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Samhain

New Year Holiday of Magic & Mysticism

Each year from October 31 into November 1 is the Pagan or Celtic New Year!  For many Wiccans, Pagans, those who practice Witchcraft or other forms of magic, this may be one of the most important festivals of the year.  It’s called Samhain (pronounced SAH-win or SOW-in) and a “cross-quarter” holiday because it falls between the Autumn Equinox (Mabon) and the Winter Solstice (Yule).  Samhain goes by many names, including Halloween, All Hallows Eve, All Souls Night, Feast of the Dead, Feast of Apples, and Festival of Remembrance.  Samhain is a festival that recognizes the harvest and how the long, darker hours of the year’s winter is approaching, and it celebrates how the barrier between the physical and spirit worlds fade, which allows for easier interaction between residents of the two.  Since this is such a big holiday, there is a lot to cover.  So let’s have fun diving deep into this fun time of year that is so rich of history and full of magical qualities!

Table of Contents

    What is Samhain?

    This festival marks the final harvest of the year and asks to honor those who lived before us, to express appreciation for the gifts we’ve received this year, and to set goals/intentions and seek guidance for the upcoming new year.  For Wiccans, Samhain marks the time when the God, or the Sun King, is sacrificed and goes into the darkness of the Underworld.  In contrast, the Goddess reaches her ultimate strength in power as a pregnant Crone, who mourns the God’s passing.  But she shall give birth to the God in an act of rebirth during Yule.  As such, Samhain is considered the death part of the cycle of life, death, and rebirth.  Historically speaking, the Celts believed that every year on Samhain night, the Lord of the Dead would collect the souls of all those who died in that year and guide them to Tír na nÓg, the Celtic Underworld.  Because they thought on Samhain the barrier between the spiritual and physical worlds has faded and this allows for easier connection and contact with the deceased, they celebrated by lighting lanterns and bonfires (like most festivals) to show heartbroken or lonely spirits of deceased loved ones to show them the path back home to visit with family/friends with a “dumb supper,” where celebrants ate their meal with a food offering for invited ancestors to join them.

    Samhain is also special because for many magic practitioners, it is one of the most powerful nights to practice their magic.  This is because on this night in particular, the traditional laws of time and space that separate the physical world and the spiritual world are weaker.  The veil that separates these two realms is thinner, which allows for magic practitioners to conduct magic involving the spiritual world (such as communicating with the dead) with an ease and ability that may be considered very difficult or even impossible normally.  Also, because this barrier between realms is weaker, many believe this is when spirits or other mystical creatures may wander the Earth.  Some say that since the “world of the gods” were now visible to people, it may lead to supernatural tricks, pranks, or trouble, which can be explained by the ghosts of the deceased or spirits from the Otherworld returning to the physical world.

    From Samhain to Halloween

    In the beginning, Ancient Celts celebrated Samhain over the course of a few days to recognize the harvest and citizens were required to participate in activities led by both the religious and government leaders.  In the Middle Ages, Samhain grew into larger festivals, including lighting bonfires, carving turnips into Jack-o-lanterns, and starting the tradition of the “dumb supper.”  From there, Christianity came into the picture and attempted to change Pagan holidays into Christian ones and, as a result, in the 9th Century, Pope Gregory declared All Saints’ Day on November 1 and All Souls’ Day on November 2.  However, even with the Christianity push to change things, the Pagan elements of Samhain has still remained.  Halloween, or All Hallows Eve, takes place on October 31, which holds many of these traditional Pagan characteristics.  What we currently view as Halloween really took shape in the 1800s in the United States through Irish immigrants, who brought their traditions into the country.  Particularly, the practice of Trick-or-Treating is once said to come from Ancient Irish and Scottish practices of wearing costumes, going from door to door, singing songs of the deceased, and receiving cakes over the course of a few nights leading up to Samhain.  Also, the idea of Halloween tricks or pranks can be traced to Samhain, but in that case the tricks were blamed on fairies.

    Symbolism

    As with all of these holidays, Samhain is packed full of symbolism.  When one thinks of Halloween, oftentimes the images of pumpkins, witches, and black cats come to mind.  Those are all relevant!  There are also many other symbols that this very important holiday has connections with, such as marigold flowers, smoky quartz, and the general colors of black and orange.  Check out this quick chart below to see some more examples!  

    How to Celebrate

    Want to celebrate Samhain besides the usual trick-or-treating or carving Jack-o-lanterns?  Here are some fun ways you can!  Check them out and see if any seem interesting to try!  

