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Secular Celebrations - Samhain

And then we come to the best holiday of them all - October 31st, good old Samhain. Seriously, if you don’t like Samhain or Halloween, I’m just not sure we can be friends. We all know how it’s celebrated - ghost stories and guising and good times. And lots of witchcraft. So much. All the witchcraft. -cackle-

Samhain is the third and final harvest festival, the harvest of flesh. This is when animals would be slaughtered, and sacrifices would be made, and the dead would be remembered. This is the night that the veil between the mortal world and the spirit realm is rumored to be at its’ thinnest. I mean, it’s always pretty thin, it’s a VEIL, after all, not a theatre curtain, although that’s another good analogy. But around Samhain, the dead travel more freely. They’re moving toward their final rest, if they haven’t found it yet, or perhaps they’re coming back for a visit. Día de Muertos is another holiday that celebrates this, with feasts and marigold garlands and family altars called ofrendas.

So first and foremost, Samhain is a time to remember those who came before. I think this is going to be sadder and more poignant in the next few years than it might have been before. We’ve all lost so much. It’s nice to have one night in the year when we’re encouraged to remember the dead fondly and laugh about the good times, even though it might be hard at other times. Honor your deceased loved ones with a cemetery visit or a gift of food or flowers. Commune with the dead, if you wish to do so. Just remember to hang up and cleanse the house after, so no uninvited guests stick around.

And it’s not just your immediate family you can call on, but your more distant ancestors too. Remember that ancestors aren’t just your blood relatives, but also people who inspire you or bring you insight. Honor the witches who came before as well, and the ones who were called witches but weren’t and suffered for it.

Put out some fruit offerings - I usually use apples - or a few shots of alcohol or a dish of salt. Another tradition calls for carving the names of the deceased into apples or potatoes and tossing them into water as an offering. I think this one might be an offshoot of the old “bobbing for apples” party time, but it’s not a precursor.

Bobbing for apples is a throwback to older traditions where partygoers would use apples and other party food to perform simple divinations. An apple peel taken off in one strip would be tossed over the shoulder and the shape it formed when it landed was supposed to show the initial of your future spouse. Dishes like barm brack and colcannon would have little charms hidden inside that were supposed to tell the fortune of the person whose portion contained them for the coming year. So if you’ve got divinations to do, especially for love or fortune, this is the time. Cast your predictions for the coming year.

Carve pumpkins and make baked pumpkin seeds. Tell the tale of Jack O’ Lantern and his glowing turnip. Learn about the history of Halloween and Samhain and where they intersect.

Samhain is a holiday that pretty much demands bonfires. Between burning leaves and the symbolic sacrificial pyre, a towering pile of flaming branches is something that’s pretty ubiquitous in cooler climes. When I lived in Pennsylvania, there was always a farm somewhere that would host one, usually alongside other spooky seasonal festivities.

If you have the opportunity to visit another harvest festival or a Halloween fair or a haunted attraction, go and have some fun! It’s a time of year for celebrating the spooky side of life, the scary things that remind us just how alive we are. So put on those scary movies, decorate your home, and scare your friends and neighbors. Tell your favorite ghost stories and bump Spooky Scary Skeletons loud enough to disturb folks in the next county. However you celebrate your spooky side, indulge it as far as you’re able.

On Samhain, we let our witch flags fly. It’s the one time of year that even those of us still witching in secret are sometimes able to get away with living in the open, or at least, a little less in hiding. Celebrate your life as a witch, even if you must do so in private. Revel in the pop culture visibility that’s giving us more of a foothold in the “normal” world.

On a personal note, this is the time of year that I do my annual home warding. Part of it has to do with the need to refresh them because of the increased spirit traffic, and part of it has to do with Samhain being an easily-markable holiday. I perform a full altar cleaning, an offering with fire and whiskey to honor my ancestors and my patrons, plus whatever spells I need to do for divination or immediate needs. Then, I do a full ritual to unravel the old wards, clean the place out, and weave new protections that will last until the following year. I do patch them in the interim sometimes, if they need it.

