Samhain, Hallow's Even, November Eve

Music: Bards Dance

"...Sit quietly and think of friends and loved ones
who have passed away. Do not despair,
know that they have gone on to great things.
Keep firmly in mind that the physical isn't
the absolute reality, and that souls can never die."
--Scott Cunningham
"Wicca, A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner"

"Bonfires dot the rolling hillsides
Figures dance around and around
To drums that pulse out echoes of darkness
Moving to the Pagan sound."
--Loreena McKennitt, "All Souls Night"
"The Visit"

It is often called Halloween, All Hallow's Eve, or Demon Night. To Pagans, it is called Samhain, a word from the Gaelic tongue meaning summer's end. Vilified by many religious sects as a time of evil, devil worship and horrid acts, it is instead a solemn day of prayer and remembrance.
Samhain is a union of the two worlds--spiritual and physical. It is commonly celebrated by Pagans the world over with prayer, meditation and rituals of remembrance for lost loved ones. It is also the Pagan New Year, a time of putting away bad habits and creating a new and better understanding of self and our role in the universe. It is considered by most to be the 'high holy day' of the Pagan faith.
Many misconceptions of Samhain stem from simple misunderstanding or gross misrepresentation of historical events. This is true with almost every aspect of Paganism.
In the Wheel of the Year, as we call it, the month of October is the tenth lunation, or full moon. This lunation has been called 'Blood Moon' since ancient times. This does NOT refer to sacrifice of any kind. There is NO SUCH THING as sacrifice--ritual or otherwise--in Paganism. That is a malicious myth perpetually used to raise negative opinion, defame and degrade our faith.
Quite simply, the Goddess is the Mother of ALL living things. To kill anything in her honor would be profane and a grievous injury to the balance of Nature. It is the custom of Pagans to even ask permission and give thanks before cutting flowers, herbs or fruit from their roots or trees. To do any less would be a savage act of rape against our Mother.
Instead, it's name comes from the time when people killed their herd animals for food and clothing in preparation for the long, barren months of winter. Thus, this common practice of the farmers and serfs inspired the name, 'Blood Moon.'
Samhain marks the beginning of a time of rest until the next planting season. While fields lay fallow and covered with snow, Pagans of old used the time for spiritual and psychic growth. This time also granted them a period of much deserved rest from their labors, allowing for renewal of the physical body, much as the earth they tilled restored itself.
It is the same for the Pagans of today, though our labors may be vastly different. The connection between living things and the living planet we dwell upon was not lost on our forbearers, or ourselves. Thus, the knowledge that to every thing there is a time and season became a basis for wisdom in many religions.
When the time comes to plant, we tend the soil and sow our seeds. When the harvest is in, it is a time to celebrate our Mother, and give thanks for her eternal love and generous bounty.
Samhain is the third and last of these Harvest Sabbats, or thanksgiving holy days. This is the harvest of apples and hazelnuts, hence the reason these foods figure so prominently in our celebratory feasts. Other traditional foods for this holiday include gingerbread, pears, beets, milk thistle, dandelion, pomegranates, pumpkin, winter squash, turnips, grains, and garlic. Garlic is considered sacred to the Goddess Hecate, the Grandmother or Crone aspect of Nature. She is honored at this time of year in her role as 'Dark Mother,' or 'Harvester." It is She, according to ancient belief, that takes the dead away to make way for the living and rebirth.
Flowers and herbs customary to Samhain are chrysanthemums, marigolds, wormwood, patchouli, sage, heather, and mullein. To celebrate this holiday, our tables, mantles, altars and thresholds are often decorated with mums, marigolds, cornstalks, pumpkins and winter squash. The fragrance of patchouli and sage mingle with the delicious aroma of fresh baked gingerbread, apple butter and pumpkin soup wafting from our kitchens.
Some Pagan families partake of the nontraditional festivities of trick or treat, making candied apples and carving jack 'o lanterns. For others, however, Samhain is a quiet time for reflection and ritual.
It is a commonly held belief that the veil that separates our physical realm from that of the spirits is at its most thin during this time. While many religions fear this prospect, Pagans welcome it. It affords us the opportunity to honor those loved ones who have gone on to the Summerlands with offerings of food, gifts and loving prayers.
We set out an extra place at our feast tables for those who are no longer with us. A plate of cookies and glass of wine are left upon the hearth for those loving spirits who come to warm themselves there. In our gardens, we bury apples, pomegranates and hazelnuts: food for the spirits in their journey.
Most Pagans celebrate Sabbat rituals outdoors if weather permits. Samhain is no exception. This tradition is ancient and has its origins in Celtic history. The Celts believed that the Goddess and the God encompassed all of Nature. Therefore, to attempt to 'house' Them in a building or church would be inappropriate and even profane.
So, for millennia, Pagans have gathered around fires in a circle--a symbol of the universe and elements; that which has no beginning and no ending. We sing, dance, drum, and offer prayers of thanks to Mother Earth. We join our loving energy to pay homage to the spirits of loved one, perform healing rituals, and cast rune stones or tarot to look into the future.
We also acknowledge the role of the Crone, the Harvester. It is understood, just as the cornstalks must be torn down to make way for the seeds of Spring, so must humankind accept the normal, natural path of all life. Only through death can there be the joy of rebirth.
This is a commonality to the vast majority of religions the world over. It is not to be feared. It is neither evil, nor good. It is just another spoke in the Wheel of Life.

Samhain foods

Samhain offerings

Sloane's Samhain prayer

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