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The Wheel turns to Samhain
Welcome to the dark half, the season of the witch.
This is the time of year I have always felt most alive. As the wheel turns from the autumn equinox, my fingers and toes begin to tingle with the anticipation of the darkness returning. I love the light when it first returns, I love the abundance of nature and appreciate the sunlight on my skin, but the moody skies and the crisp weather where the cobwebs are spun, and the crows caw is my happy place.
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They say this is where the veil thins, where the astral world, the Gods and the ghosts and the fairies can flit through the invisible barrier that separates the living from the dead and wander the mortal plane once more.
Samhain (pronounced ‘sow-in’), celebrated as the sun goes down on 31st of October to 1st of November. The Pagan fire festival to mark the end of summer and the beginning of the Celtic new year where we invite in our ancestors and loved ones while the veil is at its thinnest, while warding off those darker spirits who we do not welcome. Firstly, I am not going to refer to Halloween while talking about Samhain, they are different festivals celebrated at a similar time. Just to say that I personally do not hold with using Samhain for a spectacle of werewolves, zombies, and ghouls, to me it is the most sacred sabbat and to be celebrated more respectfully than that - but as ever it is each to their own and we celebrate how we will! If you have children and they want to go trick or treating, then that’s fine too! You do you!
As the evenings lengthen and we begin to shift from harvesting the last of our produce, my mind wanders more in reflection, thinking of those who came before us and our ancestral links, not necessarily just through blood but all those that came before. Is this why the veil is thin? Because we are slowing down from the busy days and long nights of summer into a slower more introspective period, allowing that connection more space in our hearts and minds?
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Samhain Altar
I love to make bright and busy altars to celebrate the sabbats, but I find Samhain a more muted affair.
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I will always use black and white candles for protection and balance, and I will often incorporate a purple one to enhance my psychic connection.
It is good to have some photos if you have them, of loved ones or ancestors you may not even have met, I think if you’re drawn to these people there is obviously a connection there that is good to explore.
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These are your biological ancestors, but just as important, are your logical ancestors. These are either friends you have known along your path who have passed over, or perhaps people that have inspired you, changed your perspective on life, given you insight or inspiration.
Add mementos from your loved ones, their favourite foods or drinks as an offering, flowers, a spray of their fragrance on your altar cloth, pets' collars or their toys or favourite treats, anything to help you honour and connect with them.
Samhain Rituals
A lovely ritual for Samhain is to hold a dumb supper.
Traditionally this would be celebrated in silence, with black plates and tablecloths as this is said to be more inviting for spirits, however I really do disagree here! I think laughter as you share a meal over Grandma’s tablecloth, or an old family set of china filled with memories is far more appealing and would raise the vibrations of your Samhain feast.
As always, I must stress it is each to their own, but I always find remembering loved ones in a happier light to be a more uplifting way than being sombre, and there is no disrespect there at all.
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So set an empty place at your table, leave a plate with small offerings of favourite foods, light your candles and be merry. Safely invite your loved ones who have passed in to share the love of the sabbat.
Other ways to celebrate Samhain
There are so many beautiful ways to celebrate Samhain, at the time of year when walks are not weighed down by heat and there is a crispness to the air, and even better, plenty of fallen leaves to rustle through.
Cemetery walks are perfect for paying respects and some quiet introspection, whether you have loved ones buried there or not. Cemeteries are steeped in loving energy and remembrance; I find them the most peaceful places energetically and I get some of my best thinking done there. As you walk round, let yourself reflect on mortality in a kind way, not a morbid, sad way. Feel your connection to the circle of life, life, death, rebirth. Nature’s ability to let go, withhold energy to grow, then focus on breaking its shoots back through the frozen ground, rising once again. Collect some of the fallen leaves you find to take home and place on your altar.
Lighting a bonfire in your garden - being super careful to check for any animals burrowing under leaves and things, a fire pit is always the safest option for this, or indoors use a small cauldron or fireproof bowl and a candle.
Soften your eyes to the flames, let yourself watch them dance and contemplate where you are in your life. Think about the goals or wishes you made at the start of the last year, where they sit now, whether they are still important to you or if you have even achieved them.
If you have stalled in these goals, try to work out what is blocking you and write it down. Either burn in the fire or catch alight in the candle, dropping safely into your bowl.
Watch as the flames consume it and feel this leaving your life, if it is a bad habit that has crept in, try to re-find your focus, feel the motivation burn like it did when you first planned this goal. Watch as the flames rise and feel it burning in your gut, the desire to reach your goal.