    • Get your fortune told!  If you’ve been on the fence or thinking about getting your fortune told, this is a perfect time to do so!  You can seek a professional who does Tarot cards, Palmistry, or a trusted Psychic.  Particularly good questions to ask can be about seeking guidance for the upcoming year or any lessons you should have learned from this past year.
    • Honor your ancestors.  Take time to reflect on the lives of those who lived and died before you.  Many place pictures of departed loved ones (including pets!) in a special designated sacred space.  
    • Dress in white or unusual clothes (such as a costume) to confuse harmful spirits from the Otherworld.
    • Light a candle by your window to invite and guide your loved ones’ spirits into your home.  Some people conduct a ceremony using a batch of small black or white candles (or night lights, if you prefer) that are placed in a heat-proof tray/container (you can use sand, too) with one candle placed in the center that will be used to light the other small candles.  Switch off all the lights and sit calmly, welcoming the complete darkness.  When you’re ready, ask your ancestors to join you and light that center candle saying: “We welcome our departed loved ones into this home and honor your presence amongst us.”  Have everyone spontaneously think of someone who passed away, a specific memory or quality about them, and light one of the small candles in their honor, saying something along the lines of: “I remember Grandma and her jokes saying that we should live in the moment.”  Continue doing so for however long you wish.  You should end up with a tray or space full of lit candles, with each one representing a specific person.  Lastly, let the candles burn out naturally.
    • Light a bonfire!  For a fun divination tradition, roast 2 hazelnuts near the fire.  One of the nuts is you (or the person roasting the hazelnuts) and the other is the person that you (or they) desire.  If the hazelnuts roast quietly by the fire, then it was seen as a sign of a good match.  But if one or both of the nuts “jumped” back away from the fire’s heat, then it was a sign of a bad match.
    • Hold a moon circle with friends.  On Samhain night, put a pile of nuts (these seeds symbolize new beginnings, growth, and energy) and an unlit candle.  Then pour salt in a giant spiral starting from that pile and moving outwards.  When you’re ready, have you and your friends in a circle at the outer edge of the spiral and slowly walk inwards towards its center.  As you do so, mentally let go and “move forward” away from this past year to welcome the new one.  Some people write things on a piece of paper of things they want to let go from this past year and scatter the pieces of paper as they walk towards the spiral’s center.  Once you reach the center, light the candle and each of you takes a nut and walk out of the spiral, with your goals and intensions for the future on your mind.
    • Place mandrake or hawthorn around entryways to your home, such as your doorway and windows.  This is just an extra precaution against ghosts or spirits who may wish to cause harm or mischief during this time of year.
    • Make a Samhain Altar!  You can do a nice centerpiece, if that’s more your style.  The idea is the same.  Decorate your space with Samhain imagery and symbols.  You can add orange, black, red, and/or white candles.  Crystals such as Black Tourmaline, Smoky Quartz, Obsidian, and Amber are great choices.  You can add Autumn-themed plants/foods, such as pumpkins and fall-colored leaves.  Halloween decorations are solid choices, too, such as images/items of black cats, owls, witches, or spiders.
    • Leave food offerings on an Altar or at your doorstep for any ghosts or spirits that may be wandering the Earth.
    • Bury apples alongside the road or next to the sidewalk to comfort ghosts or spirits that are wandering but have no home to go to.
    • Make flower crowns, corsages, or garlands!  Make them out of Autumn-themed flowers and/or dying vegetations.  Many people wear them to the evening’s dumb supper.  When you’re ready, burn your flowery craft in a fire.  This is symbolic of letting go of the past year and welcoming the new one.
    • Have a dumb supper.  Enjoy a quiet or silent meal and have an extra plate out with food for your loved one’s spirit as a food offering invitation for joining you.  For beloved pets who have passed, you can place a bowl of food or their favorite treats/toys for them to enjoy!
    • Make a gris-gris (a.k.a. a spell bag, charm bag, hex bag, or a sachet) as a form of protection that you can have on hand in your pocket, tied around your neck as a necklace, left in your car, be placed under your pillow for safe dreams, and be given as gifts to others who may enjoy them.  There are relatively easy to make and you basically wrap herbs/crystals or whatever items you want in a piece of fabric and you sew it shut and you can optionally twined or tied together with string or a bow.  You can personalize your gris-gris to fit your specifics needs based on the type of fabric and the inside contents it holds.

    So what are your thoughts on Samhain?  Do you celebrate it or Halloween and, if so, what do you do?  Are there any Samhain activities that sound fun or interesting to you that you might try?  Is there a different yet similar holiday that celebrates the dead or ancestors from where you live?  Please share in the comments for I would love to learn from you!  My friends, I wish you Samhain Blessings!

    “I will love the light for it shows me the way, yet I will endure the darkness because it shows me the stars.” 

    – Og Mandino

    • Image Captions (in order of appearance):
    • Symbols of the Celtic calendar, names in Celtic of the solstices. Image courtesy of Shutterstock user robin.ph; not for commercial use.  Signed property release on file with Shutterstock, Inc.
    • mysterious black cloaked figure, Grim Reaper Figure, Death candlestick with burning candle in dark forest. esoteric spiritual ritual for Samhain sabbat, Halloween holiday. Image courtesy of Shutterstock ju_see; not for commercial use.  Signed property release on file with Shutterstock, Inc.
    • Young witch with pink hair performing a magical ritual with a candle. Image courtesy of Shutterstock ju_see; not for commercial use.  Signed property release on file with Shutterstock, Inc.
    • Cute black cat, Halloween pumpkin and bag with sweets on white background. Image courtesy of Shutterstock Pixel-Shot; not for commercial use.  Signed property release on file with Shutterstock, Inc.
    • Women Sitting on the Floor while Looking at Candles.  Image courtesy of Pexels user cottonbro; not for commercial use. Signed property release on file with Pexels GmbH.
    • Autumn Halloween design. Autumn wreath of leaves and branches of oak and rowan, rowan berries, pumpkin and black cat with green eyes, isolated on white, vector illustration. Image courtesy of Shutterstock user Bourbon-88; not for commercial use.  Signed property release on file with Shutterstock, Inc.
    • Woman in Black Tank Top Holding Red and Gold Iphone Case.  Image courtesy of Pexels user Mikhail Nilov; not for commercial use. Signed property release on file with Pexels GmbH.

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