All Hallows Eve, Samhain and Halloween. The history of a holiday that bridges Worlds and spans continents and cultures
Samhain (pronounced “sah-win”) is said to be the origin for Halloween as we know it today, but what exactly is this ancient Celtic Pagan holiday, and how should you celebrate it?
Samhain is said to be the one night a year where the ethereal veil between two worlds- the living and the spirit worlds- is the thinnest. Though some highly attuned psychic mediums experience these spirit energies on a daily basis, Samhain is a special night that many believe allows the spirits to walk among the living. Whether you have experienced the energy of the spirit world yourself, or you prefer to imagine it as an obscure and imaginary concept, there is a reason that All Hallow’s Eve is one of the most acknowledged and practiced holidays in the World.
Halloween is a night to honor your ancestors, loved ones who have passed on within your lifetime, and a time to partake in honoring the natural death cycle that makes us all human. While different cultures have adopted their own variations and interpretations of Halloween, almost all of these rituals revolve around honoring the spirit world or honoring ancestors in some way.
In my journey to learn more about different Pagan traditions and practices, I have found myself gravitating towards the Earth and Nature-centric rituals involved in Druidry & Wicca. While I don’t consider myself an experienced or dedicated practitioner of any religious or philosophical group, I find it both fascinating and immensely gratifying to partake in various rituals and traditions that align with my core values and beliefs. As a Neurospicy individual, I struggle with implementing mandatory practices into my daily life, so I like to keep my approach simple, playful, and curious instead.
This little gem was taken at my cabin-sleepover birthday party a couple November’s ago. Us Scorpios like to keep it spooky all year round!
Recently, I have been leaning deeply into (and enduring) a season of death and rebirth in my own life. As a result of my newly washed eyes, I have been interested in taking a drastically different approach to how I participate in most significant holiday’s this year (and how I engage with others, but that’s for another day). Instead of imbibing in substances that dim and deplete my own spirit on this holiday, I am choosing a path that serves to amplify the magic that All Hallow’s Eve has to offer. Keep reading to see some of the ways I will celebrate Samhain this year, and feel free to steal some ideas for your own celebrations. Remember to SUBSCRIBE if you want access to the content below, its free (for now)!
A Modern Approach to Samhain Celebrations
Have a Witch Gathering
Whether you are an experienced and self-proclaimed practitioner of witch craft, a descendent of ancestral witches, a baby witch, or not a witch at all, having a Witch Gathering is the perfect way to bond with your gal pals (or anyone else interested in playing Witch for the evening).
Last weekend, I was invited to a baby-witch gathering that filled my cup and inspired a house full of women to dabble in some innocuous rituals. We dressed in our witchiest garb, ate chili out of a cauldron, casted sweet little abundance spells in adorable spell-jars, drank midnight margaritas while watching Practical Magic, and laughed a lot. It healed a little corner of my heart, and honestly, surprised and delighted me to see my sister & cousin enjoying the spell casting so much. Here is a fun recap I made to memorialize that evening and inspire future Witch Gatherings:
Make an Altar to Honor the Dead
The veil between worlds is particularly thin during Samhain. If you have ever lost a loved one, use this night to communicate with their spirit in all of the ways that you feel called to.
Dedicate a small surface in your home to your altar. It could be a counter top, a desk, or even a space on the floor.
Add photos of your loved one(s), possessions of theirs, or even things they would have loved
Include Flowers, Crystals, and Fall Crops like pumpkins or apples to signify the End of Summer (the translation of Samhain)
Provide offerings such as Wine, Bread, or a dinner plate from your meal
Light Candles or Incense to help guide spirits back & to offer protection from unwanted spirits. Bonfires were traditionally used in Pagan rituals for these purposes, so feel free to light one up if you have the means!
Write a letter or speak to your loved ones at your altar. Update them on your life, tell stories, or say the things you never got to.
Host a Dumb Supper
Also referred to as a Silent Supper, Dumb Supper was a tradition held to honor one’s Ancestors. Simply host a small dinner gathering, or even a meal in solitude, offering a chair to your ancestors, and enjoy your meal in silence. For a more concise ritual practice, check out this Blog Post I found with more detail. Be sure to perform a protection ritual before your Dumb Supper, I’ve provided an easy one below!
