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By
Caryl Matrisciana
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For
the fanciful child, it's a dream come true to dress up as a favorite
literary character or fairy-tale heroine on Halloween. On one day of
the year, children are permitted to indulge their fantasies – both
costume and candy – and the streets are filled with small Snow
Whites, witches and goblins. But why do we celebrate this "child's"
holiday called Halloween?
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Benign
as it may now seem to most Americans, Halloween has its roots in
ancient, occult religious practices. Donning costumes, playing
"trick-or-treat" and displaying jack-o'-lanterns are all
carry-overs of pagan traditions. And though our contemporary society
would have us believe it is not so, pagan practices – including
darker occult rituals – still occur today.
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Halloween
is a holy day for pagans. This Celtic "new-year's day,"
known to druids as "Samhaine," is celebrated on Oct. 31.
Members of the Wiccan religion – a federally recognized,
tax-exempt faith – and Satanists hold the day in the highest
regard, performing special, often macabre ceremonies at the midnight
hour. According to Paddy Slade's "Encyclopedia of White Magic:
A seasonal guide," "At Samhaine the veil between our world
and the Otherworld is thinnest, and it is thought to be the best
time to attract those who have gone before."
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Recognizing
the evil behind these pagan "celebrations" of communion
with nature and spirits, the Catholic Church moved its All Saints
Day from May to Nov. 1. The day was set aside to honor marytred
Christians. Protestants soon followed, but the occult symbols and
practices of Samhaine are still dominant.
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So
what's a parent to do with Halloween? Before making a decision to
"go along with the crowd" and celebrate this pagan holiday,
I suggest you get informed. As one who was personally involved in
the occult, and as a documentary filmmaker, I partnered with Cutting
Edge Films to create "Halloween: Trick or treat?" The film
uses actual footage of pagan rituals – not recreations – and
comments from currently practicing druids and witches to explore
Halloween's origins. It explains the pagan symbolism of
trick-or-treating and jack-o'-lanterns, as well as other seemingly
harmless "harvest" fun.
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In
a disturbing yet eye-opening interview included in the video, a
former Satanist tells of his experience growing up in a Satanic
coven. Now a committed Christian, the gentleman recalls a childhood
of fear and sexual abuse. At age 11, he participated in a
Halloween-night ceremony in which a young girl was sacrificed on an
altar and her blood shared by adult participants. As an adult,
Halloween and its "symbols of death," he says, bring back
memories of abuse and horrible images.
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This
kind of experience is repeated year after year. As a sergeant at the
Baldwin Park Police Department in Southern California and a British
Parliament member point out, frightening, murderous Satanic
practices take place around the world every Halloween. And yet the
public dismisses reports of their occurrence, refusing to believe
the holiday is anything more than child's play.
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Society
has become so desensitized to the occult and its high holiday of
Halloween that it has even embraced a remarkably graphic and
accurate children's literary series on the subject. The Harry Potter
phenomenon, begun by series author J.K. Rowling of Great Britain,
has spread like wildfire. Halloween is a significant day in the
series, which is set in Great Britain.
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Young
Harry's parents, a witch and wizard renowned for their skill in the
craft, were killed on Halloween by the evil sorcerer Voldemort when
Harry was just a baby. On attempting to kill the infant, Voldemort
was able only to leave a lightning-bolt shaped scar on the boy's
forehead. Having survived the murderous plot, Harry's scar is a
badge of honor in the wizarding world. And at age 11, he sets off to
attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry – his parent's
alma mater.
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Potter
fans dismiss claims that the fictional boy's parents were killed on
Halloween, saying the book refers only to "Bonfire Night."
However, those familiar with British customs understand the
reference and can easily deduce the date of the Potters' deaths.
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At
the opening of book one of the seven-part series (four of which have
already been published), the wizard world buzzes with the news of
the Potters' deaths. As a result, strange happenings are observed by
non-wizard people, known as "Muggles." The phenomenon is
explained away by a Muggle weatherman: "People have been
celebrating Bonfire Night early – it's not until next week, folks."
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Bonfire
Night, also known as Guy Fawkes Night, merges in Britain with the
celebration of Halloween. Bonfire Night takes place on Nov. 5 –
one week after Americas' Halloween. (Surely not by coincidence, Nov.
5 is also the royal-premier date of Warner Bros.' Harry Potter movie
in Great Britain.)
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"But
it's just harmless fantasy," say Potter fans – the same
justification used by people, including Christians, who celebrate
Halloween. But as I touched on above, and as "Halloween: Trick
or treat?" explains more thoroughly, Halloween's "harmless
fun" is actually a remnant of occult practices that are still
in use today.
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The
world of sorcery and spells to which Harry Potter belongs is
idealized in the book series. As seen in the media and various
Internet chat rooms, many children who read the Harry Potter books
long to attend Hogwarts, expressing their desire to learn witchcraft
and wizardry. But are parents truly aware of the sinister – yes,
even evil – characters of Harry's world?
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In
book two, "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets,"
17-year-old student Tom Riddle (who is now the grown-up Voldemort)
tells Harry about 11-year-old Ginny Weasley. The girl has been
possessed by Voldemort out of his selfish desires to own her soul
and body. Says Voldemort:
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She
opened her heart and spilled all her secrets to an invisible
stranger … telling me all her pitiful worries and woes ... I was
patient ... sympathetic ... kind. ... Ginny simply loved me. ... I
have always been able to charm the people I needed. So Ginny poured
out her soul to me, and her soul happened to be exactly what I
wanted. ... I grew stronger and stronger on a diet of her deepest
fears, her darkest secrets. I grew powerful, far more powerful than
little Miss Weasley. Powerful enough to start feeding Miss Weasley a
few of my secrets, to start pouring a little of my soul back into
her ...
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After
the possession, Ginny wrote in her diary "I think I'm losing my
memory. There are rooster feathers all over my robes and I don't
know how they got there ... I can't remember what I did on the night
of Halloween, but a cat was attacked ... There was another attack
today and I don't know where I was ... I think I am going mad ... I
think I am the one attacking everyone ..."
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And
she was. On Halloween, and under the possession of Voldemort, Ginny
slaughtered the school rooster and saw to the killing of the cat. Of
course, this is classic demon possession shown through a little
11-year-old's random and vicious behavior. She looses her memory,
kills under the control of a spirit's instructions, showers her
affections and loyalties to the evil Voldemort through her writings,
emotions, imaginations, etc.
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And
we let our children read this for entertainment?
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Though
Harry Potter fans say the series is only harmless fantasy, and
though Halloween is seen merely as a child's holiday, there is a
darker side to both. I urge you to tune out the pressures of friends
and neighbors, forget for the moment about school parties and
costume selection, set aside your preconceived notions about people
who condemn Halloween, and honestly examine the issue for yourself.
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Reproduced
with permission from WorldNetDaily.
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Related
Links:
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The
Dark Side Of Halloween - WorldNetDaily.com
Halloween
- Koinonia House
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