Samhain
Samhain marks the final harvest and the beginning of the dark half of the year. This powerful sabbat occurs when the veil between worlds is at its thinnest, creating perfect conditions for communing with ancestors, divination, and deep spiritual work. As nature prepares for its winter sleep, we too turn inward, reflecting on the year’s passing and honoring those who came before us. This is considered the most potent time for magical workings, particularly those involving transformation, death, rebirth, and ancestral connections.
History & Origins
The Celtic peoples considered Samhain the most significant of their four fire festivals, marking their new year. Originally celebrated in ancient Ireland and Scotland, this festival honored the final harvest and preparation for winter. The Celts believed that during this time, the boundaries between our world and the Otherworld became permeable, allowing spirits of the deceased to return home and supernatural beings to walk freely among the living. Communities would extinguish all hearth fires and relight them from a central bonfire lit by the Druids, symbolizing community unity and spiritual renewal.
Modern Celebrations
Modern celebrations center around ancestor veneration, divination, and releasing what no longer serves us. Create an ancestor altar with photos and mementos of loved ones who have passed, leaving offerings of their favorite foods and drinks. Light black and orange candles to guide spirits home, and burn protective herbs like sage and rosemary. Share a dumb supper – a silent meal with place settings for both the living and dead. Practice divination through tarot, scrying, or pendulum work, as messages from the other side come through strongest at this time. Many practitioners also perform releasing rituals, shadow work, and protection spells during this season.
Correspondences
Deities & Their Domains
- The Morrígan (Death, fate, sovereignty)
- Hecate (Crossroads, magic, psychic abilities)
- Cerridwen (Transformation, wisdom, cauldron)
- Hel (Norse underworld, death)
- Anubis (Egyptian psychopomp, guardian of the dead)
- Persephone (Queen of the underworld, transformation)
- The Crone aspect of the Triple Goddess
- The Horned God in his death aspect
- Arawn (Celtic lord of the underworld)
- Freya (Norse goddess of death and magic)
- Osiris (Egyptian god of death and resurrection)
- Baron Samedi (Voodoo loa of the dead)
Botanicals & Meanings
- Mugwort (Psychic enhancement, protection)
- Rosemary (Remembrance, purification)
- Sage (Cleansing, wisdom)
- Wormwood (Spirit communication)
- Bay leaves (Psychic abilities, protection)
- Calendula (Honoring the dead)
- Chrysanthemum (Protection, meditation)
- Oak leaves (Strength, ancestry)
- Pine needles (Purification, immortality)
- Apple (Love, healing, wisdom)
- Pumpkin (Protection, divination)
- Thistle (Protection, strength)
- Yarrow (Divination, psychic powers)
- Mandrake (Spirit contact, protection)
Crystals & Meanings
- Obsidian (Protection, grounding, scrying)
- Black Tourmaline (Protection, grounding)
- Smoky Quartz (Transformation, releasing)
- Labradorite (Psychic abilities, magic)
- Moonstone (Intuition, divine feminine)
- Amber (Ancient wisdom, protection)
- Jet (Protection, connection to the dead)
- Amethyst (Spiritual awareness, psychic ability)
- Clear Quartz (Amplification, clarity)
- Apache Tear (Grief work, emotional healing)
- Selenite (Spirit communication, purification)
- Black Onyx (Protection, grounding)
Colors & Meanings
- Black (Protection, banishing, the void)
- Orange (Harvest, celebration, transformation)
- Purple (Spiritual power, psychic ability)
- Silver (Intuition, lunar energy)
- Gold (Solar energy, abundance)
- White (Purification, spirit communication)
- Red (Life force, passion, vitality)
- Brown (Grounding, earth connection)
- Dark Blue (Psychic work, mystery)
Tarot Associations
- Death (Transformation, endings)
- The High Priestess (Mystery, intuition)
- The Moon (Psychic abilities, hidden knowledge)
- The Hermit (Inner wisdom, solitude)
- Ten of Swords (Endings, transformation)
- Eight of Cups (Moving on, spiritual journey)
- King of Pentacles (Ancestor work, abundance)
- Nine of Pentacles (Harvest, accomplishment)
Timing Correspondences
- Day of Week: Saturday
- Time of Day: Sunset to Midnight
- Moon Phase: Dark Moon/Waning Moon
Altar Decorations
- Ancestor photos
- Black and orange candles
- Skulls (ceramic or crystal)
- Autumn leaves
- Dried herbs and flowers
- Cauldron
- Scrying mirror
- Divination tools
- Pentacle
- Offering bowls
- Black altar cloth
- Pomegranates
- Apples
- Pumpkins
- Bones (ethically sourced)
- Ancestral heirlooms
Traditional Foods & Beverages
- Soul Cakes
- Mulled Wine/Cider
- Pumpkin Bread
- Apple Harvest Cake
- Colcannon
- Barmbrack (Irish Fruit Cake)
- Roasted Root Vegetables
- Ancestor’s Feast Stew
- Samhain Sabbat Cakes
- Death by Chocolate Cake
- Pomegranate Seeds
- Spirit Night Tea Blend
- Harvest Corn Bread
- Spiced Cider
- Dark Moon Coffee
Animal Correspondences
- Owl (Wisdom, death)
- Raven/Crow (Magic, transformation)
- Black Cat (Mystery, protection)
- Bat (Rebirth, intuition)
- Wolf (Spirit guide, protection)
- Spider (Weaving fate, mystery)
- Snake (Transformation, wisdom)
- Deer (Gentleness, spirit guides)
- Fox (Cunning, spirit world)
Intention Keywords
- Transformation
- Release
- Ancestor Connection
- Protection
- Divination
- Shadow Work
- Healing
- Wisdom
- Intuition
- Rebirth
- Endings
- Beginnings
- Spirit Communication
- Psychic Development
- Purification
Magical Practices
- Ancestor Veneration
- Divination
- Spirit Communication
- Protection Spells
- Releasing Rituals
- Shadow Work
- Past Life Regression
- Death Walking
- Psychic Development
- Scrying
- Necromancy (ethical)
- Cord Cutting
- Cleansing Rituals
- Healing Work
- Transformative Magic
- Banishing
- Mediumship
- Dream Work
- Spirit Guide Connection
- Hedge Crossing
