Blessed Samhain

Blessed Samhain

As the veil thins, and spirits and Ancestors draw near, we must turn our minds to the season of Samhain. This is a time of darkness returning to the Northern Hemisphere - days shorten, and nights grow longer. We turn away from the outside and place our focus internally, on ourselves, our homes, our families. It is a time to take stock of all we have accomplished this year, the bounty and abundance that we have welcomed into our lives, the successes that we have had and to give thanks for these things. Even as we do this our minds begin to turn to our future. We ask ourselves what do we wish to bring in and achieve throughout the next year? This time, when the divide between worlds and dimensions are at their thinnest, is the moment to ask for guidance and to choose your favourite form of divination to seek guidance along your path.

Traditionally, Samhain (pronounced Sow-Win or Sow-Ween) honored the last harvest and marked the ending of the pastoral year. The ending of what has been and the beginning of the what will become. No wonder then that it has become associated with death, ancestors and spirits! In ancient times it was a festival of feasting before the hard cold winter set in properly. Animals were slaughtered, fresh foods were preserved and the land was thanked for all it had provided. Hearth fires in homes were extinguished on this night and a great communal fire was lit to support the Sun and fuel it’s return in the Spring. Each household took a burning log from this fire to relight their hearth fire to warm their homes and cook upon for the year ahead.

Samhain

As the Earth’s fertility waned, the leaves fell from the trees and the Sun’s warmth began to fade, our Ancestors began to associate this time with death and endings. The Season of Life encounters the Season of Death, with Persephone firmly in place at her husband Hades’ side in the Underworld. It was believed that on this night, spirts roamed the Earth, and our Ancestors especially, drew close to the families they had once shared their life with. Places were set for them at the table on Samhain night, and candles were lit in windows and doorways to guide and welcome Ancestor spirits home. This is a liminal time, when the edges betwixt places and time are thinned, with messages and knowledge passed across the veil. This night also became a time of divination, the Priests of old consulted the omens and their guides to seek wisdom and knowledge of the future, to help guide communities to avoid disaster and recognise all positive opportunities as they arose throughout the coming year.

Of course, as we know, every positive has a negative, and while Ancestor spirits were revered and welcomed, it was believed that less welcome spirits also walked the Earth on this night. It is thought that a secondary purpose of the great fires was to ward and protect the community from any negative forces and, often people would wear ‘guises’ when out at night to fool and trick spirits that were unwelcome. There were also Priests and Elders who would go door to door and pray for the departed souls of each family in return for an offering. This is, perhaps, a precursor to our own tradition of trick or treating in modern times.

Traditions and Rituals for a Modern Samhain

I always prepare my alter for each festival and for this season it is different - l create an Ancestor Alter, and as I build it I ask that my ancestors know that this is a safe space for them and that they are welcome should they choose to visit. Not only do I decorate it with the seasonal fruits of pumpkins, squashes and pomegranates, but I add photographs of those close to me who have passed, my grandparents and parents and close friends. I might also add tokens or gifts that remind me of them to focus my mind. Each Samhain my alter is different, as I am guided intuitively with what shoud be included.

As this is the night when the veil is thinnest, surely it is a night for divination! If you have a question or need some guidance, lean into your tarot, your runes, your I Ching, your crystal ball and ask those questions. For those of us that do not use a divination tool, simply finding a quiet moment to focus and tune in to our inner knowing can often provide the answers we seek. If the answer comes easily, flowing in a cohesive narrative, then know that what has been shared is for your best and highest good - even if the answer is not what you expected or not what you wanted to hear.

Apples are often regarded as fruit of the Otherworld and therefore can provide prophesies. Peeling an apple in one go, and throwing the peel over your shoulder on this night is said to reveal the initial letter of your future partner’s name.

If you decide to have a bonfire - then hazel nuts can be used to answer your queries. Simply with intention, assign a different outcome to each nut and cast them into the fire. The first to pop will be the outcome you can expect.

Finally if you are using carved pumpkins to light the way home for your ancestor spirits and to ward your home from negative forces, remember to save and roast the pumpkin seed for future snacks and to leave the shells of the pumpkins in woodland as an offering and a food source to our feathered and furred friends.

Ancestral Spread for Samhain

As this is the night our Ancestors draw close, I have been thinking about the connections I would like to forge with them and the questions I’d like to ask them to assist my healing journey. Many of us are working on our shadows at the moment and may be exploring our ancestral wounds. Perhaps you may feel drawn to tune in this Samhain Eve, to ask for guidance around your relationship with the feminine and masculine energies you hold. This can help you to identify which ancestral wound is coming forward to be healed and released at this time, and the steps you can take to work through and heal the wound for your future generations.

Sit quietly for a moment, perhaps light a candle and if you feel drawn to, burn some incense. Come into you breath and begin to connect to you Maternal and Paternal lineage. Call in any Ancestors that wish to assist you for your highest and best good this night. Shuffle your cards while focusing on the knowledge you wish to receive.

When you feel ready, lay out the cards as described below and decipher their meanings.

Position 1 - What is my relationship with the Feminine?

Position 2 - What is my relationship with the Masculine?

Position 3 - What strengths have I inherited from my Mother line?

Position 4 - What strengths have I inherited from my Father line?

Position 5 - What generational wound is coming forward at this time?

Position 6 - What steps can I take to heal and release this wound?

Where you can find me this season:

These are the markets and fayres you can find me at between Samhain and Solstice.

Sunday 10th November: at the Christmas Spiritual Market at The Black Swan Theatre in North Walsham from 11am-4pm

Sunday 24th November: at The Oracle Tree’s Nurturing Spirit Fayre at Mulbarton Village Hall from 10am - 4pm

Saturday 30th November: Christmas Craft and Wellness Fayre, Horsham St Faiths Village Hall - 10am - 4pm