Samhain for Beginners
Samhain is perhaps the most
famous of Wiccan Sabbats, and is also celebrated worldwide by non-Pagans as
Halloween. It is mentioned more often than you might think in modern media. The
'House of Night' book series places a lot of emphasis on it, 'The Addams Family'
has nods to it, and most recently, 'The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina' on
Netflix had a huge focus on it. Although in Wicca it’s less about signing over
your soul to the devil and more about preparing for winter but hey, whatever
floats your boat!
The most famous idea surrounding
Samhain is that the veil between the worlds of the living and the dead is at
its thinnest at this point. This is a very similar concept to that of the Mexican
Dia de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead. At this time, we like to honour our
ancestors and deceased loved ones by placing their photographs on our altars,
and thinking about and sharing our memories and stories about them. Some people
even lay an extra seat at their table to welcome their ancestors home, maybe serving
their favourite food as everyone remembers them. All departed loved ones, be
they friends, family, pets, or other, are welcome at a Pagan’s table during
Samhain.
Samhain is also the final of the
three harvest festivals. Lammas was all about grain and bread, Mabon was
focussed on fruit and vegetables, and at Samhain we have an abundance of nuts
and berries. I think a really lovely idea to celebrate this aspect of Samhain
would be to go blackberry picking in hedgerows. Just make sure the hedgerow you
go for isn’t on someone’s private property first!
In Wiccan mythology, we believe
that the Sun God has now passed away, and is exploring the world of the dead,
gaining wisdom and strength before he can be reborn. And at this time, the
Goddess, who takes on three forms: Maiden, Mother, and Crone, is now adopting
her Crone form as we reach the end of the Pagan year.
Samhain is also known as Pagan
New Year, so it’s the perfect time to reflect on the past year and look forward
to the future with hope. By remembering your ancestors, you’re thinking about
the past, but for your own personal past, you could make a list of the best
times you’ve had this year, and all the things you’ve accomplished. Then you
can set yourself some New Year’s Resolutions (in October? How very Pagan of
you), and think about what you aspire to accomplish in the future. By doing
these simple things, you’re beginning to embrace the spirit of Samhain.
Have a lovely day, and blessed be.
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