A Might-do List for Samhain
Samhain, known also as The Witches New Year, Calan Gaeaf, Kalan Gwav, Halloween, is the third and final harvest festival of the year. It’s a time when the veil between the worlds is thinnest and all sorts of magick is afoot. Continuing a project started at Lughnasadh, here’s list of nine things that you might-do (or not) for Samhain and the dive into the dark half of the year.
Honor + Commune With Your Ancestors. Samhain marks one of the thin times of the year (the other being Beltane), when the veil between the worlds is at its thinnest. While we are always able to commune with our Ancestors, there is a widespread multicultural attention turned towards the dead at this time of year which, in addition to the thinning veil, makes communion that much easier. Begin with rituals of naming and honoring those who have past, especially those who have crossed over since last Samhain.
Host a Silent Supper. Sitting and eating in silence, with a plate of food and seat reserved for the Ancestors is a beautiful and contemplative way to begin your Samhain celebrations. It can be as simple as setting a plate full of food that everyone is eating before an empty chair or more elaborate with one end of the table becoming an altar of offerings of your ancestors favorite foods and drinks from when they were alive. In silence we remind ourselves that the voices of our ancestors are ever-present if we were to get quiet enough to listen. When a person is done eating they leave the table, taking a moment to honor the ancestors’ place and spend time in quiet meditation (perhaps even divination) until all are done eating and a return to sound begins again.
Practice Divination. The veil is thin and it’s time to ask some questions. From apple peels to scrying bowls, casting cards or stealing kale (no really, look it up), there is a myriad of ways to divine answers and information at Samhain.
Take Stock of Your Winter Wellbeing Supplies (and help others do the same). For our ancient ancestors who had to face winter weather (as opposed to our ancestors who lived in more temperate climates), it was vital to take stock of the harvest and supplies that they had to help them survive the winter. Winter can be hard for any number of reasons which is why taking a moment to realize what you do have to help you through the colder months is important. It is also an opportunity to practice gratitude for the things (shelter, medicine, transportation, a full pantry) and people that are vital to our wellbeing. It is also time to collect food and winter goods for others in your community who need extra help, including volunteering your time.
Burn a Bonfire. Look, I could say burn a bonfire at every Sabbat and find precedence for it. But Samhain is a particularly auspicious time for burning big fires. The fires chased away unwanted harmful spirits, attracted good luck, and reminded folks that though the Sun’s strength was waning, there was a power of brightness in one another. And bonfires are really friggin’ fun.
Find the Magick of Being Silly. Do all the Halloween things you love to do (and always dreamed of doing because you saw it in a made-for-tv Halloween movie). Carve pumpkins or turnips, dress up in costumes, watch your spooky movie of choice (can we please have a queer romcom in which one of them is actually a Witch?), and go trick-or-treating with the little ones in your lives. Because we need the joy of Samhain to carry us through the darkening year - so practice it!
Perform a Dark of the Year Home Blessing. Another traditional practice of Samhain is to bless the home usually through some sort of burnt offering. So, taking some of the light from your bonfire whether through a lit piece of wood or by lighting a candle and walking around the perimeter of your home as a form of blessing. Alternatively, use a bundle of sacred herbs or other traditional plants (such as fir or a bit of turf) to cast a spell of protection over your home, its inhabitants, and all within it. It can be a very sweet tradition to send home your bonfire guests with a candle lit from the Samhain fire.
Take to the Streets With Your Grief. Now, more than ever, we need to show our grief. We need to show our grief so that young people know that it is ok to weep and cry at the state of the world - that nothing is wrong with them. We need to show our grief so that old people know we’re still fighting the fight. Grief is a holy road to empathy and action if we’re allowed to express it fully. Invoke the beansidhe or similar spirit of mourning (and, aptly, warning in our time of climate crisis). We have to grieve and we need to do it together. If the streets are not your style, then host a grief ritual for friends, family or covenmates.
Reconcile. Many a witchfolk, myself included, celebrate Samhain as the end of the old year and the beginning of the new. It is a time to reconcile differences and begin again in the spirit of compassion and goodwill. Reconciliation can be with the living or the dead, people and creature, landscapes and their spirits. Call upon the Ancient Hags and Crones, who have guarded well the gateways between all worlds and relationships since before time began, to guide you.
You know, friends, this list could’ve been much, much longer, but I’m trying to create a might-do list and not a never-ending scroll of suggestions. As someone who could probably write a course on “self-discovery through list-making” these writing this list reminded me that there is a part of my being that holds its breath until the season of Samhain comes round again.
Curious about what else you might-do for the Sabbats? Check out the rest of my might-do lists for the sabbats and beyond.
Wishing you and yours a whole and holy Samhain season.
