Samhain ~ Beginning of Winter

Today the Wheel of the Year turns for the last time and we celebrate Samhain. Also called Celtic New Year’s Eve, the end of the light part and the beginning of the dark part of the year and the beginning of the Winter’s Rest in Nature. Samhain is the last harvest festival and is traditionally celebrated intimately and modestly with family, loved ones and those who have already passed on to the Other World. The celebration of Samhain lasts until November 2, All Souls Day.

In ancient times, with Samhain, the cattle that were brought to the Summer Pastures with Beltane on May 1, were brought back home to the Winter Pastures. In the period of Samhain, the storehouse was filled with the last things to get the family through the Winter. The cattle that were known not to survive the harsh Winter were slaughtered. During the celebration of Samhain, the animals were thanked for their sacrifice so that the family could survive Winter.

In the night of October 31 to November 1, the animals, the ancestors and deceased loved ones were commemorated. Not through mourning, but through telling anecdotes, funny stories and sharing their wise lessons. The period of Samhain, the time from Samhain to Midwinter, was, and still is, used to reflect on all the wise lessons of the past year, what could be harvested and what could be released.

At this time the veil between the Other World, the Spiritual World, and our earthly world is very thin. This allows deceased loved ones, humans and animals, to travel more easily through the Gate between the Other World and Our World.

You can commemorate your deceased loved ones tonight by adding white candles to their photos. Or free up a spot on the table and put their precious items together. Symbolically you can also put an extra plate at dinner tonight. Also serve it and after the meal you have eaten with your family and deceased loved ones, put it outside for the Nature Spirits of Mother Earth to give thanks for the beautiful harvest you have received this year.

Samhain and the Pumpkin

With Samhain you often see decorated pumpkins. And now it is inextricably linked to Halloween, as it is celebrated today. But what’s the story behind those pumpkins?

In the book In het Licht van de Maan, by Petra Stam and Marja de Zeeuw, I found answers:

“The hollowed-out pumpkin with light is also called Jack O’Lantern. This stems from the old Irish story that a notorious impostor, Jack, was not allowed to enter heaven because of his tricks. Since he had played tricks with the devil several times, he was not even welcome to hell. So Jack was a wandering lost soul. As a consolation, the devil gave him a little ember so that he could light his path between the two worlds. Later the glowing coal was replaced by a hollowed-out turnip and then by a pumpkin with a candle in it as a lantern to let wandering souls find their way home.”
~ Petra Stam

These hollowed-out pumpkins were also used to ward off evil, hence the scary faces carved into them. Nowadays, the pumpkins, whether or not hollowed-out as a face or otherwise decorated, are seen as a decoration that belongs to this season. Whether you place them or use them, now you at least know the story behind the Pumpkin.

If you want to make your own, cut a “hat” off the top, hollow-out the hat and pumpkin, and wash the inside and outside with salt water. Then cut your shapes into the pumpkin with a sharp knife or small saw. To attract positive energy and souls, crumble some Sage or Mugwort on the doorstep of your home. When it gets dark, put your own Jack O’Lantern in its place at or next to your front door, place the light or candle (think of fire safety) in your pumpkin and light it. You can put an apple as an offering to the souls.

Preparing for Winter’s Rest

The trees nearly lost all their leaves, the gardens and fields are ready for winter, all harvests are in, and the last Sunday of October in the Netherlands we go back to Winter Time. During this time in the old days everything was completed that was left over from Summer, all fields were made ready for winter, houses were cleaned… everything was being prepared for Winter’s Rest. It was taboo to have some harvest left in your fields or in your gardens after Samhain and if there was any, you would not touch it, because that was for the Nature Spirits.

The days are getting shorter, the nights longer, the dark time of the year has begun and our ancestors adjusted their schedules accordingly. They went into  a state of rest; went to bed earlier and sleep longer. In our modern times that is almost impossible to do. We live in a 24/7 society, we are connected all over the world by the internet and we sometimes work the craziest hours because of this or your rhythm is adjusted to day, evening and night shifts. And yet there is something to be said for the way our ancestors dealt with time. Our bodies often react badly to unnatural rhythms. We become tired, irritable or forgetful due to lack of sleep or too little rest that we allow ourselves. So if you yourself live in a 24/7 rhythm or due to circumstances you have had too little sleep recently, think about how our ancestors prepared for Winter’s Rest. And use the dark days to get some sleep, retreat with a good book or play a board game together. If possible, don’t set the alarm at the weekend and see when you wake up on your own. Either way, slow down, just like Nature does outside. Make your home cosy with candles, lights, warm plaids on the sofa and enjoy this intimate, warm time.

