The mysterious happenings of the month of October!
One always wonders what mysterious things happen in the month of October. Many different stories, such as, do witches really turn into black cats, are black cats bad luck, and what about the carvings in the pumpkins, what do they mean? What are the witches brewing in the cauldrons, and do witches really fly around on brooms during the month of October? There are so many different folklore. Which ones do you want to believe, or not?
These stories basically all started back in the medieval times. The people were scared of their own shadows, and they believed what their parish priest was telling them. Many people lost their lives when they were branded as a witch, vampire or some other creature that they didn’t understand.
Let’s start by talking about the stories of black cats. Cats that are black are, of course, neither lucky nor unlucky. A cat of any color is just a cat, and it cannot influence fortune, unless you believe it can.
However, superstitions persist around black coated cats, even in the modern age. Because of their dark and mysterious appearance, most superstition about black felines would have us believe the cat is malevolent, which is utter nonsense, of course.
Sadly, there are sometimes reports of people being wickedly cruel to these black cats. Often, the feeble excuse given by these people involves a superstition that the black cat had harmful influence over them.
Now, I have a black cat named Percy and he’s the most loving cat I have ever known. I decided to get Percy as a companion for my dog, Dottie, which we had for a year. We did that because she was lonely. I decided to rescue a cat. I contacted the lady that we had rescued our dog from and asked her if she had a dog friendly cat. She sent me a picture of Percy when he was 6 months old. His color, didn’t matter or frighten me. In fact, Percy and Dottie became attached to each other the day we brought him home. She did send me photos of other cats, but when I saw Percy, he stole my heart and has had it ever sense. He has been in our life for almost 10 years. We couldn’t have made a better choice.
Let’s talk about witches, the word Witch actually is derived from the word “Wicca” meaning “Wise One.” Certainly, once considered wise and a knowledgeable resource, witches were then considered to be something to be absolutely feared and avoided. Witches were accused of making people do things they would not normally do; put spells on people, doing the devil’s evil bidding, and being in league with him in some orchestrated plan to destroy mankind.
Cauldrons are a big part of Halloween, as well. One may wonder what a witch’s cauldron is in general. It is a large metal pot or kettle for cooking and/or boiling over an open fire. It has a large mouth and often with an arc-shaped hanger. Traditionally, it was made from cast iron and rests on three legs. Although the cauldron has largely fallen out of use in the industrialized world as a cooking vessel, it is used in witchcraft (witches traditionally prepare their potions in a cauldron).
Now, what about the broom stick? The broom stick was an important fixture in ancient homes throughout Europe. Most homes were made of wood, straw and dirt floors. The only way to keep a home clean was to sweep out the old. One of the earliest forms of the broom is known as the Besom Broom. They were made of twigs tied to a handle. The bristles can be made of various materials such as straw, herbs, or twigs. The shaft is round to represent the branch of a tree. This associates the broom with the Tree of Life which was an important symbol in ancient pagan Europe. Traditionally, a Besom broom is made from hazel wood and the bristles are birch twigs. These brooms were often found just inside a dwelling. They hang with bristles up to ward off evil spirits, negative energies, and to protect the home and all who dwell within it. It could also be found hanging over a door with the bristles facing in the direction of opening of the door. But for Halloween, the broomstick is used by the witch to travel the night skies.
Have you ever wondered where a carved pumpkin or a jack-o-lantern comes from? They are a carved out of a pumpkin or turnip. It is associated mainly with the holiday of Halloween. It was named after the phenomenon of strange lights flickering over peat bogs, called will-o-the-wisp or jack-o’-lanterns. In a jack-o’-lantern, the top is cut off to form a lid, and the inside flesh is then scooped out. The image is usually a monstrous face carved out of the pumpkin’s rind to expose the hollow interior. (They do this to ward of the evil spirits) To create the lantern effect, a light source is placed within the pumpkin and then the lid is replaced on top. This is traditionally a flame or electric candle, although pumpkin lights featuring various colors and flickering effects are also marketed specifically for this purpose. It is common to see jack-o’-lanterns on doorsteps and otherwise used as decorations during Halloween. They do this to ward off the evil spirits. Jack-o-lanterns are still used on the day of Halloween and what is considered All Saints Days.
All this being said, one still wonders if there could really be a witch flying around on her broomstick at night during the month of October. It’s possible you just might catch a glimpse out of the corner of your eye. That black cat that just walked in front of you, perhaps may have turned itself into a witch! Maybe those strange smells you are smelling are witches hunched over slowly brewing their potions for mysterious uses, in their well-used copper cauldrons. We shall never really know, will we? We still can be child- like and enjoy Halloween and believe in mysterious things. One never knows for sure, for that is the mysterious part of the month of October, isn’t it?
Candice Potter expresses the abilities of clairvoyance, clairsentience, claircognizance, clairgustance, clairscent and an empath, which have been with her all of her life. Her spiritual growth has led her toward the Archangels, Angel Cards, God, meditation, and enjoying Nature. Candice is often shown flowers or songs as messages when she is around a person. Candice states, “I have had the privilege of being a student of Belle Salisbury and am now spreading my wings toward my own spiritual path.”Views:]]>
