Seasonal Spotlight

Thanksgiving’s Origins

Thanksgiving marks the inception of the most important American holiday season, although retailers, including Lucky Six Farms, usually commence concerted year-end marketing efforts immediately after Halloween. Media pundits, pop psychologists, and a variegated collection of pulpit pounders have a field day during this period, so I feel right at home freely opining about the true meaning of these wonderfully celebratory yet duly solemn times. Although not personally present to generate pleasant reportage for the event, I believe the story told concerning our very first Thanksgiving is probably true. Native Americans (henceforth to be designated as Indians on account of a few nominal navigational errors) and newly-landed Pilgrims feasted together at the behest of the latter as testimony to their benevolent largesse. Since both parties held deeply, yet somewhat divergent, spiritual views, Thanksgiving soon became an eclectic, culinary expression of gratitude for Divine favor bestowed over the prior twelve months.

Thanksgiving Thoughts

While some never tire of descrying how creeping commercialism has gradually subverted Thanksgiving’s originally pure message, I take a more pragmatic approach. Since trade and business are as venerable as human society itself, no primordial wrong is engendered when they underscore religious themes. In fact, extensive material considerations have always functioned as handmaidens to higher endeavors: witness the elaborate preparations necessary for serious rituals conducted by every faith and tradition throughout recorded and - as places like Stonehenge and Gobekli Tepe imply - even unrecorded history. We spend the better part our lives focused on issues of physical survival and comfort, so is it any wonder that enterprises subserving those needs inevitably rise to prominence in worshipful acknowledgement of the Ineffable Transcendent.

Thanksgiving In Action

In precisely that spirit, then, it behooves me to once again point out the value of our offerings during our sacred festivals. Our ecologically cultivated, prayerfully harvested, hand-processed, and certified organic White Sage products - essential oil, hydrosol, smudge sticks, cones, and whole leaves - have long played an integral role in authentic Native American, Wiccan, and alternative purification. In addition, our new lines of herbal smudge wands - Black Sage, Cedar, and Yerba Santa - have the potential to open an exciting range of new psychic horizons for savvy customers worldwide. We hope all of our readers enjoyed a delightful Thanksgiving and can now look forward to a blessed Holiday Season!

By Alan Beck