HALLOWE'EN - As a five year old, I had a terrible experience of psychic transportation while dunking for apples. I still retain a vivid memory of rough handed men in coarse leggings holding me underwater while their wives encouraged them from a distance, banging tambourines and singing "Green Grow the Rushes", a song I've subsequently associated with acts of cruelty. For some reason, the name Goodie Protheroe and the English county of Hampshire come to mind whenever I think of the incident. Consultation with local historical societies confirmed a spate of witch purges in the county throughout the mid 17th century. Though no record exists of the victims' names, I'm confident that Protheroe might be found among them.

Many of the playful traditions enjoyed by children at Hallowe'en are rooted in a sinister reality. All parents should exercise caution at this time. To enact certain rituals, even in jest, is to court catastrophe. Children of enhanced intuition are particularly vulnerable to the psychic disruptions caused by the reckless agitation of spirits. The potential damage is sufficient to seriously consider a ban on Hallowe'en. At the very least, certain types of costume and rituals should be legally proscribed with on the spot fines imposed on scofflaws.

 

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