Samhain

🕯️ Samhain: The Witch’s New Year & The Thinning of the Veil

When the last leaves fall and the nights deepen, we arrive at one of the most powerful points on the Wheel of the Year: Samhain (pronounced Sow-en or Sah-win). This ancient festival, rooted in Celtic tradition, marks the final harvest and the turning of the year’s wheel toward the dark.

It is both an ending and a beginning—a liminal time when the veil between worlds is thinnest, and the living can honour and commune with the dead.

🍂 The Ancient Roots of Samhain

Samhain dates back over 2,000 years to the Celtic peoples of Ireland, Scotland, and beyond. It marked the end of the harvest season and the start of winter, a time of storing food and preparing for the long, cold months ahead.

In the Celtic calendar, Samhain was the division between the old year and the new—the Witch’s New Year. Fires were lit, livestock were brought in from the pastures, and protective rites were performed to keep away wandering spirits.

🌑 The Thinning of the Veil

Samhain is the liminal threshold when the spirit world draws near. Ancestors, guides, and beloved dead are believed to visit. It is a time for:

• Honouring your ancestors and lineage.

• Seeking guidance through divination.

• Releasing what no longer serves your path.

• Listening to the whispers of the unseen.

While some spirits are benevolent, folklore also warns of mischievous or restless ones—hence the protective customs like carving turnips (later pumpkins) and wearing disguises.

🕯️ Traditional Symbols & Correspondences

Colours: Black, deep purple, silver, orange, rust

Herbs & Plants: Mugwort, wormwood, rosemary, sage, hawthorn

Crystals: Obsidian, jet, onyx, smoky quartz, amethyst

Foods: Apples, root vegetables, dark breads, mulled cider, pumpkin dishes

Deities: The Morrigan, Hecate, Cailleach, Cerridwen, Anubis, Hel, Persephone

🔮 Ways to Celebrate Samhain

1. Ancestor Altar – Decorate with photos, heirlooms, offerings of food, flowers, or drink.

2. Divination Night – Use tarot, runes, scrying mirrors, or pendulums to seek guidance for the year ahead.

3. Dumb Supper – Hold a silent meal in honour of the dead, setting a place for them at the table.

4. Protective Magic – Burn cleansing herbs or hang protective charms to safeguard your home during this liminal night.

5. Fire Ceremony – Write down fears, regrets, or old patterns, and burn them to symbolically release them before the new year.

🌌 Spiritual Themes of Samhain

• Death & Rebirth – Recognising the necessity of endings for new beginnings.

• Ancestral Connection – Strengthening ties with those who came before.

• Inner Journey – Turning inward to reflect, heal, and dream.

• Protection & Transition – Safeguarding your space and energy during the shift into winter.

Samhain is the witch’s deep breath before the descent into the long night. It asks us to honour the past, listen to the whispers of the unseen, and step into the next turn of the wheel with courage.

🌙 Closing Blessing

On this night of shadow and flame, may your heart be guided by the wisdom of the ancestors, and may the darkness be a womb for your rebirth. Blessed Samhain.