LATE SUMMER

Samhain means 'summers end' and is followed by the start of Winter. This year the festival of Samhain is on 7th November.   

The ancients knew a three season year, spring, summer and winter.

I have no idea who is to blame for introducing the idea of an autumn to Ireland.

The grass is still growing and this will continue until the daylight temperature drops to below 10 degrees Centigrade.

Today the temperature is slightly over 14 degrees which means that Heron will have get the mower out of the shed and tidy up the garden. He might also cut a few newly grown nettles for Mrs H’s promised veggie stew.

So it being bright and sunny I took a few photos for you to view.

Our road still green

Ripe Blackberries

The Fuchsia still in bloom

Dancing ladies :)

Yellow Rose

The old Red Rose

Small yellow bloom ?

Just like the plant above the label fell off

and I have no idea what they are called :)

Almost end of Summer

The end of Summer is but a few days away November 5th/6th and it will be Samhain, it seems that nobody has told the Calendula or the Roses to stop flowering.

This red bush beyond the arch brightens the day. I have no idea

what it's name is.

The Calendula has jumped out of the planter

and looks to be very healthy

This delightful lady never ceases to bloom

Orange berries send me their name please ?

Just to the left of the picture is an Oak whose seed was germinated

by Colm Mac Con Iomaire a few years ago when he was recording at studio in France.

A certain  German silversmith whose name I shall not metion nearly killed it when using my strimmer, fortunately it recovered!

This blog will be exceptionally quiet for awhile. For am busily engaged writing a book for my Grandson Ollie who was four the other day and has now left his babyhood behind him.

Ollie at 4

31st October HALLOWE'EN

Today the 31st October is known as Hallowe'en which is a religious festival that is celebrated differently by christians, wicca-folk and lots of young people.

For the christians Hallowe'en is properly known as All Hallows Day or All Saints Eve and tomorrow, 1st November, is All Saints Day. The wicca folk interpret it differently calling it a Witches' Sabbat and their activities are many and varied. 
For young people it is a night of bonfires, fireworks, dressing up in a variety of costumes and calling to neighbours in the hope of receiving a gift of sweets or money.

Among the things it is not the ancient festival of SAMHAIN,nor is it the end of summer or even the pagan new year. These misconceptions were brought about mainly by ignorance and the adjustment of the calendars.

So here is web site that shows the various dates for pagan rituals and explains how they are calculated.
http://www.archaeoastronomy.com/2013.html

The calendar in English and Irish

January......Eanáir

February.....Feabhra

March........Márta

Aibreán......April

May..........Bealtaine

June.........Meitheamh

July.........Iúil

August.......Lúnasa

September....Meán Fómhair

October......Deireadh Fómhair

November.....Samhain

December.....Nollaig 

As can be seen above three of the four names of the cross quarter days are also months of the year and Imbolc is missing.  
Also, the current month names in Irish are a mixture of Irish and obviously Latin-derivations; there weren’t specific month names in Old Irish, more seasonal divisions.