Samhain is also known as Halloween or All Saints. The ritual year begins with Samhain on October 31st. The end of October has been a spiritually significant time for centuries. The Celts called their New Year celebration Samhain. At this time of the year contact with the other world of deceased ancestors and the spirits is easier to make. Samhain, Summer’s End, originated in the 10th century in the Irish story Tochmac Emire, the Enchantment of Emer. In this story Emer, the heroine of this story, refered to Samhain as a time when the Summer lays down to rest, the midpoint between the autumnal equinox and the winter solstice, which makes this a period of indistinct boundaries between physical and spiritual and a powerful time to commune with spirits. The Irish emigrants took the name Samhain to Scotland where from the 14th Century different versions of celebration were born. In Wales the celebration was called Calan Gaeaf, “the first day of winter”.
Traditions
In the old Irish stories Samhain is the festival in which the kings gathered their people, they ate, drunk and were merry together. In the earliest texts there are no reports of religious ceremonies. The first text that refers to celebrations dates from the 17th century and is not really entirely reliable. Later the Irishman Jeffrey Keating wrote that the Druids of Ireland on the night of Samhain converged on the hill of Tlachtga in order to light a sacred fire. That was the signal for all families in the country to rekindle the fire in their homes, that had extinguished for the night. Sir James Frazer in The Golden Bough describes a ceromony in which a stone was laid in the fire for each participant. If something happened to the stone during the night, the person would die in the following year. The fires were also used to roast chestnuts and from the way the chestnuts would pop open, young women could foresee if they would marry soon. Ooooh I am roasting chestnuts as I am writing this (smells gorgeous BTW!), I will give this a try 😉 For the Celts Samhain meant the end of summer, a transition time in which mysterious events happen. Because this time was neither the summer nor the winter there was a lot of chaos. The ghosts and elves roamed the hills and would play innocent tricks on the people. Until the 19th century there have been countless stories written of strange creatures, evil spirits and witches on the night of Samhain. The people sometimes imitated those spirits and went from house to house dressed in spooky costumes and armed with hollow beets in which candles were burning. Later beets became pumkins due to American influence. The people would ask for pieces of fruit or cakes and they believed that small sacrifices would protect them from the teasing of the spirits. People would also leave saucers of milk at their door. In more recent traditions there is also a celebration of the thinning of the veil, such as the Day of the Dead in Mexico. Here souls that past in this life, but also the ancestors are remembered and honored.
Blurred lines
Samhain is the dark counterpart of Beltane. Samhain is the final harvest festival and also the slaughter feast. The cattle were brought inside for the winter and part of them were slaughtered to get through the winter. The blood was spread over the fields to give thanks and to ensure a good harvest for the following year. Death is the central theme during Samhain. Not only because of the slaughter and sacrifice, but also because the period around October 31 marked by mystery and magic. The veils between the worlds are thin. It is easier to connect with the spirits beyond the physical plane.It is now the ideal time for you to bridge the gap between the physical realm and the spirit realm for guidance, support, love, and reassurance about the immortal nature of your soul. Autumn is a time of transition, a time when the leaves change color, when the clear skies become filled with rolling clouds and the days begin to get darker earlier. The wind of change is in the air, and these visible forms of transformation are a good reminder that there are other blurred lines occuring right now as well: between the living and the dead, between our body an your soul, between Heaven and Earth. This is a perfect time to honor the deceased. Invite the spirits of loved ones and serve them their favorite food and drinks. Set up an altar or light a candle in their name, have a party to share stories of their life and celebrate their time on earth. Choose a method that feels right for you. Once you have made room for a spirit in your environment, be aware of signs of their presence. Stay alert. And pay attention to your dreams. Spirits often prefer to make contact in your dreams. When you have an active practice of energy healing and meditation you become more open to the other side. These dreams feel more real and vivid, you may experience extremely intense emotions and there is just a sense of realness and not just a memory or projection. Trust your intuition.Remember you are not just your body, you are a soul housed in a body. Once you have interacted with souls who no longer have bodies, you will have no doubts that spirits live on, or that you will continue to live after you leave your body. During this time it is easier to recognize the illusion of the physical world. This life is a stepping stone in a long soul journey. The upcoming winter solstice is the next time of year when the veil between worlds will be at its most permeable.
Rituals
The death marks both the end and the new beginning. With Samhain you leave behind what you experience as a burdon and you fill that void with new plans for the coming year. You can ask yourself what you want, what you are going to bring to life in the new cycle. Samhain gives you the ability to think everything over, decide where you want to go and start again. Remember that a new beginning never comes without sacrifice. You should also be aware of what you want to sacrifice and be done with.
To use in rituals or on your altar at this time:
FOOD AND DRINK: apples, pumpkin, hazelnuts, herbal tea, cider, meat, nuts, corn, spiced wine, pomegranates
PLANTS / HERBS: sage, ivy, apple, catnip, pumpkin, gourd, basil, yarrow, nightshade, acorns, ferns,oak leaves
STONES: obsidian, onyx, carnelian, tiger
GODDESSES: Hecate, the Morrigan, Lilith, Psyche, Kali, Frau Holde, Inanna, Freys, cerridwen
GODS: Hades, Kronos , Wotan, Pluto
TEA: apple, sage, valerian
RITUAL OIL: frankincense , basil , ylang -ylang , lilac, rosemary, sandalwood, marjoram
INCENSE: sage, wormwood, rosemary, apple
Celebrate
v Put an extra plate and glass down for the deceased
v Take out photos and commemorations to deceased loved ones
v You can do a meditation in which you honor the deceased
v Make a bonfire
v Make a braid with strips of paper. On the first stripe you write down your concern, on the second strip you write down your goal and on the third strip you write down how you are going to accomplish this goal. Visualise your goal when braiding and state “the fire transforms my wish into reality and so it is”. Light a candle and set fire to your braid, let it burn in a pot or on a saucer of some kind. Be safe. And don’t wait too long after Samhain with taking the action of what you wrote down on the third strip.
v After your ritual drink some wine and eat some bread, this as thanks to the God and the Goddess.
v Make music
v Dance
v Carve a pumpkin
v Light a white candle for the deceased
v Write down what the past year has brought you and what you are grateful for.
What are your plans for Halloween?
I wish you a happy and magical Samhain.
Charissa
xxx
