夏月之水

October

October is a month of celebration and of work. It is not only harvest time in most places in the Northern hemisphere, but also a time of processing what has been harvested. Before mechanized farming, a great deal of works needed to be done to make sure there was enough food for the coming year. Once that was done, there was time to rest and celebrate the successful harvest.

10月是一個慶祝活動和工作的月份。它不僅是在北半球大部分的地方收穫的季節，也是處理收成的時間。在機耕之前，有大量的工作需要做，以確保來年有足夠的食物。一旦完成，就有時間休息和慶祝成功的收穫。

The grain was cut and bundled into sheaves, then the sheaves were threshed and the grain separated from the straw and chaff, The grain had to be stored in a way to preserve it from rodents, insects, and rot. Turning some of the grain into beer, grapes into wind, or apples into cider, was a way to not only keep these foods from spoiling but also to make alcohol to enjoy.

穀物收割並且捆紮成束，然後將這些捆紮的穀物把穀粒和穀殼，並把這些穀物儲存,防止成為囓齒動物或昆蟲的食物且防止腐爛。把一些穀物變成啤酒,葡萄變成葡萄酒，蘋果變成西打，不僅讓這些食物不會腐壞，也能享受這些酒類。

Potatoes and other root crops were dug up; peas and beans were picked and dried. Onions were pulled from the ground, the tops braided together, and then hung from walls or the ceiling. Soft fruits might be dried. Most of us don’t see any of this in these days of refrigerated food shipped halfway around the world.

馬鈴薯和其他根莖作物被挖起，豌豆和豆類被採摘和乾燥。洋蔥從地面被採收，從頂部串在一起，然後掛在牆壁或天花板。軟式水果可被乾燥。大多數我們不知道的冷藏食品大半被運送到世界各地。

October was and is a time for hunting. Deer rut during this season, so killing off the surplus males is in accord with the natural process. And the weather is becoming cold enough that meat is less likely to spoil. Therefore, this is also the time to slaughter excess livestock on farm. The meat must be processed and cured in such way that it will keep through the winter. Smoking, brining, and pickling were all used to preserve meat.

十月是一個狩獵的時間。也是鹿的發情期，所以在這個季節殺死過剩的雄鹿是符合自然過程。天氣變得足夠冷，肉是不太可能的腐壞。因此，這也是農場牲畜屠宰過剩的時間。肉必須處理，用這種方式，讓它保持整個冬季。例如:煙燻，鹽漬，醃製都用來保存肉類。
But October is also a time of festivity. In Canada, Thanksgiving is celebrated on the second Monday in October. There are many large markets and harvest fairs in October; the world’s largest annual fair is Oktoberfest, which has been celebrated in Munich since 1810, with some six million people attending every year. Beer plays a central role in the fair, which begins when the mayor taps a keg of beer. Oktoberfests are held in many other cities in Germany and elsewhere. And the natural world joins in the festivities by putting on the annual display of color.

但10月份也是一個喜慶的月份。在加拿大，感恩節的慶典是在十月的第二個星期一。在10月份有許多大型市場和收成展覽會。自1810年以來,世界上最大的年度博覽會啤酒節，在慕尼黑慶祝，每年約有600萬人參加。啤酒是博覽會的主角，當市長從啤酒桶取第一杯為慶典的開始。啤酒節也在德國很多其他城市和其他國家舉行。與自然世界的慶祝活動連接，讓每年的活動更顯精彩。

October ends with Samhain, one of the most important holidays of the Witches’ year. Samhain is the culmination of the harvest and the hunt. This holiday is about death; because only through death of plants and animals can we feed ourselves. This is the time to remember all that had died in the course of the year before. Life feeds on life. The Horned God symbolizes both the hunter and the hunted, the stag and those who pursue the stag. The Green God of vegetation dies at this time of year, as vegetation dies, whether it is gathered for food, dies from frost, or merely reaches the end of its life.

10月底的薩溫節(死神祭)對女巫師來說是一年最中重要的節日之一。薩溫節(死神祭)是收成和狩獵最高潮的祭典。這個節日是跟死亡有關的，因為只有透過植物和動物的死亡，才能養活我們自己。這個時間，要記住所有在前一年已經逝去的過程。生命飼養著生活。有角的神(The Horned God)，象徵著獵人和獵物，雄鹿追趕著雄鹿。大地之神(The Green God of Vegetation) 也在每年的這個時節死亡,如同植物死亡，不管是被收集當成食物，或是被霜凍死，或僅僅達到其壽命終點。

One type of Samhain celebration is a Dumb Supper, a meal eaten in silence, communing with the spirits of those who have died. Traditional foods for the Dumb Supper vary, but they should be favorite foods of those you plan to honor. Set a formal dinner table, with a tablecloth and your best dished, as you would for any honored guests. There should b several more places set than living guests attending. The meal should not begin until after dark, and use candles for lighting, not electric lights. Allow the candles to burn until they have gone out. Photos and mementos of those who have died may be placed on the table or someplace else in the room.

在薩溫節(死神祭)的其中一種形式，是沉默的晚餐，在沉默中用餐，與那些已經死亡的人的靈魂交流。沉默的晚餐的傳統食物有所不同，但通常對於給於他們尊敬都應該是準備他們最喜歡的食物。為了任何被尊敬的嘉賓,準備一個正式的餐桌，鋪上最好的桌布和佳餚。並且邀請幾位居住在地方的嘉賓(活的)一同參加。這頓飯從天黑後開始，使用蠟燭照明，沒有電燈。這些可能燃燒直到這些靈魂離開。那些已經死亡的人的照片和紀念品，可放在桌子上或房間的其他地方。

For the feast itself, people enter the room in silence, serve themselves or pass dished, and eat without speaking or making any sound if at all possible. Be sure there is a libation plate and bowl; some of each liquid should be put in the bowl, some of each solid food placed on the plate. Afterward, these should be given to the earth by placing them in a compost heap or burying them in the garden. In this way, many Witches honor their dead and celebrate the harvest at Samhain.

對於盛宴本身，人們沉默地進入房間，他們服務自己或傳遞著食物，盡可能地在吃飯時不說話也不會製造出任何聲音。必須確定這些碗盤都是祭祀用的,每一種液體類(酒)要倒在碗裡,每一種固態的食物須放在盤子上。之後，這些將會回歸地球當成肥料,或埋在花園裡。薩溫節(死神祭)這樣的儀式是女巫師為了感謝這些死去的人讓人們有好豐收。