It's end of October and slowly the Western world is getting ready to celebrate a much loved holiday.
On the night of October 31st you will find groups of children roaming the streets in their "scary" costumes, streets illuminated by jack o' lanterns, while they go from house to house collecting sweet treats. Some neighbors have gone slightly overboard with their decorations and put a 12ft skeleton next to their apple tree... It's Halloween!
And while many are celebrating the occasion, only few know where it actually originated from.
In Pagan tradition we celebrate the festival called Samhain (pronounced "sow-inn") on 1st November (or 1st May in the Southern hemisphere).
Samhain is one of the Greater Sabbats in the Wheel of the Year and is also sometimes referred to as the "Witches' New Year" then from this day onward the turning of the Wheel starts once again.
During the night of the 31st of October to 1st November the veil to the spirit side of the world is especially thin, so that spirits can cross and wander in our world.
Therefore we celebrate Samhain as a "Day of the Dead", where we honor our ancestors and deceased ones. Nature is also slowly dying away, making space for the restful winter time. While the topic of the day is a dark one and all that talk of spirits, ghosts and the dead may sound scary, it is a very joyous festival in Pagan tradition. There can be no life without death, so we celebrate this delicate balance!
But exactly how do you celebrate Samhain?
This festival is all about appreciation and reflection. We enjoy the final harvest of the year, before the winter months begin and we withdraw into our home and to our hearth to reflect and prepare for the return of the sun.
Rituals during Samhain
- Visiting a graveyard to lay flowers, fruits and other offerings at your loved ones' graves, to invite and honor their spirits
- Divination such as Tarot, Runes or scrying is especially powerful during this time as the veil has lifted and the spirits can guide you in your activities, just make sure to not mess around with them
- Costumes are traditional to scare away all the negative energies and spirits that may come to harm you
- Carved pumpkins and turnips fulfill the same deed as the costumes
- It's been custom to leave an empty space at the table for your ancestors to join the feast should you plan to hold one
- If you are waiting for a powerful time to cast your spells, now would be it
How to decorate your altar on Samhain
- The color of the day is, you guessed it, black, but also autumn colors like gold, orange can be used in altar cloths, candles and clothing
- Place items that represent death and decay onto your altar such as skulls, fallen leaves, dry wood
- Black cats and crows or their feathers are ideal altar decorations on Samhain
- Use pictures and mementos of your deceased loved ones on your altar to invite them into your home and feel their blessings
- crystals such as black tourmaline, obsidian, amber, granite or smokey quartz are called for during Samhain
Now I hope you will enjoy this grand festival and
Blessed be!