If you have something big to do with your craft, Samhain is a good time for it. Or, if you need a break, it’s a fine time for that too. You’ll know what’s best for you at the time.

This is a season of remembrance. In addition to honoring those who came before, study the history of your chosen craft and of witches in general. Think about what brought you to the craft in the first places, and what keeps you going. If you feel like your inspiration is waning, it’s a good time to find ways of reinvigorating yourself.

Meditate on the year so far. What knowledge have you gained? What do you want to learn next? What do you wish you’d done differently? What has passed out of your life that you’ll miss? What do you remember most fondly?

Meditate on the nature of disguise. What metaphorical masks do you wear? When and where do you feel most like yourself? Is there some part of yourself that you feel compelled to hide, and if so, why? What face would you like to be able to show to the world? Is it maybe time to find ways of living more in the open, or is it safer to keep your mask on for now?

- Hex Positive, Ep. 011, "Secular Celebrations" (November 1, 2020)

Other Posts In This Series:

Imbolc

Spring Equinox

Beltane

Midsummer

Lughnasadh

Autumn Equinox

Samhain

Yule

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Samhain altars.

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Samhain General Guide

Samhain, or “summer’s end,” has several aspects. For the ancient Celts, Samhain marked summer coming to a close and the beginning of winter. It is considered the final harvest (for meat) of the year, the Celtic New Year, a time to honor one’s ancestors, and a night that the veil between the physical and spiritual world is thinnest. It is thought that divination is more powerful at this time, that the faerie folk are more active and that the dearly departed are nearer to us (and thus easier to contact) for this reason. Today, Samhain takes place on October 31st.

Colors

Orange, red, brown, gold, yellow, and black.

Flowers, Herbs and Scents

Acacia, allspice, almond, angelica, apples, basil, bay leaf, benzoin, broom, burdock, calendula, catnip, cedar, chrysanthemum, cinnamon, cloves, comfrey, copal, coriander, cypress, dandelion, dragon’s blood resin, frankincense, garlic, ginger, hazelnut, heather, heliotrope, marigold, mugwort, mullein, myrrh, nettle, oak, passionflower, patchouli, pennyroyal, pine, pumpkin, rosemary, saffron, sage, sandalwood, star anise, sunflower, tarragon, thistle, thyme, tobacco, wild ginseng, wormwood, and yew.

Food and Beverages

Apples and apple dishes, corn, meat dishes, gingerbread, hazelnuts, potatoes, seasonal fruits (quince, pomegranates, cranberries, kumquats), vegetables, pumpkin dishes, roasted pumpkin seeds, nuts, beets, squash, turnips, soul cakes, sweet potatoes, ale, mead, cider, mulled wine, and herbal teas.

Symbols, Associations and Decorations

Acorns, candles, torches, lanterns, apples, autumn flowers, autumn leaves, bats, besoms, black cats, bones, carved pumpkins and turnips, photos of ancestors and/or dearly departed, corn stalks, corn dolls, crows, cauldrons, gourds, jack-o-lanterns, masks, mirrors, oak leaves, pine cones, pomegranates, pumpkins, scarecrows, scythes, skulls, straw, tombstones, and spiderwebs.

Activities for Samhain

Divination (tarot, scrying, cleromancy, etc), honoring/consulting ancestors, remembering the dearly departed, holding a dumb supper, releasing the old, understanding death and rebirth, past life recall, lighting bonfires, leaving offerings for ancestors and/or faeries, cooking, feasting, pumpkin and gourd carving, lighting candles, and wearing costumes and/or masks.

Crystals and Stones

Black obsidian, black onyx, hematite, carnelian, amber, bloodstone, smoky quartz, and petrified wood.

Animals

Black cats, bats, owls, stags, ravens, crows, spiders, and dogs.

Spells and Rituals

Candle magic, divination, casting protection, shadow work, spirit work, and/or rituals/spells for manifesting transformation are all appropriate at this time.