A nice way is the following from Deborah Blake:

“Winter comes on silent feet / Drawing darkness in
The colder longer days increase / Witch each revolving spin
I will not fight the shorter hours / Ignoring nature’s calls
Instead I’ll slow hectic pace / And rest as Winter falls
The night invites me to my sleep / The dawn is slow to come
I slow my pace and calm pulse / And march to nature’s drum
~ Deborah Blake

Samhain Herbs and Incense

Samhain Herbs:

  • Sage
  • Ivy
  • Apple tree
  • Catnip
  • Pumpkin
  • Basil
  • Yarrow
  • Oak
  • Hazelnut
  • Chestnut
  • Blueberries
  • Pomegranate
  • Common Fumitory
  • Turnip

Incense that you can make yourself with Samhain consists of equal parts:

  • Mullein
  • Patchouli
  • White Sage
  • Sandalwood powder

You can add to this:

  • Cinnamon
  • Orange peel
  • Lemon peel
  • Juniper
  • Laurerl
  • Mugwort
  • Rosemary
  • Dragon’s Blood
  • Rose petals

Make a mixture of the herbs that call on you or that catch your eye first. Let your intuition speak ♥

Samhain Crystals and Colours

Typical colours for Samhain are all colours that you now see in nature, such as:

  • Brown
  • Black
  • Orange
  • Yellow
  • Gold
  • Green
  • Burgundy

Crystals that suit Samhain are:

  • Jasper
  • Obsidian
  • Onyx
  • Carnelian
  • Tiger’s eye
  • Calcite
  • Sunstone
  • Opal
  • Danburite

Celebrating Samhain

Samhain is a period of endings and new beginnings, pausing, looking back on the past year and preparing for the new year. Some find that difficult, because our Annual Calendar is already so in our genes that the time between Yule or Christmas and New Year’s Eve is seen as such. Feel what feels good to you, take what you want to take with you and you can always choose to do certain activities between Christmas and New Year’s Eve. For example, I made that adjustment for myself with Divination.

Divination

The time of Samhain is a good time to reflect on the life you are currently leading. Are you happy with that or would you like to change it? What would you like to leave behind in the old year and what would you like to bring with you in the new year? To find answers to this, it is customary to practice divination with Samhain. You can do a Year Reading by drawing a Card or a Rune for each month and finally drawing a 13th Card or Rune that represents your Year’s Theme. Personally, I think it is better to do that with the New Years Eve of our calendar year. The reason for this is that I see my Annual Reading as an indicator, guide and insight for my daily activities. For me, those daily activities are part of the daily energy of my diary or annual calendar.

During the celebration of Samhain I prefer to look at my inner world, my feelings. And with Samhain I like to ask Grandmother Spider for advice. She helps you to make your emotional world and your shadow world (what is hidden and what may be brought into the light) transparent. And when you have your inner world clear, then you know what you want, what makes you happy and you will broadcast that into the outside world. The outside world is going to answer that and you will attract what you want. So within, so without.

Four Corners Home Blessing

It is a good time to energetically cleanse your home during the celebrations of the Wheel of the Year Festivals. With this you say goodbye to the energy of the period before and you make room for the energy to come with the new period. What is very nice thing to do after cleansing and also brings a very nice scent into your house, is the Four Corners Home Blessing.

What do you need:

  • • 4 nice pots or glasses
  • • White rice for fertility and abundance
  • • Sea salt for protection and purity
  • • Sage for cleansing and positive energy
  • • Lavender for relaxation and peace.

Put all 4 ingredients in your jar. You can do this layer by layer or mix everything together. During the layer by layer you express your intention per layer. While mixing everything together, you express your intentions while mixing. If necessary, stick a nice self-made label with your intentions on the pots.

Then place your pots in the North, East, South and West of your house. If you have pets, place the pots in such a way that they cannot reach them for their safety.

As soon as you notice that the scent of your pots is less or if you feel that they are no longer working, you can make them again.

