Of Ghost and Witches

Halloween seems to become increasingly popular every year. When I was in private practice we had a list of twelve holidays which were regularly rotated between parents and while that list has officially not changed it has been bombarded by parents wanting to add a lucky 13th holiday - Halloween.

History of Halloween. Halloween's origins date back to the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain (pronounced sow-in). The Celts, who lived 2,000 years ago in the area that is now Ireland, the United Kingdom, and northern France, celebrated their new year on November 1. This day marked the end of summer and the harvest and the beginning of the dark, cold winter, a time of year that was often associated with human death. Celts believed that on the night before the new year, the boundary between the worlds of the living and the dead became blurred. On the night of October 31, they celebrated Samhain, when it was believed that the ghosts of the dead returned to earth. The Celts thought that the presence of the otherworldly spirits made it easier for the Druids, or Celtic priests, to make predictions about the future.

Truth is stranger than Fiction. Before chastising the ancient Celts for such silly beliefs, we should remember an even earlier time reported in I Samuel 28. We are there told that Israel's King Saul went to visit a witch in Endor. He wanted the witch to bring up the ghost of Samuel which she did. Samuel's ghost tells Saul his future - that because he abandoned God, he and his sons will die in battle that very next day. This prediction of the future proves to be true as Saul's sons die in battle and wounded in the battle and in great despair Saul takes his own life. This despair fueled by dark forces is all too real.

Modern day witches. Ancient history aside we seem to have a fascination with witches. One of the newest video releases is Bewitched, several T.V. shows and even cartoons are about witches and it remains a favorite costume among adults. But behind all the fun is the reality that witches are real.

At least that is certainly what several patients of Delnor Community Hospital believe. They are suing the Hospital's now fired therapist, Liticia Libman, on the basis that she practiced witchcraft against them leading one of the patients to attempt suicide. On Friday just in time for halloween Judge Brown dismissed the lawsuit on technical grounds which will lead to its being refiled in the next thirty days. One of these patients was a former client of Administer Justice who came to us for mediation. The mediation which sought to bring peace and reconciliation broke down because this patient did not want to let go of her anger and bitterness based on what her therapist was saying. Despite warnings she chose to listen to the voice that encouraged painful desires rather than turn from them. Sadly my next contact with her was reading about her lawsuit in the paper.

More directly I had the unusual opportunity to represent a witch through Administer Justice. That may seem hard to believe but it is true. I did not realize she was a witch at the time she first came to see us, but learned a great deal about the present day practices of wichen including their worship, spells, holidays and events. It was an unusual experience to have this witch ask if she could cast a spell over me because she wanted the power of the white aura which surrounded me. While I have often identified with the challenges faced by Moses, I'll admit I had never identified with the aura that we are told so surrounded him that he had to cover his face. I informed my witch friend that my power was something that could not be borrowed or stolen or anything of my own making but came from a faith and belief in Jesus Christ who left his throne in heaven to be born among us, lead a sinless life, and become the perfect sacrifice for my sins. I offered to share how she could have this power but she quickly left our office and I never heard from her again. I wound up having to withdraw from her case because she would not have any further contact with me.

Of witches and ghost. Behind all the fun of this booming holiday is a reality that is closer than many of us realize. Evil is real. Personally I do not seek to pull back and have nothing to do with the holiday, but I am more cautious. As Elgin police go out and mark the doors of sex offenders with bright red door hangers, we are reminded that the world is not as safe as we might wish it to be. For us, my boys are dressing up as animals and going to Rain Forest Cafe where they can eat for free in costume. The best magic I know is watching chicken fingers quickly disappear before my very eyes!