Samhain Day 2024 is on Thursday, October 31, 2024: Fellow PagansWiccans, how will you be celebrating Samhain this year.if you are?

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Samhain/Samhainn is NOT the 1st or 2nd November, these are All Saint's and All Soul's day in the Catholic Faith. Feast Days. In terms of Western Christian theology, All Saint's Day commemorates all those who have attained the beatific vision in heaven. Specifically, in the Roman Catholic Church, the next day, All Souls' Day, commemorates the departed faithful who have not yet been purified and reached heaven.

Samhain in modern times has come to be celebrated on the 31st October by Wiccans, and those of some other neo-pagan paths and general pagan spirituality.

No, Samhain/Samhainn ACTUALLY means "Summers end". The word is used in Scots and Irish Gaelic to signify the month November.

November means "ninth month" but we use it to signify the month we do.

Right, now we've got THAT straight. Celebrate Samhain. Well think about why you want to do that, what does the season mean to you. What does the Celtic myth cycle mean to you. The clocks going back, the nights really and truly drawing in.....think about other mythic cycles at this time of year, one of the other posters mentioned Persephone - think about that.

For me - a time of 'letting go' - ideas that didn't work out (yet), challenges I've met along the way, hopes/dreams not materialised (yet), people whose presence in my life has come to a natural ending - and of course the people who have gone before me to the Summerlands

To me Samhain is about remembrance of those that have gone, and to the acknowledgment of the mystery that there is no death.

The Day of the Dead (El Día de los Muertos or All Souls' Day) is a holiday celebrated in Mexico and by Latin Americans living in the United States and Canada. The holiday focuses on gatherings of family and friends to pray for and remember friends and family members who have died. The celebration occurs on November 1st and 2nd in connection with the Catholic holiday of All Saints' Day which occurs on November 1st and All Souls' Day which occurs on November 2nd. Traditions include building private altars honoring the deceased, using sugar skulls, marigolds, and the favorite foods and beverages of the departed, and visiting graves with these as gifts.

Many people feel that this time of year is a good time to acknowledge the sacrifices made by our ancestors, without whom we wouldn't be, to celebrate their life, and to acknowledge their passing, and the turning of the wheel of life. As we sink into the dark half of the year, the Lord of Death and Resurrection (nothing to do with Christianity) reigns until the solstice and the lengthening days once again.

Some people set a place at the dinner table, a "dumb supper" for any passing spirits to enjoy, don't eat the food, dispose of it in a separate bag from your normal household waste. It's a time for giving thanks for the harvests both physical and emotional, for looking at rest and inward vision, plans and ideas for the next Spring....

What am I doing? Our coven is going away for the weekend. Private coven ritual on the Friday night, which is a big event, sombre and emotional. On the Saturday we have others coming to join us, an open ritual, followed by a party of lights and fellowship.

As an aside, the Hindu faith has Diwali (Festival of Lights) at this time of year, go and have a look at that as well.

"Regardless of the mythological explanation one prefers, what the festival of lights really stands for today is a reaffirmation of hope, a renewed commitment to friendship and goodwill, and a religiously sanctioned celebration of the simple - and some not so simple - joys of life." Times of India editorial

Whatever you do, and it doesn't have to be complicated, do it sincerely and give thanks for that which you have gained during the past year, and for those who have gone before us, and gave us birth.

Blessed Be

How does Halloween differ from Samhain?

Samhain

Greater/Major Sabbat, Fire Festival

Pronunciation: Irish Gaelic for "summer's end." The standard Irish pronunciation is either "SOW-in" with the "ow" like in "cow", or "SAH-win". Other pronunciations that follow with the many Gaelic dialects include "sow-een" "shahvin" "sowin" (with "ow" like in "glow"). The Scots Gaelic spelling is "Samhuin" or "Samhuinn." There is no linguistic foundation for saying this word "samhane" the way it might look if it were English. (To be really untechnical about it, the "mh" is a little linguistic gadget that tells you not to pronounce the "m" like, well, an "m".) When in doubt, just say "Hallows" or even "Hallowe'en."

Other Names/Associated Holidays: All Hallow's Eve, All Saint’s Eve, Celtic New Year, Celtic Winter, Day of the Dead (Mexico), End of Summer, Feast of the Dead, Feast of Spirits, Festival of Pomona (Roman), Hallomas, Halloween, Hallowstide, Martinmas (Celtic/Scottish), November Eve, Old Hallowmas (Scottish/Celtic), Samana, Samhuinn (Irish), Samhradh, Samonios, Santos, Shadowfest (Strega), Third Harvest, Vigil of Saman (Druid), Vigil of Todos, Witch's New Year,

Date: October 31 to Nov 1, Celtic New Year, All Hallows Eve falls on November 7th, and Martinmas on November 11th.