Many of us have lost our ancestral knowledge, and have a history of generational traumas that have prevented the lineage knowledge of our ancestors from being passed down to us. Some of us are from adoptive families, or may have come from Indigenous cultures that have had their family history stolen and erased. Perhaps the knowledge was simply lost when our ancestors first emigrated, or elder family members passed away without ever sharing.
Whatever the reasons may be, many of us might feel particularly disconnected from our ancestors. Whether you are spiritually inclined or not, experts agree that the loss of ancestral knowledge can leave behind an ancestral wound, often developing into generations of trauma being passed down through parenting approaches.
These wounds can impact us in ways that are difficult to comprehend as full-grown adults, but Human Attachment Theory, a psychological, evidence-based study, implies that the bonds we form with our caregivers in our most formative years (0-18 months), can have significant implications regarding how we have relationships with others.
As many of us familial Black Sheep attempt to break patterns of generational trauma, perhaps it is more important now, than ever, to reach out to our ancestors, begin building new relationships, and attempt to understand these family dynamics from beyond the veil.
Set Intentions and leave behind bad habits with a Fire Spell
This Hallow’s Eve, I will celebrate the seasonal descent into the underworld that represents the dark, lifeless winter months. While many readers may interpret this as a celebration of Evil, it is quite the opposite. Let me explain.
In the fall, plants begin to die back to the ground. For perennials, this means traveling below the surface of the Earth, deep into roots that store vital life energy underground. Herbalists know that Fall & Winter is the best time for a root harvest, as root medicine is the strongest when it is not focused on reproduction above the ground. Annuals and Biennials may die back for good, sowing the earth with vital nutrients as well as seeds for the next cycle of life.
Simply put, Samhain represents a cycle of death that nurtures future life.
In our Samhain celebrations, we can create an intention to let go of old patterns, behaviors, people, and habits that are no longer serving us. We can bury these things beyond the veil, and manifest new growth.
Be sure to set a protection spell when participating in death magic (see Tips at the bottom!)
I love the simplicity of the Fire Cleansing Spell below, with one minor adjustment. PLEASE do not burn White Sage (Salvia apiana) unless you belong to one of the Native American Tribes that historically used White Sage in their traditions. Many New Age practitioners have adopted the use of White Sage in modern day practices, and as a result, have overharvested the wild herb to the degree of near extinction. Instead, make the swap for culinary or garden grown sage varieties, or burn sustainable, abundant, native plants. I’ll list my favorites down at the bottom.
Witchcraft is all about intention, so making swaps and adjustments is both acceptable and encouraged.
Some reminders & tips for practicing magical rituals, communing with the dead, and casting spells:
Begin with a protection ritual. Even if you are only working in light magic, the veil is thin tonight and precautions are necessary. Check out this simple protection spell demonstration. Feel free to scour the internet for alternatives, Youtube is full of helpful witches and free spells!
Sustainable and abundant herbs for smoke cleansing rituals can include: Lavender, Juniper, Spruce or Pine varieties, Red Root Leaves (Ceanothus velutinas - one of my favorites), Oregon Grape Leaves (Mahonia spp.), Cedar, Rosemary, and even Cinnamon Sticks. Collecting fallen tree branches or damaged plant parts is encouraged and ethical when working with native species.
Don’t have a local wooded area nearby to collect herbs for burning? Use kitchen herbs, like Rosemary, Marjoram, Oregano, Sage, etc. Witchcraft does not have to be expensive! Ancestral witches used whatever they had laying around. They didn’t have Amazon or Etsy for fancy tools ;)
Don’t have a cauldron for Fire Spells? Dedicate an old ceramic mug, a ceramic tile, or use your hollowed out pumpkin! Practice on a non-flammable surface (ie, not your carpet or couch), and turn off fans to avoid blowing embers.
Don’t have fancy Witch Candles or Candlestick Holders? Improvise with leftover birthday candles, or whatever candles you may have laying around in your junk drawer (or get some from the dollar store), and bore a hole in old fruit or veg to hold them steady (like the apple trick used in the above protection spell!)
Instead of dressing up tonight, I’ll be dressing down in my comfiest vintage silk PJ’s, sipping tea, and casting spells with my black cat by my side.
