What is Samhain?
Samhain is a celebration of the wheel of the year that is usually marked around November 1st in the Northern Hemisphere and May 1st in the Southern Hemisphere It is most often associated with the Harvest Moon in the first week of November. Depending on the belief system and the year, it can be celebrated from October 31st- November 5th.
Other common names for Samhain are Winter Nights, Halloween, All Hallow's Even, The Witches New year, November's Eve and Pagan New Year.
" Halloween (Samhain) starts on the first harvest moon you see in October and ends during the first week of November. "
-Carole S.
Samhain is the middle point between the Autumn Equinox and the Winter Solstice. The Celts believe in the splitting the year into the light half and dark half of the wheel of the year (summer and winter respectively). Samhain is the first spoke of the dark half of the wheel and is the first of the original Celtic cross quarter days. It is also known as one of the fire festivals.
All Hallow's Eve is marked spiritually by a thinner veil. It is a time to honor and pay respect for the dead. A Thinning veil is ommon believe this time of year. A veil separates our world from that of spirits and during this time of the year, it becomes significantly thinner, making it easier to communicate and commune with the spirits. Therefore, many traditions and rituals are around honoring and respecting your ancestors and the recently passed within your family line.
In Wiccan Traditions, the Goddess takes the form of the triple goddess: Maiden, Mother and Crone. Samhain is the embodiment of the Crone which is the first AND last stage of the goddess. The Crone holds the most knowledge, power and wisdom. The goddess most traditionally associated with Samhain is Hecate in greek mythology and Cerridwen in Celtic Mythology
Hecate is a greek goddess of the underworld. This time of year she goes by the title of Dark Goddess which is the name of the Crone embodiment of the triple goddess. The Dark Goddess embodies mystery, the moon, the inner self and our shadow selves.
In Celtic Mythology, Cerridwen is the goddess of Samhain. She is the keeper of the gate to the underworld, the crone, the grandmother of time. She is the goddess of colder months and the crone of darkening days.
The Witche's New Year (Samhain) is full magic and shadowy things whether you truly believe in it or not. It is a reminder that death is just as much a mystery as it is inevitable and that it is a blessing to be alive today. It holds a magic of what is beyond us and what is within us. Encouraging us to honor the dead yet live fully in our lives. There is great power this time of year. A Power that can be harnessed and honored all at once.
Samhain truly is a time to harness the divine within each and every one of us. It is a time to connect to the energies of the moon, the energy of the goddess and the energy of our ancestors.
Samhain can also be seen has transitioning us from cycles of birth and growth to cycles of death. For all must die in order to be reborn. It is a preparation for this rebirth— a time to turn inward, to reflect and to rest. To gather all of our energies in order to be reborn again come Spring. Samhain invites us all to turn inward in order to face the darkness of the coming months. To call your energy in so you can be held and warm during the dark times.
Due to all these energies at play, Samhain is a great time to break bad habits, journal about ends and honor all the life you have lived and all the life that is to come. A reflection and a planning of sorts. some journal prompts are below to support you in your journey.
In the agricultural year, it is the last harvest festival of the year. It symbolizes the end of this years harvest as nature beings to turn inward and store her energies to prepare for next week. This time of year all the fields would be tended to, the herds drawn home and inside and the rest was left to Mother Earth to take care of. The natural world shows us and guides us through the cycle of death in order to be born again.
We can learn from nature to turn inward, to turn introspective and to become quieter and more gentle with ourselves. Take some time this Samhain to sit with yourself and reflect. Check out some of these journal prompts to get you started.
Journal Prompts for Samhain
Close your eyes, Take a deep breath, Turn inward
Reflect on this past year. What brought you joy? What lit you up? Alternatively, what held you back? What brought you down? Allow there to be space for dark and light, highs and lows.
What is something you want to leave behind from this past season?
As you turn inward, what do you need to prioritize? What is your body, your energy and your mind asking of you?
In what ways, can you show up for yourself? your family? your business? your friends?
What can you let go of in order to make more space?
where in your life can you slow down?
Take some time to sit with yourself and be still. Honor all that you are, all that you come from and all that you have to do.