Much like many others, I, too, found myself misinformed by contemporary Christians who insisted Halloween was a day dedicated to pagan devil worship. Ironically, the medieval Christians knew something of the actual truth. This led me to presume that Halloween had transformed into a holiday crafted for the profit of corporate sugar dealers, who had co-opted what should have remained the most solemn of observances. It strikes me that religions, corporations, and institutions share an inherent tendency—they feel compelled to manipulate and re-frame the truth to wield power over their base.

The unframed truth of the origins of Halloween is the scariest true story I have ever heard.

Gather ’round. Sip on hot cocoa. Nestle beneath under a comforting safety blanket. Light a candle to focus your attention. Brace yourself for the fright of the new you soon to be birthed from learning the truth.

Lucifer should have stayed away. But it wasn’t possible. It was preordained. Lucifer ventured too near, became ensnared. There was no going back. Only an unrestrained descent towards two significantly larger bodies locked in a cruel tug-of-war with Lucifer. Lucifer had harbored hopes of being among the fortunate few who escaped destruction in exchange for never being allowed to leave. Lucifer didn’t have such luck. The external forces remained merciless. With unyielding courage, Lucifer battled till the end against being torn asunder.

Lucifer’s final cry, an impassioned Solemn Oath of vengeance. Lucifer’s pledge has been kept. It continues. Twice annually, Lucifer’s legacy unleashes terror upon the entirety of humanity, pushing it to the brink of madness. In most years, scarcely anyone takes notice. Yet, in those sporadic years, everything transforms, as a profound fear is instilled within the entire species, echoing through a hundred generations.

Around 14,000 years ago, across all of Europe, Lucifer’s Curse instantly extinguished countless creatures, both great and small. Those unfortunate enough to survive were thrust into years of relentless battle against starvation. In what we now recognize as France, a community of humans found themselves on the brink of uncertainty. Their council of elders directed the artisans into a cave to document their trials for those who might follow in their wake. Their story unfolded in the form of images, primarily centered around a bull adorned with distinctive markings just above its shoulder.

“Do not go gentle into that good night. Rage, rage against the dying of the light.”

Approximately 11,700 years ago, in what we now call modern-day Turkey, an ancient civilization erected a colossal temple known as Göbekli Tepe. These people possessed knowledge of antiquity. When Lucifer’s Curse resurfaced on the horizon above the shoulders of a bull, they knew exactly what to do. Without hesitation, they undertook the task of burying their temple with earth, refuse, and any available materials. By modern earth moving machinery standards, this was not an insignificant effort. Every inhabitant in the vicinity seemingly dropped what they were doing to pitch in with this burial. They might not survive themselves, but their temple must and did.

“Do not go gentle into that good night. Rage, rage against the dying of the light.”

They were not isolated in their plight as people across the globe came to recognize and fear the relentless might of Lucifer’s Curse. The Biblical account of the flood, Noah, his ark, and his odyssey did not unfold as written. What did happen was Lucifer’s Curse cast the world into darkness and caused sea levels to surge by a staggering 400 feet around the globe. Consequently, a staggering 80% of human civilations were drowned by the deluge. That percentage holds true even in the present day, with a substantial portion of population centers located along coastlines.

This event served as a profound reset for human civilization. To such an extent that the oldest calendar of ancient India commemorates the dawn of a new era after the waters ceased their ascent, and the newly established coastlines appeared stable. In this calendar, the inaugural month is known as Cartiguey, a term that roughly corresponds to the markings in the shoulder of a bull. In our modern calendar, Cartiguey 1st is called November 1st.

The ancient Peruvians, too, recount tales of catastrophic floods. One of their legends tells the story of a five-day eclipse, culminating in deluge. In this harrowing tale, all but a solitary shepherd’s family and their flock managed to survive from which was the rebirth of the ancient Peruvians. They mourn their dead ancestors for three days each year: October 31st, November 1st, and November 2nd.

