW-een in Wales, "SAV-en" in
Scotland or even "SAM-hane" in
non-Gaelic-speaking countries).
Many neo-pagan traditions con
sider this the spiritual New Year
or New Year's Eve. The holiday
begins at sundown on Oct. 31
and continues through Nov. 1.
Samhain is a celebration of
the Last Harvest and the pass
ing of the summer season. It is
period to prepare for winter both
mentally and physically, and to
honor the night and the colder
season approaching. Pagans fol
low the cycles of life, death, and
rebirth, through the "Wheel of
the Year" forming the eight ma
jor holidays. As Wren Walker of
Witchvox.com explains, 'This is
the time of reflection, the time
to honor the Ancients who have
Pue-Gilchrist charged with 348
counts of murder
Daniel Worrall
SPORTS EDITOR
Guilford volleyball star,
Jennifer Pue-Gilchrist pleaded
not guilty before a Greensboro
City Court today on charges of
348 counts of murder. She
faces over 7,000 years of prison
time.
Coach Chuck McCracken,
also facing charges of con
spiracy, was astonished to
learn of the indictment. "She
was one of our best players,"
McCracken said. "No way she
could have done this with all
the time she spends on volley
ball."
Murder is not the only
charge facing Pue-Gilchrist.
She also pleaded not guilty to
121 counts of accessory to mur
der. She spoke to reporters at
the courthouse. "I can't believe
I only killed someone 348 times
...I mean, no comment."
At trial, the prosecutor had
an expert explain Pue-
Gilchrist's favorite method of
killing, the spike. A spike is
leaping up, curling your hand
into a fist-like shape, and club
bing downwards with a high
velocity.
Ghoulfordian^p
gone on before us....As we con
template the Wheel of the Year,
we come to recognize our own
part in the eternal cycle of Life."
Pagans see Samhain as a
strongly spiritual time when
natural forces are at a peak,
since it falls between the autum
nal equinox and the winter sol
stice. Samhain is traditionally
the night when the veil between
the worlds of humans and spir
its are at the thinnest. There
fore, it is a time to honor ances
tors and heritage, and reflect on
the past to gain insight for the
future.
Many set aside Samhain to
contemplate personal connec
tions and feelings concerning
mortality, and to come to terms
with changes and passages. The
links between this world and the
spiritual plane are intense and
the holiday is charged with en
ergy for meditation, visualiza
tion, and even divination. Some
pagans also reflect on their de
sires for the New Year, similar
to making a New Year's resolu
tion.
Modern pagans maintain
traditional customs, including
feasts of the harvest honoring
The expert went on to ex
plain that when she "spiked,"
all those around her looked dis
mayed and often times angry,
but mostly afraid. 'The look she
gets in her eyes as she spikes
it on someone is ferocious. I
can't stand to be near her," said
Jenn Smith, volleyball player
for Elon College.
Other members of our vol
leyball team are also facing
charges. Sophomore A.J.
Robertson is facing charges of
159 murder counts, 491 at
tempted murder counts, and 24
counts of stealing.
Sue Reichel faces 308
charges of aiding and abetting
a felon as she helped dig 308
graves for the people Pue-
Gilchrist and others had killed.
"This is a grave day for our
sports teams," said Athletic Di
rector Mike Ketchum. "Our bas
ketball players are kleptoma
niacs, and our football team is
going up for many cases of as
sault, and let's not even talk
about the rugby team, but 348
cases of murder is unheard of."
Overall, this is a sad day
in Guilford College sports, as
many of our fine athletes will
be spending several generations
doing hard time.
The Guilfordian
those who have passed on or
leaving food and gifts for the spir
its. Many pagans enjoy making
cider, decorating with fall colors,
and recalling memories of loved
ones around feast or bonfire.
Others light candles and ask
for guidance from the knowl
edge of the past. Other festivi
ties are old divination methods
or luck tokens, like bobbing for
apples, roasting nuts in the
fire, or baking small cakes or
pies.
The Grove of Sinann
(www.iol.ie/~sinann) com
ments, "Like all main festivals,
trie ftej.
Amanda Wheeler
FEATUIUS EDITOR
I have procrastinated in
writing an article about how the
real world is scaiy. Frankly, that
scares me. Mooohahahaha.
I am afraid that the real
I world will not include feather boa
I bike rides every evening. Or pina
1 coladaS In the afternoon before
| important meetings about my fu
ture (see picture). I am afraid
that I will not be able to wear a
cape and red-and-white striped
leg warmers whenever I feel like
it. Or dance to Garth Brooks in
nothing but my underwear.
Folks, I'm scared. The real
world is scarier than talking to
Ted Bundy on a ouija board,
messier than ax murder, and
just a plain bad idea. Don't open
that door! Don't answer the
phone! Don't eat that cheese
burger!
Ahhhhhhh!
Reality is chasing you
through that abandoned house
and you - armed with only a
feather boa, a pogo stick, a bro
ken toothpick and a shiny tur
quoise vibrator - must defend
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Noverilber 2, 2001
Samhain is a gateway, a tran
sition from one season to
another....As the Green One
dies and is returned to the earth,
the Goddess, now the dark
crone, mourns Him and all
seems to die. But the bringer of
death is by definition the bringer
of Life. And there is a wilder
ness, a release in Samhain,
which is of great and intense
beauty. It is a time to let go of all
unwanted baggage, attitudes,
etc. as the trees let go of the
year's leaves. Indeed if the trees
did not loose their leaves they
would be a hindrance to growth."
yourself. And chances are you're
not even related to MacGyver.
Nope, not even a little bit.
And reality is the most re
lentless antagonist. It hurts;
avoid it at all costs. Don't invite
it in for cookies. Don't vacation
with it to a famous fancy hotel
in Colorado because it will get
cabin fever and become delu
sional. All work and no play
makes reality dull. All work and
no play makes reality dull. All
work and no play...
,!i (fill
International sign for reality Is scary.