Opposite Sabbat: Beltane

General Correspondences

Deity Aspects: Crone Goddesses, Dying/Ageing Gods, Sacrificial Gods, Death and Otherworld Gods and Goddesses, Deities of the Harvest and Autumn.

Symbolism: The first celebration of Winter and the day in which the Celtic New Year begins, The God is in the womb once again, the Dark Mysteries, Rebirth after Death, wisdom of the Crone, sacrifice of the God, last or third Harvest, meat harvest. It is a time when the veil between the living and the dead is at its thinnest, the wisdom of the Crone, Celebration of Reincarnation.

Place in the Natural Cycle: The turning from Autumn to Winter, the end of Autumn and the beginning of Winter, for the Celts it was the end of Summer, the last of the three harvests, the culling of the herd, the beginning of the darkest time of the year, this is the last day of the Year.

Pagan Mythology: The death of the God, and the descent of the Goddess. It is said to be the time when the veil between worlds is very thin, when souls that are leaving this physical plane can pass out and souls that are reincarnating can pass in. Samhain is the Pagan New Year and the Feast of the Dead. It is a time to honor and to say goodbye to loved ones who have passed on, especially if their deaths have occurred within the last year. The Goddess enters her Dark phase as she mourns her son and consort, and the Dark God takes up the rulership of Winter, leading the Wild Hunt of the Fey upon the earth.

Oak/Holly King Cycle: The Kings do battle and the Oak King dies. The Holly King is waxing and after slaying the Oak King, he mates with the Goddess.

Celtic Tree Month: The Reed (Ngetal).

Planetary ruler: Pluto, Mars.

Zodiac: 15 degrees of Scorpio.

Moon: Hunter’s Moon, Snow Moon, Dark Moon.

Element: Air, Fire.

Cabalistic correspondence: Binah.

Threshold/Time of Day: Sunset to Midnight.

Taboos: Travel after dark, eating grapes or berries,

Symbols: Waning Moon, pumpkin, gourds, scarecrows, scythes, corn, besom, cauldron, masks,

Colors: Orange, black, red, brown, yellow. Orange is for the harvest colors and the turning leaves, also for the setting Sun. Black is for the coming darkness of winter, and the Underworld. Red is for the spilled blood of the God. Brown is for the brown fields after harvest and the turning leaves. Yellow is for the turning leaves and for the waning Sun.

Crystals/Stones: Amber, black obsidian, beryl, bloodstone, carnelian, clear quartz, diamond, garnet, granite, gold, hematite, jasper, jet, marble, onyx, opal, pyrite, rose sapphire, ruby sandstone, smoky quartz, steel, tourmaline, turquoise.

Herbs/Plants: Apple, angelica, almond, autumn joy sedum, bay leaf, broom, burdock, catnip, calendula, cinnamon, cloves cosmos, corn, deadly nightshade, garlic, ginger, gourds, grains, hazel, hazelnut, hemlock cones, mandrake root, mugwort, mandrake, mullein seeds, nettle, pears, pennyroyal, pine needles, pomegranates, pumpkin, rosemary, rue, sage, straw, sunflower, tarragon, thistle, thyme, wild ginseng, wormwood.

Flowers: Chrysanthemum, marigold, mums, passionflower, sunflower.

Trees: Acacia, apple, cypress, hazel, hemlock, holly, juniper, oak, pine, yew.

Incense: Benzoin, copal, frankincense, heliotrope, mastic resin, mint, mugwort, myrrh, nutmeg, patchouli, sage, sandalwood, sweetgrass, wormwood.

Oils: Basil, frankincense, camphor, bay, cedar, clove, copal, coriander, cypress, eucalyptus, heather, juniper, lilac, mugwort, patchouli, peppermint, sage, sandalwood, sunflower, vetiver, wormwood, yarrow, ylang-ylang.

Animals: Bat, cat, elephant, heron, jackal, owl, ram, raven, robin, scorpion, stag.

Astral/Mythological Beings: Beansidhe, erlkonig, fylgiar, goblins, harpies, medusa, peryton, phooka.

Personal Adornments: Symbols of death and rebirth such as, spirals, cauldrons, necklaces. Oak and holly leaves, nuts especially acorns, holly berries, blackthorn branches and flowers.

Home and Hearth

Household Decorations: Apples, acorns, autumn flowers, bats, black cats, bones, corn stalks, colored leaves, ghosts, gourds, Indian corn, jack-o-lantern, oak and holly leaves, pine cones, pomegranates, pumpkins, waning moon.

Traditional Foods: Meat, especially pork and poultry. Apples, autumn joy sedum, almond, bay leaf, beets, calendula, cinnamon, cloves cosmos, corn, garlic, ginger, gingerbread, grains, hazelnut, hemlock cones, mandrake root, mums, mugwort, mullein seeds, nettle, nuts, passionflower, pine needles, pomegranates, potatoes, pumpkins, pumpkin bread, pumpkin pie, roasted pumpkin seeds, rosemary, rue, sage, sunflower petals and seeds, squash, tarragon, turnips, wild ginseng, wormwood.

