Halloween is a mainstay of American tradition, cemented by its position on our calendars as a national, annual holiday. We’ve all grown up with Halloween as part of the backdrop of yearly Autumn festivities; therefore, we all have myriad memories of the holiday painted forever in the colorful tapestry of our individual and collective consciousness.
But Halloween – like all of our holidays – contains a mysterious element, in its own case hinted at over and over by the dark and dreary nature of the classic Halloween images, characters, folklore and activities.
Matters of Spirit
As a student of spirituality and esoterica, I have long known about the strange history of many of the other holidays (every single holiday packs some amazing secrets!), about which I’ll certainly be writing as time unfolds. I understand that Halloween, as the ‘dark holiday’, loosely represents the latter part of good and evil (the most fundamental elements within the backstory of life). And because our dark holiday falls within the dark part of the year – Autumn (the season within which the Sun is – much like the birds – ‘flying south’ for the winter!), it does seem fitting in that regard.
But Halloween has always made me a little uncomfortable – at least since I reached adulthood. “A celebration of the macabre?”, I’ve thought so many times. “Really, people?”
Although I recognize the esoteric aspects of the holiday, it never felt right for me to see it actively celebrated by one and all, and with such fervor, year after year. It’s this repetitive fervor which has never let my curiosity sleep in regard to this time of the year. For decades I have wondered about the deeper history of Halloween, quietly interested in what started it all, and patiently awaiting more backstory.
Multi-Cultural Festivities
Another thing I noticed over the long years of life is that ‘Americans’ aren’t the only culture to celebrate a dark holiday during this season. The Mexican Day of the Dead (el Día de los Muertos) is a perfect example, focusing completely on those who have shuffled off this mortal coil (just as Halloween focuses on the dead, as ghosts, phantoms, zombies, etc.). But I was absolutely shocked to my core when I learned that the Mexican Day of the Dead is celebrated between October 31st through November 2nd! And this festival has probably been celebrated for centuries – if not millennia – with the still-extant iconography of Quetzalcoatl handing out treats to young children!
In Northern Europe, festivals like Samhain – what appears to us as the Gaelic version of Halloween – is celebrated on November 1st, beginning on the evening of October 31st. Hop-tu-Naa is the Irish ‘version’, celebrated on the evening of October 31st. Iconography of witches flying on broomsticks could be seen painted on turnips, for instance. In Wales it’s called Calan Gaeaf, and in England its known as ‘All Saints Day’ (Allantide in Cornwall, aka Hollantide which is stated by some as the probable origins of the name Halloween). It was also known in some areas as Mischief Night, Devil's Night, Gate Night, Goosey Night, Moving Night, Cabbage Night, Mystery Night, Mat Night, etc.
Some version of this holiday/festival is celebrated at all corners of the world, in areas as far removed as Cambodia, Korea, Madagascar, Mexico, Ecuador, Brazil, Australia, China and more. And they are almost all celebrated on October 31st.
What exactly is going on here?!?
Deeper History
I have long theorized that all of these festivities around the world stem from a singular source/idea, far back in time. Coincidence, after all, cannot possibly be strained to that extreme of a degree (without breaking and becoming something far more than coincidence).
I was immensely relieved and rewarded when I stumbled upon a Youtube video on the subject, by Randall Carlson. I’ve been following Carlson for some time, in regard to his other content (modern interpretations of ancient high-technology). In this two-year-old video, Calson first outlines much of what I have already covered here (much of which I already knew from my own past research). As he continues to reach further and further back in time, however, a deeper connotation begins to emerge little by little – not only about a singular source/idea but about a singular event.
It is here that you might be wondering how a singular event in prehistory could be referenced in similar ways by cultures around the globe? There are only two possibilities: 1) global communication and/or travel in prehistoric times, and/or 2) the singular event in question had a global impact (Carlson references only the latter, but I submit here that both theories are valid, IMHO, based on my own research).
Impact Theory (Noah’s Flood)
I’ll now relieve all suspense, and divulge the core of Carlson’s message: that thousands of years ago, one or more meteors hit the Earth and caused severe and cataclysmic damage around the globe. This is, of course, what is referred to by Christians as the great flood of Noah.
In my own book Doomsday (which I wrote over a decade ago, and which you can download here for free using coupon code 1Freebie) I provide multiple literary and cultural references to that event, which many scientists refer to as the Younger Dryas impact hypothesis. I also outline just how devastating such an event could/would have been, with one or more oceanic impacts causing tsunamis hundreds of feet high, thousands of miles wide, hitting every shore on Earth; and with simultaneous impacts on land causing dust clouds of such magnitude that they blocked out the Sun for many years.
But although I referenced many, many connections around the world to this singular event, I failed to make the connection of this event with Halloween. It is for this reason that I was so satisfied with Randall Carson’s video, with his analysis laid out in such a conclusive and highly convincing way.
