Tag Archives: death

Samhain is Upon Us

Posted on by

Being a working mother, it seems like I really don’t have much time to do the things I would like to do.  I spent most of today working on updating this blog to not contain my ramblings, but actual information as well.  It still doesn’t contain everything I would like it to, not by a long shot.

When I was done working on my blog, I decided to arrange the photos of those who have passed on.  My altar was already pretty bare. We had just moved in two months ago and I had yet to unpack all of my Pagan altar-type stuff.  It took a few hours finding the photos of the people and pets I was looking for and cropping some of them to fit in the frames.  I wanted it to be ready for Samhain night so I don’t have any setup to do.  It’s bad enough we had an early freeze, so the pumpkins on our porch are unusable for carving now.

I also tried making the Skull Bread from the Simple Sabbat book I just reviewed.  Both the looks and taste was pretty underwhelming.  I followed the written directions exactly,   but I somehow produced something more like masks than skulls. I had planned to eat it on Samhain, but I took a tiny taste out of curiosity and it mostly tasted of yeast and spices. I couldn’t really taste the pumpkin.

I still don’t know exactly what I’m going to do on the day of Samhain, but I feel like I’m at least getting into the spirit of the season more!

Sabbats: Samhain

Posted on by

Samhain is usually celebrated on October 31st (April 30th in the southern hemisphere).  I have heard it pronounced both “sahm hayne” and  “sow-een”. This is my explanation of this holiday.  It may or may not work for you and your path.  There are a number of things that this Sabbat usually celebrates.  fall-wreaths-2380990hd-64_1000

  • The final harvest
  • Days growing shorter
  • The end of the wheel of the year
  • The thinning of the veil between our realm and the spirit realm
  • Death (sometimes rebirth, but usually that’s saved for Yule)
  • Honoring our ancestors
  • Honoring those who have crossed over into the spirit realm

That’s a lot of things to celebrate, so it’s not surprising that many people celebrate it in different ways.  Here are some ways that I and others celebrate it culturally.

  • Carve pumpkins or gourds to protect the home (I have also heard the explanation that these light the way for your ancestors to visit).
  • Make and eat foods that are harvested around this time where you live.  In the northeast United States where I live, it’s mostly Hope-Cemetery-Barre-Vermont-Viewspumpkins, winter squash, and apples. Warm apple cider is always a favorite!
  • Do divination for the coming year.
  • Visit the graves of loved ones who have passed.
  • Create an altar with photos of your ancestors.
  • Light a candle in your window to honor your ancestors.
  • Tell stories about those who have passed.
  • Make art with fallen leaves (this obviously doesn’t work if you don’t live somewhere where the leaves change).
  • Decorate your altar or living space with symbols of the time of year.

Here are some ideas for Samhain rituals.

  • Bindings
  • Cord cuttings
  • Endings of any kind
  • List things you no longer want in your life and burn the list
  • Honoring the ancestors
  • Guided meditations
  • Shadow work
  • Make peace that you will one day die
  • Invoking a Crone Goddess (for the experienced only)
  • Divination for the coming year

Please remember that your celebration and ritual can be as simple or complex as you want and have time for. How do you celebrate Samhain?

Samhain-2011