All-Hallows Eve - Samhain
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October 31 - November 1
Overview:
The “Witches New Year”, Samhain marks the end of the witch's year and the beginning of a new cycle of the wheel of the year. Originating from ancient Celtic tradition, some now refer to the holiday as All-Hallows Eve or Halloween, but Samhain is more of an introspective celebration. As the season changes, death hangs heavy in the air and darkness closes in around us as the days continue to shorten.
Common Traditions:
Light the bonfire and dance into the night this Samhain after a night of feasting. Of course now, many practice the Halloween traditions dressing up and roaming from door to door in search of tricks and treats. Don’t forget to leave an offering of soul cakes on your alter as the veil thins and spirits come to visit. I like to take a nature walk under the light of the moon in quiet reflection. Or practice your preferred form of divination. Spirits and ancestors are near during the sabbat of Samhain and now is an excellent to reflect and commune. Tarot and scrying are especially powerful forms of divination at this time on the wheel of the year.
Colors:
Black, orange, red, purple
Plants/Herbs:
Rosemary, pumpkins and gourds, apples, pomegranates, mugwort, rowen, oak leaves
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Animals:
Black cats, bats, owls, spiders, and ravens
Ideas to Celebrate:
Set up a Samhain alter in the center of the home, near a fireplace, or favorite family gathering spot with photos of departed loved ones, pumpkins, candles, and offerings to the dead. An alter to honor the season can be as simple or elaborate as you would like. I prefer to keep mine simple and nature focused. In the days leading up to the sabbot, I will collect beautiful autumn leaves, harvest a pumpkin from the garden, and pull out the small, framed photos of my departed family members, which I keep specially for Samhain.
Light a candle and place it in a window or at your alter to guide the spirits. As dusk approaches on the night of the sabbat, I light a large, three wick beeswax candle in the middle of my alter space. This I leave burning until the following morning, that it may light the way for my ancestors and other departed souls out on All-Hallows Eve.
Tend the grave sights of loved ones or leave an offering in one of their favorite places. Soul cakes are perfect to set out on your alter as an offering to the departed. I also place offerings before the photos of my ancestors that speak to my connection to them. Often these are items I have gathered on a nature walk earlier in the day. Items such as feathers, acorns, a polished pebble, or even a leaf, make lovely offerings. I like to play Flora Ware’s Samhain song as a sort of prayer while I lay out my offerings.
Take a nature walk. Early in the day I try to find time to take a hike, or simply enjoy a respite out in nature. This provides an opportunity to appreciate the changing of the season, the crunch and smell of leaves underfoot, and spend some time in quiet reflection. Often I will being my journal and try to find a secluded spot to sit and reflect on the past year.
Reflect and journal on the past year, life, death, and personal growth. Samhain is the closing of the Wheel of the Year. Make some lists, free-write about the past year and what you hope for the new one. This is an excellent sabbat to delve into shadow work, asking yourself those tough questions and asking your ancestors, spirit guides, or the dark goddesses for wisdom and insight.
Hold a seance or perform divination with tarot or scrying into a black mirror. Much like journaling, divination or tarot can help us see more clearly and connect to our ancestors and spirit guides. You will often hear that “the veil is thin” at Samhain, which makes it an amazing opportunity to delve deep into these arts. Rather than my usual tarot deck, I bring out the Seasons of the Witch Oracle Deck, and do a three card pull. My obsidian scrying mirror comes out at night and I spend some time sitting by the fire with it.
Perform cleansing rituals and warding spells around the home. Prior to any divination rituals for Samhain, I like to smoke cleanse my home and especially my alter space. A bundle of mugwort for protection, and rosemary for remembrance, is particularly nice.
Host a bonfire ritual with friends and family. I’d love to say I get up the energy to host a feast with all my witchy friends and afterwards we dance around the bonfire into the night, but that is far from the truth. Usually after dinner, my husband takes my son trick-or-treating, and I build a fire outside to sit next to and read or scry.
Try you hand at some popular Samhain crafts
Feast! Enjoy favorite foods of the holiday with family and friends. Opt for warm, hearty foods, roasts, and root vegetables and spiced desserts. Set a place for departed loved ones at the table or offer them a toast and glass of wine. Some people host “Dumb Dinners” where no one speaks, but we like to feast and reminisce about those who have passed. This is the time for us to share stories with my son about those family members he never knew or will be too young to have remembered well. I keep the cooking simple.
A Poem For Samhain
Samhain, the festival of the dead,
A time of reflection, of honoring, of dread
The veil between worlds is thin
A time to remember those who have been
The leaves fall, the nights grow long
Nature's descent into darkness, a somber song
The fires burn, the candles flicker
A reminder of the cycle, of life's bitter-sweet nicker
The magic of the season, it's in the air
A time for mourning, for letting go, for repair
The ancestors, the loved ones, are near
Their guidance and wisdom, we hold dear
Samhain, a time of reflection
For all that we have, all that is good
We give thanks for the blessings bestowed
And look forward to the path ahead, unrolled
So let us gather, let us sing
In celebration of the changing of things
Samhain, a time of mourning and peace
May it bring you closure, love, and release.
