Samhain October 31st 2021,
Lunar Samhain November 1 - Nov 6 2021
The end of October marks the
Witches New Year
and celebration of Samhain,
pronounced “Sau-in”.
As the old year ends,
the final bounties of
the last harvest
are picked
and
the plants
begin their
retreat backwards,
dying to
prepare for the
coldest season.
Samhain
is a cross-quarter sabbat
marking the midpoint
between
Fall Equinox
and
Winter Solstice.
It is thought of as
a magical
period of time
when the veil between
this world
and the next
is the
thinnest.
Our ancestors
come near
to offer
love, guidance,
wisdom,
and laughter.
They are close
and ready
to hear
our requests
for assistance, forgiveness,
healing, giggles,
and mischief.
As I researched this topic,
it seemed like on
one side of the witchy fence
this is
a time of darkness
and mourning,
loss and healing.
This is serious, ya’ll.
On the other side of
the witchy fence,
this is a
fun and celebratory time,
full of laughter,
story telling and joy.
Both are right.
To mourn is to
feel happy
sad at the same time. No?
Personally, this is a
special time for me.
For the past seven years,
I’ve honored my father
with an altar
sometime between
Halloween and the first week of November.
It wasn’t really planned,
it is one of those things
that just happened the first year
he passed away,
and kept happening
because it was a fun way to
remember and celebrate him.
I buy all of his favorite earthly treats,
aka diet pepsi (Ewwwww),
almond joy (the fave of elders),
hard boiled eggs, roasted beets,
and add trinkets
like his childhood toys,
his oober americana eagle belt buckle,
and a few other odds n ends
that remind me of him.
I fill the table with loads of purple flowers (his fave color)
and all my favorite
photos of him.
I tell him what is happening in my life and the things
I miss most about him and our friendship.
Some years,
I cry my head off and can’t seem to stop.
Others,
I smile and laugh the entire time.
For me,
it is a very
healing ritual.
Cathartic.
Cleansing.
I get to use my hands
and do something,
I get to mourn
AND
make something.
Afterwards,
I feel lighter,
clearer.
Our ancestors from many
parts of the world
view this time of year
as special
for a reason.
Right?
If you’d like to try it this year,
the first rule is….
there are
NO rules
to honoring spirit.
You can honor any being you'd like,
in any fashion
that feels good
to you.
Here are some ideas:
Create an altar for your beloved pets, animals, spirit guides
For the earth and the healing she needs
Honor the land and the original people who lived on it
Call in ancestors you’ve known and/or ones you’ve never met.
You can add symbols, tarot cards, and candles.
Make it meaningful and special to you.
My one piece of advice is
it can be helpful
to feel a sense
of privacy around the creation of your altar.
Create it at a time when you can be alone
and commune with the past while feeling emotionally safe.
I prepare myself by meditating beforehand with this sound bath.
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xoxo,
M
Image by: unable to find artist credit 😢 if you know who created this, please email me