Honoring Ancestors on Samhain

Past Life Spell: Magic Mirror

All Hallows Lucky Apple Spell

New Beginnings Spell #1

New Beginnings Spell #2

Find a Faerie Spell

Home Protection Spell

Stone Wall Protection Spell

Witch Bottle for Protection

Resources: (x), (x), (x)

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Catherine Hyde (British, b. Dartford, Kent, England, based Helston, Cornwall, England) - The Soft Night Descending, Paintings: Acrylics, Gold Leaf on Canvas

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🌿Minimizing Waste as a Hearth Witch🌿

Minimizing waste saves money and the environment. With a little creativity, there are many ways you can create opportunities to reduce waste and maximize the supplies you have.

🍄 Keep your jars. If you buy something that comes in a useful container and can be reused - then reuse it. In my experience, the best reuse for plastic containers is to freeze food. Also, small bottles like Advil bottles, are EXCELLENT spell jars. However, for all types, you can use them to store food, organize drawers and closets, store spell ingredients, or even make decorations. The possibilities are nearly endless!

🍄Keep all your fruit, vegetable, and herb scraps. With some scraps and water, you can make a lovely broth. Alternatively, you can use them to make a simmer pot for a spell or simply for the scent.

🍄If you eat meat, keep the bones. Again, a great broth ingredient!

🍄Avoid paper towels whenever possible. These are super wasteful and expensive. Whenever possible, I opt to use a towel or cloth. You can recycle old textiles for rags. However, if you're feeling ambitious you can knit or crochet towels and cloths; this is a great way to use up that scrap yarn you probably have laying around! You may even choose to add a bit of knot magic to these pieces.

🍄Thrift and upcycle. This is a bit of an obvious one; but really. It's a great way to have lovely belongings while reducing waste overall and saving money. With a bit of love, many things can be new.

🍄Almost every dish can be salvaged. It happens. We mess up. But, before you throw it away, do some research on how to salvage it. Odds are, you will be able to do it!

🍄Don't throw away fruits or vegetables that are overripe or wilting. Within reason, of course, many of these fruits and vegetables can be frozen for soups, casseroles, sauces, and smoothies!

🍄Buy a reusable coffee filter and tea basket for loose tea. Really, this is a given if you are a tea or coffee lover. Disposable ones are so wasteful and the reusable ones will pay for themselves in no time.

🍄Compost if you can. Compost dirt is amazing for growing ingredients for dishes and spells. While you're at it, save your eggshells, as well.

🍄Mend your clothes, blankets, and even shoes. A little bit of love can go a long way, including increasing the life of your favorite items. You can also add flair by learning how to darn and apply patches.

🍄Learn how to remove stains from fabric. In the same vein as mending, learning how to remove stains increases the life of your clothes. Different stains require different methods of removal, but usually, it is not impossible. Failing this, learn how to dye your clothes to revamp them.

🍄Use alternative cosmetics. This is a really big topic and I will create a post about this later. But, consider doing research. There are lots of things that can be made or substituted; notably face masks, hair masks, and using coconut oil as a make-up remover.

🍄Localize your practice. Use natural herbs and ingredients found in your local environment. Create your own correspondence if needed.

🍄Collect rainwater. Unfortunately, it is no longer a great idea to drink rainwater - but use it to water plants and clean your floors. Rainwater is also a powerful spell ingredient for spells that don't require drinking or putting on your skin.

🍄Only buy what you need. This time of year more than ever it is VERY tempting to buy up cheap Halloween-themed goods. But, consider an item's long-term usefulness, if it will create clutter and disorder in your home in the future, and if there are alternatives.

🍄Buy a cheap food dehydrator. These are perfect for making tea and drying out herbs, flowers, and other ingredients for spells and cooking.

🍄Consider alternatives in cooking and spells. There is always an alternative, you may not have to buy something new.

🍄Meals and beverages as spells. As a full-blown kitchen, I believe spells eaten and drank are extremely powerful. It also saves on ingredients.

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