Merry Meet!
My name is Crow Moon,
And I'm a solitary Wiccan.
Today I will be speaking about some of the origins and traditions of Samhain.
Samhain is one of the eight Wiccan Sabbats.
Samhain is the third and final harvest,
The Witch's New Year,
And a time when the veil between the world and the spirit world is at its thinnest.
Therefore it is also a time of honoring our ancestors,
And a time when we can aid souls that haven't yet crossed over to do so.
Samhain is celebrated on October 31st.
As such,
Many Halloween traditions are actually adaptations of ancient Samhain practices.
Jack-o'-lanterns,
Originally carved turnips,
Were put in place to ward off evil spirits.
Costumes were worn to provide a form of camouflage from the same.
Studies and television have popularized the notion that spirits manifesting on Samhain or Halloween are all evil,
But that's not necessarily,
Or even at all,
The case.
For example,
The Day of the Dead,
Which originated in Mexico,
Simply seeks to honor those who have crossed over.
As does the Christian All Saints Day.
Samhain in Wicca holds very similar characteristics.
Samhain is the Sabbath before Yule,
When the sun is born again,
And begins to return to fullness at the summer solstice.
For Wiccans,
Birth,
Death,
And rebirth are all represented in the Wheel of the Year,
Or seasons,
If you will.
As we honor those who have gone before us at Samhain,
We are also mindful that death is not the end of our existence.
That being said,
This is not,
At all,
A mournful or scary time.
It's a period of reflection,
And looking forward to the New Year.
Samhain and Halloween aren't exactly the same.
Halloween,
Though very fun,
Is secular,
While Samhain is more spiritual.
In Wicca,
There are countless ways to celebrate this very meaningful time of the year.
For this talk,
I will share some of my favorites.
Setting up an ancestor table is a great Samhain activity.
Placing photos or written names of those who have passed over with a candle on a designated table is a wonderful form of remembrance.
Keep in mind that your ancestors can be blood relatives and or anyone you feel a special connection to,
And those people I refer to as chosen ancestors.
Decorate your home with colors of the season.
Black,
Gold,
Orange,
Purple,
Silver,
And white.
You can do this with candles,
Tablecloths,
Virtually anything.
Wash a pumpkin with moon water.
Charge it with your intentions,
And place it by your front door for protection.
Meditate,
Concentrating on your chakras,
Your third eye and root chakras especially.
Eat by the seasons,
As always.
Samhain is a wonderful time to start consuming more root vegetables,
To ground yourself,
And become more in tandem with the cycle of the last harvest.
On Samhain day,
It's traditional to arrange a separate dinner plate and place it on your table just for your ancestors and the spirits passing by.
Carve a jack-o-lantern,
But put in some pumpkin spice seasoning,
Which I call the witch's go-to,
Before you add your candle.
Cinnamon attracts abundance.
Ginger increases energy.
Nutmeg provides a protective element.
Allspice is for determination and healing.
Cloves boost self-confidence.
After carving your jack-o-lantern,
Save and dry the pumpkin seeds.
Those can be tasty baked snacks offered to nature,
Added to Samhain oil blends,
Or saved to be planted in the future.
Be energetically aware.
With the veil being so thin,
You might feel a bit drained from a spiritual standpoint.
This is easily resolved by setting energetic or spiritual boundaries through either ritual or mindful intent.
You might also wish to set up and meditate inside a crystal grid to ground and shield you.
Before we conclude,
I would like to share with you a poem and a piece of music I wrote just for Samhain.
Our incense burns as the great wheel turns.
From light to darkness.
Beloved ancestors come forth to teach us lessons in all's darkness.
The night of Samhain comes to send a message that there is no end.
We offer food and fruit of the vine to honor our ancestors and the divine.
Rising moon and falling sun,
Our inner work has just begun.
Seek bright light as you go within.
Before we welcome our beloved kin again.
Thank you for joining me in this celebration of Samhain.
Whatever your relationship with the divine,
I think we can all agree that autumn is a wonderful and in many ways calming time of the year.
May you enjoy the calmness and peace that is found in the leaves changing colors,
The now longer nights,
The crisp air in the mornings.
Mary did we meet,
Mary do we part,
And Mary will we meet again.
The crow flies from me to thee to send the message blessed be.
Samhain blessings.
