Shadow Of Samhain
by Dawn Colclasure
Genre: Dark Fantasy, New Adult
Formats
Available In: All eBook formats and Print
Release
Date: October 2013
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She called him the “dark man.”
Who is Jonathan, a man haunting Malissa Ratham’s dreams? What sort of secrets from his past does he try to keep buried? Everybody says the dreams are only dreams and nothing more. But soon Malissa starts acting strangely, knowing about ancient Druidic rituals and a history too mysterious to unearth. With the help of Jovin, an ancient Druidic spirit on a mission to stop Jonathan from his path of death and destruction, and Tessie Malkin, a psychic with an advantage over Jonathan’s power, Malissa must owe up to her past and walk between worlds to destroy an ancient curse…
…before it is too late
Samhain and the Veil Between the Living and the Dead
By Dawn Colclasure
Halloween is on October 31st, but the day after
Halloween, November 1st, is what used to be known as “Samhain.”
Those who follow the old ways still observe Samhain, which begins at sundown on
October 31st and ends at sundown on November 1st. This particular
day of the year was Christianized as All Soul’s Day, but that has not changed
its significance to the year – nor has it taken away what Samhain really means.
According to ancient tradition, Samhain was a day celebrated
to mark the beginning of winter. For some, like the Druids, it was the
beginning of a new year. The four seasonal observations were Winter: Samhain,
Spring: Imbolc, Summer: Beltane and Fall: Lugnasadh. Some people in ancient Gaul, the Celts, some
of the Irish and those who are Wiccan observe these special days, as well as
the Neo-Druids of today. Samhain is st. You never know who
just may visit your home on the one night of the year the veil between the
living and the dead is so thin that the dead are known to walk among us as we
trick-or-treat.
In my novel, Shadow of
Samhain, my Druid character, Jonathan, was slain after murdering a Druid
priest and his family. His revenge was cursing every Druidic descendant born of
Samhain, the Druid new year. It seems appropriate that he cursed every
descendant born on such a powerful day, where in death, his power would be at
its strongest.
Many superstitions and traditions are associated with
Samhain. These are usually tied to ancient beliefs about Samhain, a day when
the dead can walk among the living. When next you observe Samhain, don’t forget
to leave a meal on your table at night or bake soul cakes as gifts for the
dead. Don’t let this day pass you by without taking the time to honor those who
have crossed over, for even as they no longer live in a physical body, they
will be sure to visit our physical world in spirit.
Recipe for a soul cake: http://paganwiccan.about.com/od/samhaincooking/ht/Soul_cake.htm
About Dawn Colclasure:Dawn Colclasure is the author of five books, among them BURNING THE MIDNIGHT OIL: How We Survive as Writing Parents and 365 TIPS FOR WRITERS: Inspiration, Writing Prompts and Beat The Block Tips to Turbo Charge Your Creativity. Her articles, essays, poems, book reviews and short stories have been published in regional and national newspapers and magazines, as well as online. She lives and writes in Oregon with her husband and children.
Thank you so much for hosting me,. :) I made in a goof in this post: I incorrectly noted that November 1st was Christianized as All Souls Day. That is not correct. November 1st is All Saints Day and November 2nd is All Souls Day. I had a "duh moment" when I wrote that. Whoops! Good luck with your writing.
ReplyDeleteHi Mysti, good to trace you.
ReplyDeleteWhat a spooky tale by Dawn. Good luck and Best wishes.