Samhain (pronounced sow-win) is the 3rd and final harvest festival of the year. It is also the halfway point between the Fall Equinox and the Winter Solstice and takes place on October 31st. Over the next week, I will share some of my Samhain practices, a bit of history, and answer questions that come up along the way.
While I have always felt incredibly drawn to the Earth and the magic within, I ignored this calling for a very long time and only since 2020 have I started truly embracing my spiritual side. Brought on by the passing of my soul cat, Cookie, I embarked on a new journey. If you like, you can read a bit about that here.
I celebrated my first Samhain in 2020 with a simple spell to release. It was also a full moon so I had some extra oomph coming together on that day. I wrote out a list of all of the things I was ready to let go of from various times in my life and generations before me. Ancestral healing can certainly be a part of your practice. Each thing to be released was written on its own line so I could tear the paper and burn each piece. I didn't yet have the adorable little cauldron you see above so I used a fire safe bowl to burn the paper, I added a dry leaf to the bowl for a really lovely smell. It is SO important that whenever you are burning anything you are doing so safely. Please ensure you are not near flammable things and that the vessel you are using is large enough to accommodate what you are burning.
I didn't really know what to say during this ritual so I just went with what came to me. I spent some time in meditation, tuning in, and opening up to what I needed. I thanked the Universe for its support and spoke about being ready to release. I feel that intention is the most important thing when doing these types of things. Of course, there are tons of spells online so if you feel more comfortable with guidance you can definitely find it. I am also hosting a Samhain Healing Circle on Sunday, 10/30, you can sign up here. I'll share more details during the week.
What would you like to know about Samhain? If you celebrate, I'd love if you would share any rituals, tips, recipes...etc. in the comments! I'll feature them in an upcoming blog this week. Any spells, rituals, and recipes shared must be free from animal-use.