Samhain

Wicca Spirit Newsletter

Vol. I Issue 5

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Samhain

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“Evn”

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Everything Herbal:

“Herbal Teas”

Animal Medicine & Totems

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Element Correspondences

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“The Root Chakra”

“Corn Dollies”
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"Recalling the Song:

   How Communicating
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Text Box: Samhain is one of the eight Wiccan holidays, often referred to as 'Sabbats', observed as part of the Wiccan Wheel of the Year. It is considered by most Wiccans to be the most important of the four 'greater Sabbats'. It is generally observed on October 31st in the Northern Hemisphere, starting at sundown. Samhain is considered by most Wiccans as a celebration of death and of the dead, and it often involves paying respect to ancestors, family members, elders of the faith, friends, pets and other loved ones who have died. In some rituals the spirits of the departed are invited to attend the festivities. It is seen as a festival of darkness and death, which is balanced at the opposite point of the wheel by the spring festival of Beltane, which Wiccans celebrate as a festival of life and fertility. While the Wiccan version of Samhain is not a form of reconstruction, and is largely mixed with other traditions in a form of universalism, it is influenced by the Celtic holiday from which the name was taken. Samhain is celebrated on a material as well as a spiritual level. Materially, it represents a time of gathering resources for the long winter months that are coming. For those who had a bad season through the fall, Samhain is a time to prepare for the perils that winter may bring. Spiritually, Samhain is a time for reflection and meditation on death, and the honor of your ancestors who have passed to another plane. It is an opportunity to be at one with your past, present and future. The Great Feast of the Dead is celebrated on Samhain Eve to offer tribute to those who lived before you, and those who will come after you. Samhain predates the Roman feast of the Dead, Lemuria, and All Hallow's Eve - the eve of the Christian holiday to honor the saints, All Saint's Day. The secular holiday today is known as Halloween. All of these festivals, though called by different names, are celebration of the awe, communication with, and respect of the dead. Note: The following contains elements of a work authored by Mike Nichols, a Welsh Witch from K.C., Missouri. Samhain (pronounced 'Sow-en'), is the time when black cats, orange pumpkins, and winter begins to occupy our minds. Nos Galaon Gaef is one of the four Great Welsh Sabbats celebrated by Witches, Wiccans and many other Pagans, and is the dark twin of the Sabbat of Beltane. Samhain: (people differ on how to pronounce this, in most traditions, it is pronounced sow-en. Also known as All Souls Night*), October 31- November 1. The New Year. All the crops have been harvested and now the womb of the mother is lying dormant. Now is a time for introspection and understanding your inner self. It is the time of the Crone, filled with wisdom and quiet illumination from within. Colours for this sabbat are: Black and red. This is also the final harvest ritual of the Celtic year. Ripe fruits and nuts are gathered. Some are prepared for the feast and others are stored for future use. Many vegetables and fruits are canned and preserves prepared to put away in the cupboard. For those who rely on farming to exist, this markes the time when the herds are thinned so there will be enough food for the livestock through the winter months. Often the ones chosen for butchering are the weakest and probably would not survive the intense cold. The following was quoted from Paganet: "Samhain, contrary to what some believe, is not a Celtic god of the dead. Instead, it is a Celtic word meaning "summer's end." The Celts, like many other cultures, saw the dark of the day or year as the beginning. Thus their days began at sunset and the winter half of the year, starting on November 1st, was the beginning of their new year, just as it is for many Wiccans or Pagans. The Celts were a pastoral people as opposed to an agricultural people. The end of summer was significant to them because it meant the time of year when the structure of their lives changed radically. The cattle were brought down from the summer pastures in the hills and the people were gathered into the houses for the long winter nights of story-telling and handicrafts. In the Druidic calendar, this was the time when barriers between man and the supernatural were lowered. Fires were lit to honor the descending sun god. On the eve of Samhain, the gates of the Abyss were unlocked and spirits from below flew free. Human souls that had been trapped in the bodies of animals were released by the Lord of the Dead and sent to their new incarnations. "With the coming of Christianity, the early Church in England tried to Christianize the old Celtic festival by making the 1st of November "All Saints Day," and making October 31 "All Hallow's Eve" or more commonly "Hallowe'en." The reason many Christians associate Hallowe'en with Christianity is that in the eighth century Pope Gregory III established November 1st as the Roman Catholic feast day honoring the dead. Then, later in the ninth century, Pope Gregory IV decreed that the day was to be universally observed by the Roman Catholic Church which, at that time, held the greatest influence among the Christian populous because of its political strength. But the attempt to discourage the Pagan celebrations were so unsuccessful that the holiday was eventually banned from the Church of England's calendar until its reemergence in 1928. "To Witches and Pagans, Samhain is the Festival of the Dead, and for many, it is the most important Sabbat of the year. Although the Feast of the Dead forms a major part of most Pagan celebrations on this eve, it is important to remember that nearly all Pagans consider the disturbance of the dead immoral, and at Samhain only voluntary communications are expected and hoped for. The departed are never harassed, and their presence is never commanded. The spirits of the dead are, however, ritually invited to attend the Sabbat and to be present within the Circle. "Halloween represents the threshold between the world of the living and the realm of the spirits, and is a time when the veil between the worlds is very thin. The acknowledgement of the nature spirits that walk the earth on this eve can still be seen in the observance of children, and some young-at-heart adults, wearing masks and costumes and "trick or treating," a time honored ritual many of us have done, and probably more than once. The spirits are represented by the children as they walk the earth in their many guises celebrating, albeit unknowingly, the ancient tradition of this Sabbat. "In honor of Samhain, many Wiccans and Pagans offer a plate of