Traditional Drinks: Apple juice and cider, mulled wines, mead.

Special Activities:

vLeave offerings of food and drink or milk and honey for the dead/fae folk,

vDrink apple cider spiced with cinnamon to honor the dead.

vMix up some hot mugwort tea

vMake a pumpkin pie

vDry meat or make jerky-this is the traditional meat harvest

vWear costumes that reflect what you hope or wish for in the upcoming year. Make masks and costumes representing the different aspects of the God and Goddess and wear them to ritual or used to decorate your altar or temple area,

vEnjoy the trick or treating of the season,

vChoose and enthrone a Winter Queen and King the counterparts of the May Queen and King,

vCarve faces in apples and pumpkins

vBury an apple or pomegranate in the garden for spirits passing by on their way to being reborn

vDrying winter herbs

vMake a witches ladder for protection or as an expression of what you hope to manifest in the year ahead

vFind a magick wand of oak, holly, ash, rowan, birch, hazel, elm, hawthorne or willow,

vMake a besom, or witches broom.

vLet this be the traditional time that you make candles for the coming year, infusing them with color, power, herbs, and scent depending on the magickal purpose

vAt Samhain, witches once gave one another acorns as gifts. During the Burning Times, giving someone an acorn was a secret means of telling that person you were a witch.

vLook at old family photo albums or scrapbooks. Try to tell stories about each person in the pictures

vHave a New Year's Party-it is, after all, the Celtic New Year!

vFeasting and partying to defy the coming darkness (bob for apples, roast nuts, pop popcorn)

vWitches' Ball

Of Ritual and Magick

Magickal Studies: Divination, scrying, astral projection, past life work.

Spellwork: To do away with old negative patterns or situations to make room for new life. Banishing, fairy magick, candle magick, casting protection, sex magick, release of bad habits, workings of transition or culmination, contacting those who have departed this plane. Do divination for the next year using whatever form of divination appeals to you. Inner work, propitiation, clearing obstacles, uncrossing, inspiration, workings of transition or culmination, manifesting transformation, creative visualization, contacting those who have departed this plane.

Meditations: Dark Moon Mysteries, looking to the coming year, Journeys to the Underworld, meditations on those who have past and what they mean to you and what you learned from them, past life work, Samhain is considered to be a good time to boost your confidence and security.

Candle Colors: Orange, black, red.

Altar Cloth: Orange, black, red.

Ritual Tools: Athame, balefire, besom, black cauldron or bowl filled with black ink or water, cauldron, chalice, crystal ball, tarot cards, magick mirror, oghams, ouija boards, pendulum, runes.

Altar/Circle Furnishings: Apples, autumn flowers such as marigolds, corn dollies, ears of corn, fall foliage, gourds, jack-o-lanterns, nuts, pen and paper for writing resolutions, pomegranates, pumpkins, sprays of grain, seeds, squashes, wheel of the year symbol.

Balefire: Apple, holly, oak, pine, yew.

Ritual Significance: Samhain is a time for reflecting upon the last year, making plans for the upcoming one, and especially for banishing weaknesses or other undesired qualities within us. This is the last harvest and the culling of the herd. Honoring of the dead and ancestor spirits. Honoring the death of the God/Oak King and the mating of the Goddess and the God/Holly King. Celebrating the beginning of Winter. Making resolutions for the New Year.

Ritual Actions:

vCarve a pumpkin and carry it, lit, above your head in procession to your ritual site in memory of all those who perished during the burning times or your own dearly departed.

vBonfires are lit to remember the sun and encourage its return.

vDuring ritual invite departed friends and family into the circle and tell them of all that had happened in your life since their departure. You may wish to set a place for them at your dinner table and use this time to contact them. This is a good time to talk to them of any unresolved issues that you may have had with them and to let them go. Remember those you loved who have passed on-perhaps by putting their pictures or something they gave you on your altar during your ritual.

vKeep a fire lit or a candle burning all night to honour and welcome the dead.

vSymbolically extinguish the "hearth fire" of your home and then re-light it from the Samhain Sabbat Fire or cauldron.

vRead or act out in some way the battle of the Kings and the death of the Oak King.

vRead or act out the "Descent of the Goddess.”

vPerform the Great Rite.

vMake resolutions, write them on a small piece of parchment, and burn in a candle flame, preferably a black votive candle within a cauldron on the altar.

vSlice an apple on the altar displaying the star within and say, "This is the fruit of life- which is death " and then slice a pomegranate and display the seeds saying, " This is the fruit of death- which is life."

vDrink apple cider spiced with cinnamon to honor the dead.

Complied by Juniper