Samhain

 

 

 

 

The celebration of Samhain (pronounced sow-win) originates from the ancient Celts who would welcome the harvest and acknowledge the dark half of the year. What is so important about this date is how thin the veil is between our and the spirit worlds. People would dress up in spooky costumes to trick the spirits into thinking they were one of them and carve pumpkins or turnips to leave outside to scare off entities from entering their homes. We now recognise this as Halloween! Samhain is one of the major festivals of the Wheel of the Year, with some considering it the most important of all of them. Those witchy ones among us wait in anticipation all year for it! Personally, my own children normally start planning about January!

 

The theme of this time is death, and that’s ok- it’s a natural part of ‘us’, as the leaves fall and vegetation dies off, death is literally in the air! But there is no reason to take a morbid approach to this festival and we should view it as more of a celebration of the deceased and all that death involves. We need areas of our life or journey to die to be reborn to enable us to grow, such as relationships ending to allow us to move onto something or someone who can fulfil our soul.  

 

Without our ancestors we would not be here ourselves, so we use this time to honour them. Family and food are at the heart of this celebration, and it is common practice to set passed loved ones a space at the table with a food offering. We may also see more of them in dreams and if this is the case, listen very carefully to any messages they are bringing to you. Also, we may find more synchronicity or feathers around as loving signs that they are around us and with us. You are welcome to communicate yourself with them, by speaking out loud and having conversations or asking for signs of advice, although this is the absolute perfect time to have a psychic reading with one of our talented readers during this thin veil. You will get the best reading of the year!!

 

I highly recommend setting up an ancestor’s altar. This can be kept up for Samhain or permanently. Place photos of passed family on it, and pieces of sentimental value and some white tea lights. As you light the candles, thank them for their existence and your lineage and wish them well. As I’ve mentioned you can try to make contact yourself, or you can call one of our gifted mediums to help make contact for you, do NOT try to make contact using a Ouija. That’s a whole other article for another day!  Leave the communication to us, the professionals, if in doubt!

 

For those with children, you could take a trip to a graveyard (it isn’t as melancholic as it sounds- it's quite fascinating!). You could do some grave rubbings- with permission from the deceased! You could discuss the length of their lives, their shortness of their lives, their family- old gravestones give so much information, immediate family, cause of death etc.

 

Normalising the cycle of life is important and reduces fears from a young age. Talking about the spirit realm also addresses our human journey.  Even encourage your children to honour their own ancestors! I am building up to this in the run up to Samhain by talking more and more about my own grandparents and great grandparents and displaying more photographs on my altar. These are lineage stories I hope my children remember to pass onto their children. If you don’t know too much about your lineage, now is the time to reminisce with your parents, grandparents, and if you’re lucky enough….your great grandparents! You’ll be surprised at what you discover!

 

All my Samhain blessings to you! (And your ancestors)

 

Love Emma x x