In short, Halloween is a reenactment of this terrifying, global cataclysm, with all the ghosts and specters representing the untold millions of souls who were lost in the unimaginable destruction (most of the global population was lost, it appears). Those were the victims. On the flip side, the demons, goblins, vampires and other various monsters represent the meteors that caused all the death and destruction.
Other Sources
William Gleeson, an Australian author, presents a fascinating read on his website (links are at the end of this blog), relating many ‘alternate’ additions to human history. One such addition relates Carlson’s hypothesis that King Arthur’s sword Excalibur is a symbol of one of those meteors which struck the Earth. The word Excalibur comes from a Welsh word meaning hard/breach/cleft. This indicates that Excalibur was a hard object made of iron which breached the atmosphere and cleft the world in two. I’m assuming it also refers to the metaphorical double-edged sword that is royalty in general, and the corrupting influence of power (modern royalty is all about power and materialism, while King Arthur represents someone trying to do right by the world).
Douglas Vogt, another excellent author, presents a twist on the impact theory by suggesting that the Solar System experienced a micronova of the Sun 12,000 years ago. Whereas as supernova is a total explosion of a star, a micronova is a partial explosion within which only the dust-shell (the surface) is ejected, leaving the star healthy and intact. The inner planets, however, are showered by the debris from the ejection, which is absolutely catastrophic for planetary surfaces (think myriad meteorites, hitting many different parts of the Earth within a few hours of each other).
But getting back to Randall Carlson’s video, we can see some interesting parallels to the constellation of Taurus. According to Carlson, the meteorites which hit the Earth originated from the Taurid meteor stream, which is a periodic group of meteorites that cross the Earth’s path once per year. The timing for their annual crossing is during Halloween.
Carlson also relates that the situation was much more dangerous in those past times, because the travel paths of the Earth and the Taurid stream were apparently closer together than they are now, with ‘fireball events’ being reported more often than today (a fireball, in this context, would be a meteorite flying as a blazing inferno due to the superheating effects of its superfast speed as it travels through the Earth’s atmosphere, usually burning up or exploding before impact). However, he also reminds us of the 1908 Tunguska event, in which a meteorite apparently exploded over a remote area of Siberia, flattening 500,000 square miles of forest (!).
Festival of Lights
Diwali, aka the Festival of Lights, is a holiday in India celebrated on October 31st. Millions of candles, lanterns and oil lamps are lit and placed literally everywhere, creating a truly beautiful spectacle. The modern interpretation of Diwali varies according to the locality and associated religion; but one of the interpretations is a remembrance of one's ancestors. I've wondered for years about the origins not only of the creepy Halloween-associated holidays, but also the many festivals of lights around the world. The date of October 31st, along with the association with the remembrance of our ancestors says it all: like Halloween, the Festival of Lights is a commemoration of the millions of souls that were lost in the great cataclysm (each light presumably representing one lost soul)!
I think the Festival of Lights is the most beautiful 'version' of the global October 31st festivities, as it focuses on the positive with myriad beautiful lights, dancing, music, good food, etc. Certainly much more positive than a focus on the macabre!
But it cannot be denied that all these myriad festivities illustrate a singular important connection: thousands of years ago, nearly all of humanity was decimated in a worldwide cataclysm, which wiped out a majority of the global population.
My Point?
My point is not to be a fearmonger and a fatalist, but to simply remind people that history – and all of life – is far richer than we usually think. Too often we modern Westerners take our current luxury for granted, and even worse is that we often do so with a hum-drum attitude. We are so very fortunate to have all the amazing amenities and conveniences that are so typical with the American lifestyle, and we should always be grateful for all that we’ve been given.
And that includes time. We all know that our time on Earth is limited – but let us rejoice that we have any time here at all, and that so much of that time we’ve spent here has been enjoyed in relative comfort (especially compared to our ancient ancestors who trudged and suffered through life in the deep, grungy past).
And whether or not some catastrophic event is awaiting us all in the future, we should always live each day as if we were on borrowed time, thankful for every second we have to learn and grow as individuals; and thankful for every breath we draw which keeps us alive, awake and aware.
With the Halloween tradition, the ancients are telling us not only their own story, but the story of life. And although this particular story is certainly a cautionary tale, those of us with a modicum of wisdom can take such stories – as dark as they appear – as a gift, extracting ever more wisdom out of every word and phrase; and out of that ever-growing wisdom build our own castles in/of our minds, souls and spirits!
And with war continually looming in the East, we are reminded of similar dark themes of destruction; and we should remember to hope for the best, while preparing for the worst. And this season, when we spot a little one in witch, vampire or ghostly garb, let us briefly recall those stories and lessons from the past, and celebrate the fact that – at least during this moment – we are alive and well!
Links:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ucn175R8WgY&t=3572s
randallcarlson.com
dieholdfoundation.com
WilliamGleeson