KENT: The tricks and treats of Halloween have been an American tradition since the turn of the 19th century, but for some, Oct. 31 is one of the most meditative days of the year.
While many dress up in costumes and head to parties, pagans celebrate Samhain, a holiday marking the end of the harvest season and what many witches and Wiccans consider their new year. Samhain, pronounced “sow-in,” is typically recognized from sunset on Oct. 31 to sunset on Nov. 1.
When Samhain falls on a weekday, many pagans hold a ritual the weekend before.
On Saturday, about 25 witches from the Northeast Ohio Spirit of the Earth Circle gathered for their annual ritual at the Roy H. Smith Shelter House, an old jailhouse now used for recreational purposes tucked back in the trees at Fred Fuller Park in Kent.
Pagans say that during the rituals they communicate with the dead to honor their deities and ancestors.
“During Samhain, the boundary between our world and the spirit world becomes thin,” said Robin Harper, the high priestess and founder of the group.
Pagan witches practice herbal and gemstone magic they incorporate into rituals. The religion is based heavily in nature, so they use different herbs and stones for love, healing and other powers.
Paganism has roots in many different cultures, so Samhain rituals vary depending on who leads them. Harper, a Norse witch, led the ritual Saturday while the other priestesses in the group, Adrienne Arrington and Patti Hedrick, took on other roles.
One by one, witches dressed mostly in black cloaks lined up to circle around an alter decorated with candles, goblets and skulls.
A light drumbeat pulsed through the dark room as Arrington, an Akronite, pointed a dull sword at each person and asked, “How do you honor this circle?”
After they said, “With perfect love and perfect trust,” each person was quickly cleansed with incense and water before being allowed into the circle.
Once everyone entered, Harper delivered opening remarks and Hedrick lit three candles: one to set fire to the problems of the past, one to illuminate the good things of the present and one to light the way to the future.
“Samhain is also a time of transition,” Hedrick said.
Then, each witch lit his and her own candles in remembrance of loved ones and placed them next to the alter before they began their feast.
“Don’t let this time of year scare you,” Harper said. “Learn to embrace it, learn to understand it.”
Some witches are offended by the way Hollywood portrays them and their holiday, but Arrington said she’s moved past it. She, along with many other witches in the group, lets her child participate in typical Halloween traditions while she does things more in line with her own beliefs that day, like leaving food out for spirits and praying at sunset.
“When I first started, the rule is I had to be offended by everything,” Arrington said. “Santa is very much a pop culture thing, and a Halloween witch is the same way. We’re never going to outrun it. It’ll always be part of our culture.”
Many witches in the group agree their image in the media is simply a stereotype.
“We’re not green and gobliny,” Harper said, pointing out many in the group who are PTA moms, nurses and business owners.
Nearly everything related to Halloween has pagan ties, from the jack-o’-lanterns once used to ward off evil spirits to the costumes used for better communication with the dead during rituals.
But for pagan witches, the tale of lingering spirits this time of year is more than a Halloween trick.
Hedrick and Harper, who live together in Brecksville, say they often experience slamming doors, falling dishes and strange animal behavior this time of year.
“Our house is like one big portal,” Harper said.
“You just roll with it,” Hedrick added.
They say signs of spirits even crept into the shelter house Saturday night. During their feast, Hedrick snuffed out all the candles, but one relit. They decided to keep it burning the remainder of their time there.
Harper said she didn’t have the guts to tell the spirits when to go home.
Theresa Cottom can be reached at 330-996-3216 or tcottom@thebeaconjournal.com. Follow her on Twitter @Theresa_Cottom .