October Magick

October Magick
By Raven Grimassi From "2001 Llewellyn's Witch's Calendar

October is the month of shadows; the time when the veil between the worlds thins; when the doorway to and from the Otherworld opens and the past merges with the present. There are two themes in Witchcraft commonly associated with October. The first is the return of the dead. The second theme is that of the labyrinth - the journey between the worlds. The symbol of the spiral is linked to each of these themes.

The word labyrinth is derived from the Greek word labyrinths and the Latin word labyrinths. As a maze-like structure, the labyrinth symbolizes the path of initiation and enlightenment, and is associated with the journey of the Sun through the seasons. The Sun's withering light and heat in winter, and its return to full strength in the spring, link it to themes of reincarnation.

The labyrinth is associated with the Great Mother goddess as a symbol of penetrating the mysteries concealed in her womb. Traditionally, the structure of the labyrinth is presided over by a woman, and a man traverses the pathways. At the center of the maze stands the lord of the labyrinth who is also known as the judge of the dead. Here lie the mysteries of descent into the Underworld, the return of the soul to the Great Goddess, and its rebirth through the womb gate to the world of the
Sun.

The complex evolution of the spiral design associated with the labyrinth is likewise a sign of passage, a symbol of transformation. Spirals appear in ancient Neolithic tomb art from southern to northern Europe. In Neolithic times the spiral was a symbol of death and trance, the inner journey to the center of one's being.

The Spiral Dance

In some Witchcraft traditions there is a ceremonial dance known as the Spiral Dance. A number of people join together to form a spiral in this special dance. As the dance commences everyone is lead counterclockwise into an inward spiral. This is symbolic of the journey of the soul into the Underworld where the dark aspect of the Great Goddess awaits. Once encountered, the Goddess is seen in her light aspect in which she renews life. The dancers then expand outward in a clockwise spiral. The outward
spiral is symbolic of the return to life from the Underworld.

The meeting between the Underworld and the realm of the living is central to October - the month of the shadows - in the practices and beliefs of modern Wicca and Witchcraft. In Celtic Wicca this is the time of Samhain, and in Italian Witchcraft is called Shadowfest. Both cultural rituals focus on reunion with those who have gone before. The journey is not only related to those who cross back into the world of the living, but also allows us to reach through to the Otherworld and embrace the ancestral current. Food offerings were given to honor the dead through a feast of remembrance. Beans (particularly fava beans) were time-honored offerings to the dead.

Honoring the Ancestors

In Neolithic times the common dwelling had no doors, only a hole in the roof. A ladder allowed passage to and from the structure. In primitive belief both the living and the dead entered and exited the dwelling through the hole in the roof. From this evolved the chimney and the hearth connection to ancestor reverence. Shrines were often placed over the hearth, and later stockings were hung there for their symbolic link
to weaving. Weaving is the domain of the fates, who themselves are associated with life and death. To place a stocking on the hearth is to invoke the ancestral spirit.

In Italy stockings are hung for Befana, who is the gift-giver Witch figure in Italian lore. She fills the stockings with fruit, nuts, and gifts for the children. This is an exchange of offerings, a covenant between the ancestral spirit (Befana) and the new generation (the children). In Tuscan lore Befana is one of the three fates along with Rododesa and Maratega. In the occult tradition of Italy, Befana is the personification of the ancestral spirit, just as the Lare, Clan spirits, once represented this concept in ancient Roman religion.

The belief that one's ancestors live on as spirits is rooted in the Neolithic cult of the dead. Ancestral shrines were often oriented to the east or west quarter, the region in which the Sun and moon rise from the Underworld and set again, returning each day in an endless cycle. Offerings were placed there in order to maintain peace between the living and the dead. In modern times sending flowers to the family of the departed has replaced the ancient act of laying offerings. The traditional meal held at the wake now serves as the offering of food to the dead.