Samhain Celebrations & Rituals

Simple Samhain Celebrations & Rituals

Samhain, also known as Halloween, is the final spoke in the Wheel of the year.  It is often viewed as the Witches’ New Year, and the final harvest before we plunge into the darkness of the coming months. Samhain is a time when the veil between the living and the dead becomes extremely thin and the spirits of our ancestors are nearby.

Here are ways you can celebrate Samhain and get into the Halloween spirit!

Decorate With All The Fall Things

You can not only decorate your home, office, or other spaces with Halloween decorations, but you can set up your altar to honor Samhain as well. Adorn your altar or sacred space with protection crystals like Black Tourmaline, Black Obsidian, or Hematite. Use bright flowers like red roses, or fall decorations like pumpkins, gourds, acorns, leaves, and seeds. Incorporate candles in autumn colors like black, deep red, and orange. Leave offerings to your ancestors such as mulled wine, cider, bread, or a cornucopia filled with fruits and vegetables. The death and the moon tarot cards are also associated with Samhain and can be displayed on your altar or sacred space.

Eat, Drink, and Be Spooky

Pack up some food and have a midnight picnic in a cemetery. While you’re there, you can write a letter to deceased loved ones and leave it on their grave or burn it. Leave an offering on graves such as fresh flowers, dried herbs, or fresh water.

Or, if cemeteries aren’t your thing, you can cook a big meal for a friends and family dinner or host a potluck where everyone each brings a dish. Include items that incorporate fresh fruits and veggies, offer loaves of dark bread like rye or pumpernickel, and serve cider, wine, or tea and coffee. For these gatherings, it’s lovely to dress up the table with a nice fall centerpiece filled with pumpkins, acorns, candles, leaves, and other autumn items.

Enjoy the Autumn Air

Take a Samhain nature walk and be sure to stop to notice and appreciate the beautiful colors of fall. Go on a foliage hike. Feel the breeze in your hair and on your skin, pause to touch the trees that are now shedding their leaves. At night, spend time talking to the moon, especially a full or new moon and tell her your dreams and wishes for the coming months.

Bonfires are a traditional way to celebrate Samhain. Have friends or family over to enjoy a bonfire and make s’mores or fall-themed beverages. You can also have everyone perform a small releasing ritual where each person writes down something that no longer serves them (a bad habit, a person, a negative thought), and shares it with the group if they’d like, and then burns it in the fire. As you watch the flames, visualize what was written down floating away into the universe, out of sight and out of mind.

Honor Your Ancestors

This is the time to honor and connect to loved ones we have lost, and a great way to do so is by placing family heirlooms or talismans on your altar. You can also create a space devoted entirely to honoring passed loved ones at this time. Gather photos and mementos of deceased family, friends, or pets. Arrange them in your sacred space or in another safe place with several candles surrounding them. Light the candles in their memory, and while you do, you can speak their names out loud and express gratitude toward them for being a part of your life or ancestral lineage. Take a moment to pause and reflect on this person or pet, perhaps cherishing the time you may have spent together or the memories you have. Notice any feelings that may arise as you do so. This space or altar can be created just for Samhain or kept year-round.

Samhain is additionally known as the perfect time to hold a séance since there is such little distance between the living and the dead. Host a séance or gather a group to take part in one.

Pause, Reflect, and Move Forward

Slow down and use Samhain as a time for introspection and reflection. Review journals, photos, social media posts, or your calendar from the past year to see how much you’ve grown and accomplished. Meditate on the memories of all that happened and what you’re grateful for. Perhaps repeat positive affirmations of all you learned during the year as you meditate. Admire any adventures you went on or new endeavors you started. Think about what your favorite months were and why. Write down your top three favorite moments and appreciate the year for what it was – take the good, the bad, and everything in between as you begin to move forward. To seek guidance for the year to come, use tarot cards, runes, or another method of divination during Samhain.

However you choose to celebrate Samhain, be sure to make time for yourself and loved ones and to appreciate the beauty of the autumn season.

Blessed Samhain to all and Happy Halloween!

N.R.

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