October 31st November 1st Samhain
pronounced sow-en or sow-win.
Also known as The First day of Winter-
Hallow E'en,Hollantide oiche Shamhna
( Samhain Evening), Snapapple
Nigh, P`uca.
The Celts counted days
from sundown to sundown, so Samhain starts on at
sundown of October 31st
and ends at sundown of November 1st.
Related Dieties: Hecate, Persephone, Pan,
Hades, The Morrigan
Related Herbs: Bay leaf, lavendar,
mugwort, nutmeg, sage
Related Stones: Black Onyx, obsidian, bloodstone, opal,
amethyst
Samhain Incense: Bay leaves, nutmeg, sage)
Samhain Oil: 4 drops lemon grass, 2 drops bay, 1 drop nutmeg.
Sanhaim (sow'-en) is
held October 31st and is also known throughout the world as Halloween, Hallows
or All Hallows Eve.
One of the things people seem
to wonder most about Samhain is how is it meant to be
pronounced? Well, as in most things, this depends on exactly were you are. In
Since
ancient times, Pagans have paid their respects to departed loved ones,
ancestors, and guides in the Spirit World at Samhain.
The Goddess manifests as the Crone and the God as the Horned Hunter and Lord of
Death. Sacred colors are Black and
It's the only festival we observe that deals directly with the dead. For
this reason, the Samhain celebration completely
defines the role of death in the cycle of life, and the importance of its
lessons in our personal realities. Since the veil is thinnest at Samhain, we learn much from those in the spirit world. It's
the one time of the year when their messages reach us easily. This is why most
people work with divinatory tools at Samhain.
Suggestions For the Altar:
Use orange and/or black altar cloth, orange and black
altar candles, and decorate with apples, pomegranates, chrysanthemums, and
marigolds. Burn Samhain incense (see above). Use
small jack o'lanterns to mark the quarters, placing
element appropriate colored candles inside each.
A Means of Invoking the Dead
Cast the circle using the athame. After the
circle is cast, go to the western quarter and draw an invoking pentagram with
the athame to open the gate. Then evoke the dead by
saying:
Spirits walking on
this night-
Hearken! hearken to my call!
Gather in this circle
light
Enter! Enter! One and
All!
Whether you are plant
or pet
Or Human spirit
roaming free
Into this circle you
are let
Blessings we bestow on
thee
Please say to us what
you must say
And give us all your
worries, deep
And we will guide you
on the way
To peace and rest and
gentle sleep
Spirits walking on
this night-
Hearken! Hearken to my
call!
Gather in this circle
light
Enter! Enter! One and
All!
Then invoke
Pan, the Guardian of the Summerland, and bestow blessings upon the dead by
saying:
O mighty Pan of the
Summerland
Guardian of the
beloved dead
We pour love on those
you keep
Safely, in your
peaceful stead
We bless those who
have walked the path
That someday, we as
well, shall rove
We offer peace unto
their souls
While resting in your
arms, below
Perform any divinatory measures that you wish, then return to the Western Quarter with the athame. Say something like:
Blessings upon you, o wonderous spirits of the
dead.
We thank you for
your presence in our circle and honor you on this
sacred night.
We beseech you, O Pan,
keeper of the sacred dead, embrace once again those
souls
within your keep and hold tightly to your
breast those that have been lost and wandering.
Grant them safe passage to the Summerland where
they may rest peacefully in
your strength until they are refreshed and reborn
again in perfect love.
We bid you a fond farewell. So mote it be!
Using the athame, draw a banishing pentagram
at the western quarter to close the circle gate. (NOTE: Closing the gate is of
utmost importance here. Left open, the spirits cannot find their way to the
Summerland, and will continue to roam the Earthly plane. They will be left in a
state of confusion and could actually wreak havoc in your personal life. It's
an aggravation that you and the walking dead can both do without.)
It is the beginning of the new
year and a solemn occasion, when darkness overwhelms the world and
the
days grow shorter. The earth becomes a cold barren place. The three days before
Samhain, Lugh
(the god of light)
dies at the hands of the Tanist (the Tanist is the Lord misrule). Lugh
passes through
the
veil between the worlds on Samhain. The Tanist is the stingy and harsh King who while shining
brightly
in the skies gives no warmth to the land. The Tanist
cannot warm the north wind, which is the
breath
of the crone (Cailleach Bheare)
this is symbolic of the harmony of the seasons. The lesson that
is learned is
the neither life nor death can ever hold permanent sway over the world.
Feast
of the Dead
The Feast of the Dead (Fleadran
Mairbh) takes place at Samhain.
This is a time when ancestors are
remembered
and honored, similar to the Day of the Dead in
Samhain is one of the two times during the year when the veil (Shield of Shathach) between this
world
and the otherworld are thin. It is thinnest at Samhain
and is a good time for divination. Samhain
is a gateway, a
transition from one season to another. The Celts only had two seasons summer
and
winter.
In Celtic mythology at the heart of every gateway is a paradox. It is literally
the threshold
between
two worlds, but it is in neither and in both worlds at the same time. This day
was considered
not
to exist because it is when the spirits of the dead and those to be born could
enter this world.
This allows the clan or tribe to remain united
with the past.
Samhain
was a time fairs and festivals for the harvest, fire were lit on hilltops. This
is one of two times
in the year
when the hearth fires were extinguished and re-lit from the communal bonfires.
Cattle
were
driven down from the mountains where they had been sent for the summer. At this
time the
stores
were inventoried and the weakest were culled from the herd and preserved. This
was done in
a sacred way
and also to prevent the entire herd from starving during a harsh winter.
Samhain
is the beginning of the time of story telling while the days are short and the
family spends
time
together.
Samhain Celebration Ideas:
Place a white seven day candle in the window to guide
the dead to the spirit world.
Light the candle and say:
“O little flame that burns so bright, be a beacon on
this night,
light the path for all the dead, that they
may see now what's ahead and
lead them to the Summerland and shine until
Pan takes their hands and
with your light, please bring them peace that they may rest
and sleep with ease.”
Because this is a time of endings, magick
is often performed to get rid of unsavory personality
traits or break bad habits. Just write the trait or habit on a piece of paper,
light it, and toss it into the cauldron or a fireproof dish and say something
like:
“I burn this trait (habit) from my life, upon this
sacred Samhain night,
it is gone from me at last, just a memory from the
past.”
Since this is
the beginning of the dark time of the year, say goodbye to the Sun and wish him
well as he rests now until the time of his rebirth at Yule. At the end of the
ritual, include a farewell by saying something like:
“Farewell, Dear Sun, who warms the Earth, who, with your light, brings
joy and mirth.
Close your eyes now,
go to sleep, rest peacefully in darkness, deep,
until the Yuletide fest begins, and you are
born to us again.”
Extinguish all candles to signify his absence.
To feed the
dead on their journey and gain their blessings, either leave or bury a few
apples and a pomegranate outdoors after libation. As you leave the fruit, say
something like:
“O fruit of death and
fruit of life, Fruit that eases mortal strife,
ease the hunger of the dead, until they
reach their final stead.
Be food enough for
everyone, until their journey's fully done.”
May the Lord
and Lady watch you in this time and keep you safe. Honor
those who have past before you and celebrate the coming of the spring following
the darkness of winter. May you all have a joyous Samhain.
Blessed Be
Lady Guenhwyvar
SilverHawk
(The material
contained here was gathered from several online sources. If any of this belongs
to you feel free to e-mail me you will be added to the credits.)