the harvest fruits to the spirits in attendance, along with a goblet of wine. Candles are burned in remembrance of loved ones who have passed on. Apples and pomegranates are eaten to represent the opposites of life and death. (Try cutting an apple cross-wise to see the pentagram of seeds within!) Many feel that this is the best date of the year to perform scrying, either with crystals, fire, or a bowl of water, especially in the moonlight. For some, Samhain is the time when the Wicker Man, created and charged at Beltane, is ritually burned in the Sabbat fire, sending him to Tir na Nòg for rest and renewal. As the gates open for him, the other spirits then cross over to visit; other traditions burn the Wicker Man at Lughnasadh. Fire jumping is usually done at this Sabbat, and is seen as a purifying act, although it can be dangerous if not done properly. Our focus at this time of the year is turned inward, and activities begin to move indoors, becoming centered around hearth, home, and family. "Some ideas for this Sabbat: "Bob for apples. There were many divination practices associated with Samhain, many of which dealt with marriage, health, and the weather. Ducking for apples was a marriage divination based on the belief that the first to bite into an apple would be the first to marry in the coming year. This is similar to the wedding tradition of the throwing of the bride's bouquet for women and her garter for men. Apple peeling was another type of divination to determine how long one's life would be. The longer the unbroken peel, the longer the life of the one peeling it Carve jack-o-lanterns. Take your children trick-or-treating; go yourself! Finish any incomplete projects and pay off lingering bills (if possible) to close out the old year and begin the new year afresh. Set aside some time for scrying or other form of divination. Leave food out for the birds and other wild animals. If you don't have a wicker man left from Beltane, make one from dried grass or grains of some kind. Burn it in your Sabbat fire. If you don't have a fireplace or firepit, burn him in your cauldron, barbeque grill or hibachi. Put pictures of ancestors who have passed on your altar for your Sabbat rite. Light a special candle for them, to show them the way to return and celebrate with you. Visit the graves of your ancestors or, if this isn't possible, the nearest cemetery. Be still here, and listen for the voices of those who have passed. Leave offerings of food and drink for them, and for the animals. Tell ancestral stories and tales around the fire, or at the dinner table. Have a mask-making ceremony in which you create masks to represent your ancestry. "Colors traditional on this Sabbat are red, orange, gold, brown, black. Favorite decorative touches can include pumpkins and other late fall fruits, corn stalks and Indian corn, a scarecrow or wicker man, cauldron, crystals, candles. Foods and libations commonly used this night are apples, pomegranates, pumpkin, nuts, apple cider, mead, beer. "As winter approaches and the Crone makes her appearance, we now look forward to Yule and the rebirth of the Sun. And, so the Wheel turns... " Samhain Remembrance Ritual This is the perfect ritual to do at any time of the year to honor and remember loved ones who have passed. It is a way to remeber the joy shared with you loved ones. Traditionally, Samhain is the most magical time of the year. It is a time when the veil that separates us from the Other World is at its thinnest. It is a time to celebrate Past, Present and Future. Here is a spell for use on this special day. You may want to use it to honor loved ones who have passed away, or to celebrate the union of past, present and future. The items you will need are: The Bag of Samhain Gemstones: Crystal for light Turquoise for infinity Sodalite (3) for life and form - past, present, future Citrine for the golden ray of sun Moonstone for the light of the moon A glass with a little red wine or juice A plate of simple food (bread, fruit) One black candle and matches Do this ritual on October 31. Bathe before the ritual and wear clean clothes. Ensure that you cleanse the stones of all unwanted energies. Prepare your altar: Put all the items on your clean altar. Put the black candle in a brass or silver candle holder, have the matches close by. Place the candle in the center of the altar. Arrange the stones in a circle around the candle. Place the wine and plate of food to the right outside the circle of stones. You may place photos of loved ones who have passed away on the altar if you want to honor them in this ritual. Flowers or greenery can also be used to give a festive feeling to your altar. When everything is arranged take a moment of silence to ready yourself. Light your candle and while doing so, ask this Blessing: Lift shadows dark; remove the veil that distance separates no more and loved ones hear our whispered hail beyond the daylight's opened door Now pick up the crystal stone and pass it over the fire, saying: Reveal the mystery; sight unblind what once was lost we now shall find in purity of heart we ask for meeting in our joyous task Place the crystal back on the altar. Next, pass the turquoise over the fire, saying: The daylight's heaven domed azure brings comfort warmth and solace sure but in its raiment blue we see the measure of infinity Place the turquoise back on the altar. Next pass each sodalite (one by one) over the fire. Sipping from your glass of wine or juice, make a toast to the past, present and future souls with each sodalite. Make a toast to the souls who have passed with the first piece of coral by saying: What once upon the seas was cast submerges to the shadowed past but drinking from the cup explains that all that was, now still remains! Toast the souls of the present with the second sodalite, saying: In life is change and spirits grow what once was sown now learns to sow our eyes shall wonder; voices cherish hands may build what cannot perish! Make a toast to those yet unborn with the third sodalite, saying: What's been before remains unbending while life unfurling toils unending perfection is a song unsung the hope remains what's yet to come! Now pick up the citrine, and pass it over the fire, saying: In golden warmth we touch the sun a wealth unearthly makes us one let earth and fire join our flow united now within the glow! Next pick up the moonstone, and pass it over the fire, saying: Our sister moon presents reflection, on mysteries hidden to inspection A vantage to the world unseen Her gift a mirror in between! Allow the candle to safely burn until you go to bed, then snuff it out. The following morning, the food and drink can be returned to the earth as an offering of thanks. As you do so, say: I make this offering For blessings, guidance and protection now and forevermore. Keep your Samhain gemstones in a place of honor where they will be undisturbed. Use them again next year, but be sure to clean them of energies before the next ritual use. Copyright © 2006 Amerindea.com This spell may be reprinted if credit is given.

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