DECK THE HOLIDAY'S

In ancient times, Druids believed these cats were humans, reincarnated as cats as a punishment for evil deeds they'd committed in a past life.  In the Middle Ages, in Germany, it was believed that if a black cat jumped on the bed of a sick person, then the person would die.  In Finland, they were believed to carry the souls of the dead to the afterlife.  In 18th and 19th century England, fishermen's wives kept these cats because they believed this helped to keep their husbands safe at sea.  If one ran in front of a sailor as he walk up a pier, this would bring him good luck.  However, if ti crossed his path, it meant bad luck.  At this time, cats were carried on ships to keep rats and mice at bay.  If a black cat was thrown, or accidentally fell overboard, this was believed to bring bad luck in the form of a terrible storm.  Interestingly, in England, Scotland and Australia today, a black cat crossing your path is supposed to be lucky.  But if you live in Ireland, most of the r

   Black cats have been the subject of much fear and superstition for centuries.  Depending on the part of the world you lived in, and the time in history in which you lived, they could be associated with evil, demons, illness, prosperity, luck....even a storm at sea.  Superstitions about these cats still remain, and unfortunately they sometimes become the objects of fear.    The color black was ( and still is, to an extent) associated with mystery, darkness and evil.  Cats that were totally or mainly black were therefore often associated with witches.  As a result, many a poor woman was burnt at the stake or drowned in the local river in the Middle Ages in Britain, and her pet cat was often burned or drowned along with her.    Some people believed these cats were demons, or a form of the devil, in disguise, so the woman who owned the cat must therefore be a witch.  Others believed that the cats aided witches in performing black magic.  Some thought they were actually witches in d

The old Celtic custom was to light great bonfires on Halloween, and after there had burned out to make a circle of the ashes of each fire.  Within this circle, and near the circumference, each member of the various families that had helped to make a fire would place a pebble.  If, on the next day, any stone was displaced, or had been damaged, it was considered to be an indication that the one to whom the stone belonged would die within twelve months. If you hear footsteps trailing close behind you on Halloween night, do not turn around to see who it is, for it may be Death himself.  To look Death in the eye, according to ancient folklore, is a sure way to hasten your own demise. According t an old English folk belief, you will invite bad luck into your home if you allow a fire to burnout on Halloween.  To remedy the situation, the fire must be rekindled by a lighted sod brought from the home of a priest. If a bat flies around a house three times, it is considered to be a death omen.

Johann Konrad Dippel (1673-1734)Germany A fact that few know is that this alchemist and theologian of the seventeenth century, the inventor of one of the first synthetic dyes, he worked in the Castle Frankenstein, near Darmstadt, Germany, not clear whether the writer Mary Shelley was inspired by this character to create her famous novel.  The truth is that Dippel spent much of his life in search of an elixir of immortality, and ironically died in the attempt to drink a potion of his invention. Jack Parsons (1914-1952)United States Rocket propulsion researcher at one of the founders of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory of NASA was also a believer in the occult and black magic practitioner.  Part of the success of the space program of the United States is the work of this remarkable self-taught scientist. Friend of  the 'wizard',  English Alestes Crowley and L. Ron Hubbard, founder of Dianetics.  Parson's tragic death in a home lab cemented his legend. Oliver Heavis