Terror & Revelry — Halloween’s Pagan Precursor | Rites of The Thinning Veil

A history of the ancient Gaelic winter festival of Samhain and its connections to Halloween. This was a time when the veil between our world and the spirit world became thin, allowing supernatural entities, such as fairies, ghosts, and monsters, to roam the land. The ancients went to great lengths to protect themselves from the dark forces believed to be at work in October. This video covers how Samhain was observed/ celebrated, looking at the historical and archeological records of fire rites conducted at the ancient mounds. We will also compare this to similar religious traditions in other parts of Europe. In the latter portion of the video, we will investigate magical practices such as shapeshifting, divination, & witchcraft. Such things would’ve been undertaken at this time, as the intersecting of worlds was thought to grant people better access to spiritual energies, strengthening their work. We will see how all of this may have been the inspiration for our modern holiday characters like werewolves, zombies, witches, as well as the traditions of trick-or-treating and dressing up. What was the spiritual/ philosophical significance of the beginning of winter to the ancients, and how can we learn from their wisdom? 00:00 - Intro 02:22 - Irish Solar Fall Equinox Myth 04:32 - The Veil Between Worlds 08:07 - Samhain Festival 18:50 - The Bon Fire 21:31 - Otherworldly Threats 26:54 - Magical Protection 31:16 - Ancestor Veneration 34:05 - Divination 38:20 - Shamanistic Influences 41:50 - Shapeshifters 44:57 - The Witch 46:56 - Conclusion 50:40 - Outro #samhain #paganism #ancientreligion #irishhistory #celtic #magick #occult Please consider subscribing and sharing the channel. If you’d like to support the show and help me reach the goal of creating content full-time, you can donate through Donorbox (link in bio links section). Share your personal paranormal or spiritual experiences with me to be featured on the show. Email me at: [email protected] or reach me through social media. Contact links in bio.