Source: https://oddsouldesigns.com/2017/01/16/witch-craftings-four-corners-home-blessing-spell-to-attract-purity-and-abundance-into-your-house/amp/

Witch Ball or Witch Jar

Another fun thing to make is a Witct Ball or Witch Jar. In the past, these balls and pots were made and hung by the front doors to protect the house and hearth from witches. Witches hung the balls to protect their home and hearth from negative energy, disease and evil. In addition, the balls or pots were also intended to attract prosperity and luck.

They are easy to make. Grab a glass jar or a Christmas ball can be filled. Find out which herbs or items you want to put in that are meaningful to you and protect your home, your family, and your loved ones. For example, you can add Juniper berries, Bay leaf, Mugwort, Sage, Rose petals, Lavender, a shell, a crystal, a nail or safety pin, a Hazelnut, Chestnut and an Acorn. As you fill your jar or ball, you speak your intentions within yourself or out loud. You can hang feathers from the jar or ball or add a charm of a favourite animal, the Tree of Life or a small broom. Then you tie a cord around it or make a pendant from it with macramé in the colours that you think suit your protection, intentions, attracting prosperity and positive energy.

If you already have such a ball or jar hanging or standing, you can replace it with Samhain. They have done their best all year round and are now ready to rest. You can do the replacement by ritually burning the herbs and cleansing the items, so that they can be re-used again, or also ritually burning them or burying them in a safe place in the earth. Then you make a new jar or pot and your house is protected for a new year.

Of course you can also make small jars that you can take with you in your pocket or your bag, like the small pot below.

This spell bottles and others can be found on: http://www.witchywords.com/2018/11/how-to-create-small-spell-bottle.html

And to conclude this one:

Samhain Ritual

Grab a piece of paper and throughout the day, before dark, write down what the past year has brought you and what lessons it has taught you. Roll up your paper, put your name on it and put a string around it.

During the day, collect treasures from nature, such as beautiful leaves, twigs, acorns, chestnuts, hazelnuts and stones.

Place your roll of paper and your treasures on the table and make an Ancestor Altar. You can do this by beautifully placing photos or objects of family members, loved ones and pets who have passed on to the Other World on your table and putting your treasures from nature around them. Top it off by adding 3 white candles: 1 for your ancestors, 1 for your relatives and loved ones in the Other World and 1 for your pets in the Other World.

In the evening you gather around the table and raise your glass or mug to toast to the past year. Then you take turns and you read your note, express your gratitude for the lessons learned and the harvest that could be received and you close with your intention for the new year.

When everyone has had their turn, go outside and make a (safe) fire. Take a seat around the fire and put your note 1 by 1 in the fire. Observe how the paper catches fire and how the smoke is carried on the wings of the Wind. When the notes are burned, take turns telling a nice anecdote or story about a family member, loved one, or pet who has moved to the Other World. Finally, you can place the treasures of your altar along with some apples and birdseed outside in the form of an outdoor altar or nature art to honour the Nature Spirits.

You can of course also make your own ritual. Make it a beautiful, modest and loving evening ♥

What else is can be done with Samhain?

  • Watch the sunrise and sunset
  • Make bird and hedgehog houses
  • Create an Ancestor Altar with pictures and objects of your ancestors, skulls that remind us that we are mortal and all kinds of treasures from nature, such as beautiful leaves, Acorns, Hazelnuts, Chestnuts, Beech nuts, Pumpkins, …
  • Create a family tree
  • Cooking the favourite food of those who have passed on to the Other World
  • Set a place at the table for a loved one or family member who has passed on to the Other World
  • Put apples outside for the ghosts who come to visit
  • Tell your favourite story of someone who passed to the Other World
  • Create a text in which you indicate what the past year has brought you and what you are grateful for and ritually burn the paper in a campfire or a fire bowl
  • Divine with Tarot or Oracle Cards, Ogham, Runes, I Ching, Auto Writing, Scrying, Dream Interpretation, Pendulum, Interpreting the Smoke of the Campfire
  • Make a Jack O’Lantern
  • Lit 3 white candles: 1 for your ancestors, 1 for family members and loved ones and 1 for pets who have passed on to the Other World

A beautiful Samhain everyone♥
Elke )O( The Alder Scrolls /|\  2020 ©

Sources:

#Nature #Attention #Inspiration #ElkeTheAlderScrolls #Druid #Witch #InTheFootstepsOfTheDruid #TheAlderScrolls #SelfCoaching #Samhain #WheelOfTheYear #WheelOfTheYearCelebration #Divination #GreatmotherSpider

)O( SelfCoaching /|\