Guest Author Shara Lanel

The Sabbat Samhain

Samhain, often said to be pronounced “Sow-in” is the sabbat of the New Year for most Wiccans, the name coming perhaps from the Irish Gaelic word for “summer’s end.” This is at the time we celebrate Halloween (“Hallowed Evening”). The veil between worlds is said to be the thinnest at this time, thus its association with death and divination. This was the time of the very last harvest, when the less healthy animals were slaughtered so that the healthier animals had more feed to survive until spring. Therefore Samhain was a feast day. At this time the Horned God dies and the Crone aspect of the Goddess reigns until Yule when the God is reborn, promising the return of the light.

The Norse god Loki, the trickster, is considered at his height during this time, perhaps having something to do with our handed-down tradition of trick-or-treat. And the goddesses Hekate and Cerridwen are often associated with Samhain because of their crone/Dark Mother/Underworld goddess aspects.

Since the veil between the world of the living and the dead is thin, Samhain is a great time to set out plates of food for our ancestors, perhaps in front of a window lit with a candle to light their way. We may also try to contact them for divination purposes. We may wear masks of our ancestors to help. We can also share our experiences of the past year with our passed loved ones, such as writing a letter to them with our accomplishments and failures of the past year, which can be cathartic for the living.

One of the key elements of Samhain, when all seems dead or dying, is the reminder that the Wheel of the Year turns and all will be reborn again at the Yule sabbat.

Resources:

Sabbats by Edain McCoy

Celebrating the Seasons of Life: Samhain to Ostara by Ashleen O’Gaea

The Real Halloween by Sheena Morgan

Halloween by Silver Ravenwolf

An article on simple Samhain rituals: http://hubpages.com/hub/Simple-Samhain-Rituals-and-Traditions

I have also have pins to Samhain/Halloween pics and info under two of my Pinterest boards:

http://www.pinterest.com/sharalanel/witchcraft/

http://www.pinterest.com/sharalanel/october-celebrations/

 

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