The Martinmas Interviews
Ongoing Project
11th November, 2006

“The initiation is a long series of ceremonies whose purpose is to introduce the young man to religious life: for the first time he leaves the purely profane world, where he spent his childhood, to enter the circle of sacred things. Now, this change of status is conceived, not as the simple and normal development of pre-existing seeds, but as a transformation totious substantia. It is said that at that moment the young man dies, that the particular person he was ceases to exist and is instantaneously replaced by another. He is reborn in a new form.”

Émile Durkheim, The Elementary Forms of the Religious Life (1912)

The modern calendar was adopted in the British Isles in 1752, but in some parts the eleven-day difference was not observed, so to some the 11th of November was referred to as Old November Day. This was a remnant of the festival of Samhain [Day of the Dead], or Halloween, when the veil between the realms of life and death is at its thinnest.

Most importantly the 11th November is attributed to St. Martin of Tours, and is therefore celebrated as The Feast of Martinmas.

In the 4th century AD, the Bishop St. Martin was walking to Rome on a pilgrimage. He encountered Satan and was mocked by him. As punishment St. Martin turned the devil into a donkey and rode the lazy beast for the remainder of his journey. The Donkey cursed him and spoke in palindromes.

Because of this significant encounter, Reactor chose this date as the most appropriate for the interviewing of potential group members. This date has become an annual tradition, and we are pleased to announce that The Martinmas Interviews held last year gave us the unprecedented opportunity to welcome our first secret member. His presentation excelled and we gave the unanimous decision to welcome Jonathan Waring into the Reactor fold. In line with our decision to maintain a secret membership, Jonathan’s involvement in the group remained hidden for the year 05 / 06.

Having now completed The Martinmas Interviews for 2006, a process that has seen this years hopefuls interviewed and decisions taken, in order to initiate another secret member for the year 06 / 07. As usual this process of the utmost seriousness has been combined with the more frivolous Martinmas feasting celebrations, which this year have included: leaping, backward donkey rides, an imitation wedding, tasting the new season’s wine, cross-dressing, and the symbolic eating of meat.

Reactor welcomes expressions of interest for the 2007 Interviews.

“If the geese at Martin’s Day stand on ice, they will walk in mud at Christmas"