In the annals of ancient Egyptians it is said one of their pharaohs suffered from night terrors. In his distress, he assembled the most skilled dream interpreters. It was agreed the nightmares were divine omens signifying the impending cataclysm of a Egyptian civilization-ending flood. In response to this ominous message, the pharaoh resolved that two pyramids must be erected to safeguard the collective knowledge of his people. It’s believed that their month of November either directly translates to or bears a striking resemblance to the spots on the shoulder of a bull.

“Do not go gentle into that good night. Rage, rage against the dying of the light.”

Ancient Persian monarchs, as a yearly practice on a specific day in November, granted all favors asked by their subjects. This custom was born out of a deep-seated fear that failing to do so would beckon the return of Lucifer’s Curse.

The tradition of acknowledging the world-ending phenomenon, which often leads to collective historical amnesia, is consistently observed on the same dates across various epochs and vast geographical distances. Here’s a partial list of civilizations and cultures that have maintained this tradition:

• Hindus
• Pacific Islanders
• Tonga and Fiji Islanders
• First peoples of what we now call Australia
• All the northern nations of Europe
• Ancient Romans
• Ancient Greeks
• Throughout Japanese history
• Throughout Chinese history

Moreover, the Mayans, at the stroke of midnight, conducted a human sacrifice in the hopes of appeasing Lucifer’s Curse, a testament to the seriousness of Lucifer’s Curse.

In the modern era, Russians experienced the wrath of Lucifer’s Curse in the year 1908. Fortunately, the impact was localized to the sparsely populated region of East Siberia. An estimated 80 million trees weren’t so fortunate as they were obliterated over an expanse of 830 square miles (2,150 square kilometers) of forest. It is believed that at least three individuals may have lost their lives.

“Do not go gentle into that good night. Rage, rage against the dying of the light.”

Lucifer, in this essay, is not a person but rather a name of my choicing. Everything else is true – as it’s currently understood. A colossal body, spanning 24 miles across (40 kilometers), was indeed drawn into our solar system. The gravitational forces exerted by the Sun and Jupiter dictated its demise. This celestial prisoner, upon disintegration, contributes to the formation of the Taurid complex, which, in essence, serves as shrapnel for our blue planet. Significantly, these encounters occur not merely annually but twice a year, with each passage requiring 12 days to traverse this Taurid meteor stream. Among the multitude of rocks present, many are of sufficient size to penetrate Earth’s atmosphere, with an estimated +1,000 asteroids in the stream measuring 6 miles (10 kilometers) across or larger—deserving the moniker “city killers.”

“Comets are vile stars. Every time they appear in the south, something happens to wipe out the old and establish the new.” – from Chinese document Record of the World’s Change: Li Ch’un Fen, 602-667 A.D. in Sagan and Dryan. p. 19.

Comets of such magnitude develop a distinctive tail in the sky before their cataclysmic impact. Eyewitnesses have likened this celestial spectacle to the appearance of a broom. These broom-stars, with their sweeping motion across the firmament, symbolize the transition from the old to the emergence of a new normal. The world is never the same after one sweep of heaven’s broom.

“Do not go gentle into that good night. Rage, rage against the dying of the light.”

On the upcoming October 31st, I brace myself to confront the impending November 1st. As the clock strikes midnight, I will stand facing due south, fixating my gaze upon the meridian, in search of the Pleiades star cluster adorning the shoulder of the constellation Taurus, the bull.

Should a sinister broom-star manifest in the heavens, I will conjure the image of a witch riding the broomstick against the backdrop of the full moon. In that moment, I’ll be engulfed by an overwhelming sense of uncertainty, torn between the desire to endure and witness the birth of a new world or to yearn for a swift end. In either case, your presence will linger in my thoughts.

In the absence of Lucifer’s Curse, I will internalize the gratitude for the gift of life for six more months, only to repeat the tradition again and again.

Happy Halloween!

For a more in-depth exploration of the sources in this essay, this week’s companion video, presented by the exceptional Randall Carlson, is where one can start their truth-seeking journey.

And now… know the photograph.