Samhain:
Honouring the Veil, the Ancestors, & the Cycle of Rebirth
When the final leaves fall and the nights grow long, the wheel of the year turns to Samhain — the threshold festival that closes the harvest and ushers us into winter. Traditionally, Samhain is celebrated on the 31st of October. Old Samhain, however, is celebrated on the 8th of November. So we have a beautiful opening from 31st Oct to 8th Nov to mark this turning point on the wheel of the year. Samhain is the witches’ new year, a liminal portal where the veil between the seen and unseen thins and the ancestors draw near.
It is the season of endings, but also of beginnings. Death and rebirth entwine here. Samhain is not about fear, but about reverence. It reminds us that to live fully, we must learn to honour endings with as much devotion as beginnings.
Ancestral Roots of Samhain
For our pre-Christian ancestors, Samhain was not a single night of revelry but a sacred hinge in the year. It marked survival — the close of the harvest, the culling of livestock, the storing of food, and the gathering of the clan around the fire.
They knew what we often forget: winter was not guaranteed. To feast at Samhain was both a celebration of abundance and a prayer for endurance. Fires were lit to honour the dead, to protect the living, and to carry hope into the dark months.
Apples, nuts, and grains were offered at ancestral shrines. Feasts were shared with the spirits of the beloved dead, who were welcomed — not feared. The Celts believed the Otherworld drew closer at this time, and so Samhain became both a festival of the harvest’s end and a communion with the unseen.
Spiritual Themes of Samhain
Honouring Ancestors – Calling on those who walked before, seeking guidance, and tending the line we carry.
Death & Rebirth – The agricultural year dies, making way for the soul’s renewal.
Shadow Work – Facing fears, wounds, or patterns ready to be released.
Liminality – A threshold festival where time bends, veils thin, and magic flows.
The Crone’s Wisdom – Samhain belongs to the Crone — she who knows endings, who walks between worlds, and who teaches transformation.
Samhain Correspondences
Date: October 31 – November 1
Season: End of Autumn, descent into Winter
Astrology: Scorpio (death, transformation, shadow) shifting into Sagittarius (vision, wisdom)
Moon Energy: Waning Crescent — closure, release, surrender before rebirth
Time of Day: Late evening, when the unseen is closest
Tarot: Death — transformation, endings as thresholds
Colours: Black (mystery, void), Orange (harvest, fire), Purple (psychic power), Gold (eternal flame)
Crystals: Obsidian, Smoky Quartz, Black Tourmaline, Bloodstone, Amethyst
Plants & Herbs: Apple, rosemary, sage, mugwort, cinnamon, clove, nutmeg
Animals: Crow, raven, bat, owl, wolf, cat
Deities/Spirits: The Morrigan, Hecate, Persephone, Cailleach, Cerridwen, Anubis
Expansive Rituals & Practices for Samhain
1. Build an Ancestor Altar
Gather photos, heirlooms, seasonal foods, and candles. Add autumn leaves, apples, or pomegranates. Speak their names aloud. Whisper your gratitude. Ask for guidance.
2. Dumb Supper
Prepare a silent meal in honour of the ancestors. A place is set for the dead, and the meal is eaten in complete silence. This ancient rite invites presence, connection, and messages from beyond.
3. Release Ritual by Fire
Write what you wish to release from the past year — grief, patterns, fears. Burn the list in a cauldron or fire-safe bowl, offering it to the flames as you step into renewal.
4. Divination Night
Use tarot, runes, pendulum, or scrying in water, flame, or mirror. Ask:
What wisdom do my ancestors wish to share?
What must I release to step into my next cycle?
What path is ready to open before me?
5. Spirit Lights
Light lanterns or candles and place them in windows or along pathways, guiding the spirits of the dead back to the Otherworld when the night is done.
6. Pumpkin & Turnip Magic
Carve protective sigils or ancestral symbols into pumpkins or turnips. These traditional lanterns warded off harmful spirits while honouring the dead.
7. Graveyard Pilgrimage
Visit the resting places of ancestors or local graveyards with offerings of flowers, coins, or seasonal food. Speak blessings, ask for protection, or simply sit in reverence.
8. Shadow Work Journaling
By candlelight, reflect on questions such as:
What part of myself am I afraid to face?
What endings am I resisting?
What lesson does my shadow hold for me?
9. Seasonal Feasting
Prepare a meal of root vegetables, stews, apples, bread, roasted nuts, and mulled cider. Share it with family, friends, or in solitude, offering the first portion to the ancestors.
10. Spirit Dolls or Poppets
Craft figures from cloth, corn husks, or natural fibres. Dedicate them to ancestral guidance, protection, or to hold what you wish to release into the dark season.
Samhain Altar Inspirations
Decor: Pumpkins, leaves, skull imagery, antlers, cauldrons
Colours: Black, orange, purple, gold
Herbs: Mugwort, rosemary, sage, cinnamon, clove
Crystals: Obsidian, smoky quartz, amethyst
Tools: Tarot cards, scrying bowls, pendulums
Offerings: Apples, bread, wine, nuts, milk, honey
Reflection Prompts for Samhain
Whose name do I need to speak aloud this season?
What part of myself is ready to die so something new can be born?
What patterns or burdens do I no longer wish to carry into winter?
How can I walk more closely with my ancestors in daily life?
What seeds of intention will I plant in the dark to rise in spring?
Samhain is not about costumes or fear — though it wears those modern masks. At its core, it is the ancient festival of death, rebirth, and remembrance. It is a time to sit with the Crone, to break bread with the dead, and to face our own shadows with courage.
As the veil thins, may you hear the whispers of your ancestors. May you release what has run its course. And may you walk into the dark half of the year carrying the flame of their wisdom — the fire that never goes out.
