Different
points in the turning year may be understood as corresponding with
different stages of our lives – which may help us to make some
sense of our life experiences, and to go onwards more cheerfully and
trustingly. All
Hallows' Eve, traditionally celebrated on 31st
October in the Northern Hemisphere (30th
April in the Southern Hemisphere) is the old date for the beginning
of the new year, marked by a three day festival. This is the third
and final harvest – the harvest of nuts, herbs (a last opportunity
to dry them for use through the winter) and of meat – cattle and
sheep were brought back down from their summer pastures, and some
were killed and laid down for eating during the winter. The three
day festival also used to be known as the Time of No Time, when order
and structure were set aside and good-willed chaos could reign. It is
a time of transition, as Summer has ended and Winter approaches.
Often it is also a time of the
Dark Moon - when no sunlight is being reflected from the moon. Some believe that during this time our
mortal sight is obscured, enabling us to glimpse beyond what
is immediate, and gain new insights into the nature of life. It
is also a time when the spirits of our loved ones who have died are
honoured, and we give thanks for their wisdom and for the spiritual
legacies we have received from them.
The
short responsive liturgy, below, is appropriate for use by any group
of people, especially before sharing a meal together: ask
everyone to bring something to share. If possible, sit in a circle.
You will need a candle for each person present (night lights are
good), matches to light them, and a broom. Please
exercise common sense when lighting candles, and ensure there is no
risk of fire. Everyone is invited to join in saying the words
in bold type. There
may be one leader to say the biddings, you can take it in turns, or
simply share the reading as is best for your group.
The
liturgies, celebrations, ceremonies, prayers, and reflections offered
on this blog are the result of my thoughts, reflections, and
experiences, woven together using my own words and sometimes adapting
the words others have used: I am indebted to their wisdom. Please use
these liturgies freely, altering them as suits your own context. I am
always pleased to hear from people who have used them.
The
Gathering and Thanksgiving:
Welcome
to you all, as we gather today to celebrate All Hallows' Eve.
We
offer thanks for the arrival of this hallowed season,
for
the remembrance of those who have died,
and
for the opportunity to open our selves to the mysteries of life &
death:
We
offer thanks.
For
all the many changes we have lived through,
for
all the endings and beginnings, the losses and the gains,
the
order and disorder, the departures and the returns:
We
offer thanks.
For
all the people, the creatures, the situations, and the settings,
that
we have learnt from, and for all the opportunities we have
to
pass on our learning open-heartedly:
We
offer thanks.
For
our families, friends, and loved ones:
We
offer thanks.
For
the pains and joys of love and loss:
We
offer thanks.
For
the transformation of sorrow into joy, of tears into laughter:
We
offer thanks.
And
that the veil is thin between the visible and the invisible:
We
offer thanks.
The
Remembrance:
A
few moments of quiet are kept, to think of our loved ones who have
died,
grateful
for all they gave us, all we learnt from them,
and
all our happy memories of them...
Death
is part of life, and nothing real is ever truly lost:
Even
in deep darkness, still there is light.
Everyone
present lights a candle in remembrance and thanksgiving.
The
Sweeping Away:
All
of us carry with us things that are best left behind:
We
burden ourselves with old habits, past quarrels,
broken
trust, chosen wrongs, memories of being treated badly,
low
self-esteem, accretions of negativity.
But
now we can sweep away from our selves
everything
we need to release from our lives;
we
can sweep away the dust and ashes of the past
and
step forward into a new beginning.
A
broom is passed from hand to hand
and
used to sweep outwards and away, each person saying:
I
sweep away the dust and ashes of the past,
and
I step forward into a new beginning.
The
Sharing of Peace:
Every
day, every moment, is a new opportunity to begin again,
to
align our selves more nearly to becoming the people we are born to
be,
and
to share love and light with others.
We
have filled our world with trouble & sorrow,
even
though all around us is beauty and glory.
We
have brought chaos, but wish to bring peace.
In
the sure and certain hope that all things can be transformed,
we
now share with each other a sign of peace, saying to one another
Peace
be with you:
Peace
be with you.
The
Closing:
The
summer is over:
The
harvest is ended, and we give thanks for its bounty!
The
dark and cold of winter wait for us as the earth turns:
But
spring will come again!
In
food, in friendship, in life, in death, and in all seasons:
We
will rejoice!
The
candles are now extinguished
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