One of those balancing acts for me is Halloween-as we know it is one of many celebrations that dates back to pagan practices. I've heard much about the dark side of this holiday-my personal thinking is the dark side of any subject lies within the person/persons who would seek the dark side...and not in the concept of a celebration .
If one does not approve, then one simply does not join the crowd.
This is finding and walking your comfort line.
When I think of witches...I don't think of Halloween, pagan rituals or evil beings...I think of all the innocent lives that were taken during the period of burning witches at the stake....closed minds and pre-formed ideas about any issue can often times lead to unspeakable deeds.
My balance for October is taking the good from the mix of all that was so, to bring us to this place in time.
Do you know...Sage ( probably White sage ) was used in rituals during the pagan times...does this mean I won't be using sage in my holiday cooking...I think not :) and I'm growing White sage for a customer in my gardens ( a medicinal variety )
Embrace October, the changing of the seasons, the color, texture, and scents that seem to beckon us into the realm of a time like no other...the Holiday Season~
Bea Rigsby-Kunz
http://www.sagehillfarmsandvintagestore.com
here you will find fresh dried sage for your holiday needs, a fabulous special for the season, and hopefully something that will help your balancing act too.
8 comments:
I've read a couple of books about the witch hunts in 1600 America. Many of those poor women were the healers of the community and weren't able to 'save' someone so they were labeled 'witch'. Kind of makes our malpractice lawsuits pale in comparison.
I planted Russian sage this year but have not actually cooked with it. I'm not a big user of sage in recipes...but I just love to have it growing...must be the pagen in me. :)
I have always loved Halloween and have never given even a fleeting thought to pagan rituals or Salem witch hunts, although I guess I could if I wanted to. Instead, I think about carving pumpkins with different faces every year (which we still do), dressing up in home-made costumes (I was once the scariest witch in town when my husband and I went trick or treating with our daughter one year), trick or treating on crisp autumn nights in safe neighborhoods that were the norm back then, and eating candy corn until I popped.
All that changed, of course, after I grew up, and trick or treat bags had to be microscopically examined for poison and razor blades, and children started receiving nickels and dimes instead of miniature candy bars. When I was a child, I remember getting warm, fresh out of the oven cupcakes at one door. Imagine that. What child wants nickels and dimes instead of candy? Where’s the fun in that? The answer is that there is none, and I feel sorry for the children who have to pretend there is.
Now, of course, trick or treating door to door is considered too risky and has been replaced with visits to shopping malls and/or attending community-sponsored events. I can’t even fathom trick or treating in a shopping mall, but there you have it. It’s not like it used to be, and it never will be again, but it’s better than no Halloween, but even that is questionable. And, if things aren’t bad enough, there are those out there who want to over think it. As with everything else, in their effort to appear politically correct, people in all their weirdness have just become…well, more weird. They don’t need to worry, though, because Halloween has become so boring that it probably won’t be around much longer any way. They can then turn their attention to the evils of the first Thanksgiving.
Jane, you make a very good comparison.
Russian sage is not the best for culinary, it is primarily an ornamental...it can be used in culinary, but the flavor is strong and harsh. Common Garden sage is the best for most recipes. Pineapple is great for drinks/tea/dessert flavorings, etc.
I have Russian growing in the garden sage bed because I love the visual...it is in bloom right now and the purple flowers are just beautiful.
Thanks so much for visiting~
Oh Dottie, I so agree-today's children are held hostage by fears they simply can't grasp and understand...It is a fallout of our times--I remember well when the fear factor presented itself...and the year we started having back-yard events instead of door to door trick-or-treating...I missed them as much as the boys did. It was such a part of our childhood~
Thank you for your comments, right on and much appreciated.
Please visit again~
Bea, you're so cool! You always know how to word things.
"my personal thinking is the dark side of any subject lies within the person/persons who would seek the dark side...and not in the concept of a celebration"
So true! Keep the good thoughts brewing this Halloween and harvest season!
Jane, Russian sage is just the common name of Perovskia atriplicifolia. It really isn't a sage at all, as sage (the culinary varieties (there is more than one) and the ornamental varieties belong to the Salvia family. As Bea said, Russian sage is highly ornamental and an asset to any garden - just don't eat it!
Wow...I'm glad I haven't been eating it! It has pretty much gotten lost amongst the mint and lavender...not sure it had a fighting chance.
Thanks, for keeping me safe...I'll plant pineapple next year!
Jane, I read your last comments but can't get it to publish....thanks and maybe whatever the glitch is will work itself out.
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