Although Halloween is still weeks away, it doesn’t hurt to learn how to celebrate the season like a pro.
Halloween, aka Samhain
Although Halloween is best-known as the season for ghost stories, candy, haunted houses and horror movies, it’s also considered the start of the pagan new year, the onset of winter and the end of harvest season.
Samhain (pronounced sow-wen) — an ancient Celtic festival that’s celebrated from Halloween night until Nov. 1 at sundown — typically is observed by witches, wiccans and pagans. However, anyone who appreciates celebrating a traditional time of renewal and spiritual intention-setting could appreciate this nontraditional holiday.
Connecting with those who’ve passed on
Samhain is considered the time of year where the “veil” between the living and dead is thinnest. So, people who wish to communicate with loved ones who have passed tend to build altars to honor the dead and leave offerings outside their homes for spirits.
Celebration
In addition to celebrating the passing season, passed year and dead loved ones, people who observe Samhain also throw parties to celebrate life. The get-togethers include bonfires, dancing and feasts.
Other celebratory activities include bobbing for apples and pumpkin carving, both well-known Halloween staples.
Conjure a spell
Last year, I did my first Samhain ritual. I completed it early in the morning on Oct. 31, right before my wedding. (Yes, I got married on Halloween, and yes, the dress was black.) It was a calming, positive experience, so I’d like to share the ritual with all of you.
Materials
Black candle: Draws out and grounds unwanted influences in your life.
White candle: Draws good energy toward you.
Hold the black candle in front of you with its tip pointed away. Anoint the candle with oil from its bottom to its tip. (You can anoint oil of your own simply by placing a small amount of olive oil in a vial and saying a blessing over it.) While anointing the candle, envision you’re drawing the unwanted influences out of you and your life.
Take the white candle, hold it the same way as you did the black candle, and anoint it from the top to the bottom. This action can help pull good energy toward you. “Infuse the candle with your thoughts and desires to attract all the helpful energies you want to come to your life,” according to The Village Witch, the local shop from which I got this spell.
Finally, light some incense and the candles. Let the candles burn completely and meditate on the change you’d like to see in your life.
Don’t forget your inner kid.
Even the most serious witch can get joy from celebrating Halloween with orange and black decorations and spooky decor. So, after you conclude any spiritual blessings and rituals, indulge your Halloween spirit.
During October, we plan to dish out a ton of tips for spooky ways to decorate your cam room, plus oodles of costume ideas that should be embraced and others you must ignore.
—
Abbie Stutzer is a writer and editor from Lawrence, Kansas. Find her on Twitter at @abbiestutzerand on Insta at @abbiestutzer. Email her at abbie@ynotcam.com.
Image © D. Carlton
