Halloween is so fun for so many people.
Wearing costumes and masks, children—as well as adults—can become whoever and whatever they want to be. They can forget themselves: temporarily leaving behind the constraints and shortcomings of being who they think they are or who they are told they should be. They can become totally immersed in identity with their superheroes, celebrities or whatever else they masquerade as.
Not only can they try on new outfits but also new “infits:” they can try on new personas and new ways of being. They can explore and exercise new qualities and powers. The little boy or girl in a lion costume can feel what it’s like to roar—to be the king or queen of the savannah. The Peter Pan lookalike can imagine the joy and freedom of flying—and of never having to grow up. They can all feel what it’s like to be free spirited.
According to Wikipedia and Britannica, Halloween probably originated in ancient Britain and Ireland as part of a Celtic harvest festival celebrated October 31st through November 1st. This period marked the end of the harvest season and the beginning of the darker half of the year, winter. It was considered a liminal time, when the boundary between this world and the otherworld thinned. The Celts believed it the time when the souls of those who had died returned to visit their homes. They also believed that those who had died the previous year journeyed to the otherworld during this time.
People set bonfires on hilltops for relighting their hearth fires for the winter and to frighten away evil spirits. They wore masks to avoid being recognized by the ghosts thought to be present. This is how witches, hobgoblins, faeries, and demons became associated with Halloween.
In the 7th century CE, the Pope established All Saints’ Day on November 1st. All Hallows Eve (known as Halloween today) was celebrated the night before, on October 31st.
As a yogi/yogini, how might you consider Halloween? How can you take it to a new level? For one, you can consider Halloween as a celebration of your Self, Shiva, in all the many forms in which Shiva has manifested! In Swami’s words, from this month’s Teachings Article A Living Temple:
“Shiva is being all that exists, including you…You are a uniquely individualized form of the One Divine Reality [Shiva]…”
We are each in a different body, a different form. With each of these different forms, Shiva is masquerading as you and me and all that exists.
You can also consider Halloween as a celebration of your freedom to become whoever you want to be, or better, to become all that you already are. Take off your mask—take off all your masks! Know and honor your Self, your Divinity, your own Core-Essence.
OK, I admit, you might not fare as well knocking on your neighbor’s door as your Self. You might end up with a trick rather than a treat. Or maybe not. Maybe your neighbor will see you as you really are. It starts with you: first see who you already are.
We hope The Centered Place is a safe haven where you can be your Self. You can let your light shine. You do not have to hide. No need to be afraid. And when you are down, others will shine their light to help relight your hearth. Stand tall (even on the top of a hill) and let your own bonfire shine on the world around you.
“…You are more than who you think you are. There is more to you on the inside than the outside can ever convey. This is yoga’s magic, to make you able to look inside and find who you are at the deepest and most expansive level within. To know your own Self, your Core-Essence, your own Beingness…”
~ Swami Nirmalananda