Who (or what) are we scaring at Hallowween

In November, the so-called dead are closest to the earth. We see this in the Christian calendar in All Saints and All Souls Days, and other religions have similar timing for remembering their loved ones and ancestors who have passed over. The first statement also applies to those who have remained too entangled in the earthly realm to access the heavenly i.e. ghosts.

Now, the origins of Halloween lie in lighting lanterns to help guide those wandering spirits home. On the other hand, people wanted to protect the children from malignant forces. Thus the 'scary' element on the outside of houses.

But today I have to wonder: who are we scaring?

When the blue-eyed boy was no more than three, something happened that still brings me pain when I recall it. On Halloween, it was already dark and he was sitting at the end of the table, eating dinner. The door bell rang and he turned his head. Unfortunately, he could see the door. And what he saw was a black and white mask of 'The Scream'. I swear that poor child jumped at least three inches and went totally pale.

A shock like this is really damaging for a small child. So I would urge you, somehow or other, protect your little ones this Halloween. I know some parents who put up a notice saying 'no scary masks', but in any case, be vigilant. A mask, after all, hides our humanity.

Simply a link

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/23/technology/at-waldorf-school-in-silicon-valley-technology-can-wait.html?_r=2&pagewanted=all

Oils and Lotions

This post will be kind of rambling, but I hope you'll bear with me!

Over the last few years I've had the joy and privilege of accompanying first the Blue-eyed Boy and then Curly-Locks to parent-and-tot mornings at our local Waldorf Schools. Mid-morning, the adults and little ones sit down for a snack, but before that, everyone parades out to the washroom to wash hands. And afterwards, in the classroom, comes one of the parts of the morning that the children really love.

The teacher has a bowl, and a towel and some wonderful smelling Weleda lotion. One by one the kids approach, get their hands rinsed off and dried, and then comes the anointing of the hands and fingers. A special hush seems to descend on the room as the tots absorb the sensation. Do I even need to say that such a practice nourishes the sense of touch? We already know how important that is, and even adults can be deprived of the touch of fellow human beings.

So for myself this morning I was using some lavender oil, which is soothing and calming. Lavender can be used to help a child wind down after a busy day and prepare for sleep in various ways. If you have Lavender bath milk, for instance, or a lavender filled small pillow, or the said oil could be stroked into your child's arms.

Another useful herb is rosemary. This can help the child to wake up properly in the morning, which will also help towards healthy sleep at night. Maybe I mentioned before that a simple wipe of the face with a washcloth can do the trick, although you wouldn't want to use rosemary anywhere near the eyes.

Let's use the wonderful gifts that nature provides.