Samhain
Samhain- pronounced "sow in"
October 31st-Nov 1st (traditionally celebrated sunset October 31st-sunset Nov 1st)
Other holidays- Halloween, all saints day, Hallowmas, Day of the dead
Samhain is known as the witch's New Year because death is also seen as a rebirth. It is a great time of change. Change is not always easy or something we openly embrace. It can be frightful and cause stress and anxiety or it can be something we are looking forward to and be a major necessary boon to our well-being.
Dedicated to the Goddess Hecate. Hecate (Hekate), is a Greek Goddess represented as the crone. She is a goddess of magick, wisdom, crossroads, night, entrances, witchcraft, herbs and spellcraft, and divination. She is often seen with black dogs, keys, and torches. She can guide us and show us the way but the choice of which direction is always ours to make.
Samhain is honored as a time of change as we go from Dark Maiden to Crone and begin to look inward as we head toward the dark cold winter months. This is a major time for self-reflection, divination, shadow work, and contemplation as we move forward.
It is the last fire festival and the last harvest festival of the year.
It was originally celebrated as the time when the grazing season was ending and they would separate and keep the animals to be used for breeding and the rest would be slaughtered for the coming winter months. As echoed in it being a time to honor the dead and celebrate our own life. Like all harvest festivals, it is a time for being grateful and thankful for what we have. That which we have lost and that which we still have.
As a fire festival, it was a time to honor the flame that we would need to keep us warm during the upcoming winter months. In the past, this was extremely important to our ancestors. Warmth was literally life and death.
Like its opposite sister in the wheel of the year Beltane, during Samhain the veil is thinnest. It is said that this allows the departed spirits to cross over for the night to visit. We can use this time to honor the dead we have lost both people and pets.
As the wheel turns...
At the beginning of Samhain, we see our potential ahead of us as we leave the past behind.
Women's Mystery:
This is the time where one becomes a Crone and/or meets death.
Ways to celebrate:
It is important that we each celebrate in our own way and with what makes the most sense and feels right to us. It should feel meaningful to us or there is no point. This is merely a list of ideas to inspire you.
Practice Divination- do a reading to see how the new year will be
Honor loved ones, people or pets, who have passed away. Set up pictures or sentimental items on your altar or another space to honor and remember them.
Communicate with the dead
Honor yourself as a crone
Start a new journal for the year or just continue to journal. Use this as a time for shadow work, contemplation, and reflection.
Light candles or a bonfire if possible to honor the flame
Donate food, items, and clothing
Release patriarchal struggles we all face
Honoring women who have struggled and died throughout history because of oppression
Honor all of the animals that are cruelly treated in the food industry
Colors:
Black, Oranges
Fall colors and dark colors
Foods:
Apples, Pumpkins, meat, ciders, root vegetables, bake soul cakes,
Celebrating as a Dianic-
To me, this festival is very much about inner reflection, contemplation, and change. Out with the old and in with the new.
I start a new journal. I reflect on what has held me back, cluttered my soul, what I need to remove even if it is difficult or may hurt me, what I need to end or let die off. And I look toward the future and what is to come and where my path is headed.
Divination is a major role here and I like to do a yearly reading.
I look to Hecate as a teacher and guide. She isn't a mother to hold your hand and kiss your booboos but the crone, dark, and sometimes harsh when she makes us face that which we don't always want to see. But it is there and we must face it to move forward. We must cut ties and let go of those things holding us back so we can move forward.
I have two mediations I like to use for this:
One,
I picture this as Hecate guarding a pool of water that we must strip down and enter of our own free will. The water is dark and we can't see into it. It is scary but we trust in ourselves and the Goddess. Strength is in letting ourselves feel fear but pushing past it. Inside the pool we see all that which is harming us. It is like chains holding us, tying us up in knots, and pulling us down. We must face each one and let it go to move forward and return to the surface renewed, lest we drown.
Beforehand we can take a cord and tie knots in it. Each with a focus on a specific issue. During the visualization, we untie each knot.
(note this can be a very stressful mediation and not for everyone. If you are not ready to face these that is ok and do not try to force it)
Two,
Embrace Hecate as the 3 headed Goddess. We visualize a crossroad standing before us. We turn to the left and a dark figure is approaching us. As she comes into view we see it is us from the last year. We embrace her, feeling her worn and heavy from past struggles. We tell her it is ok to let go. To be free.
We turn towards the forward-facing path, another figure comes into view. It is the Goddess Hecate. She carries a torch and brings us guidance and light. She reminds us that within us we hold the guidance and wisdom of Her always. We have the tools and the strength to move forward and to let go.
We turn towards the right path and it is open and full of possibilities and hope. It is not yet written and awaiting our choices.
(this second meditation was inspired by Ruth Barrett from the book Women's rites, women's mysteries)