Happy Halloween!
As we near the end of this tumultuous year, All Hallows’ Eve or Samhain, feels like a significant turning point energetically to me. When I tune in to the resonance of this particular juncture, there’s a constant thrumming in the air and the earth; a momentum, keen and intense, building toward the crescendo of the Winter Solstice. Only heaven truly knows what next year will bring, or even the next two months... though I suspect it will be breathtaking.
And of course, aligned with our collective ascension.
Samhain, pronounced sah-when, literally translates from Gaelic as “end of summer,” a Celtic festival celebrating the approximate halfway place between the Autumn Equinox and Winter Solstice. In the Celtic custom, Samhain also represents the passage into a new year, beginning on November 1st.
When we live closely attuned with the land, in the northern hemisphere we know Samhain as the final chance to dry herbs and store crops before winter. For the ancient Celts, this season in the Great Wheel was a time for nut harvesting and salting meat. A time to prepare for the long darkness ahead.
In keeping with many long held traditions, such as the Egyptian, Mexican and Celtic faiths, October 31st - November 1st is a day of the dead as well — a time to honor and remember loved ones who have transitioned into the next life. Or perhaps try to communicate with those souls we feel have passed beyond our sight.
Regardless of your personal spiritual beliefs, most of us have felt the uncanny heightened presence of ‘weird’ energy on this day. Many perceive that the veil between this world and the other side (insert your own definition of “other” here) is thinnest on this day of the year.
Unfortunately, as is the case with many modern holidays, the original meaning and intention behind All Hallows’ Eve has become wildly distorted, evolving into a life of it’s own on the altar of consumerism and magnified shadow aspects 🙈🙉🙊
Personally, for the past couple years, when faced with the frenzy of pressure to buy a bunch of stuff for each holiday, I feel increasingly overwhelmed and vaguely sad — something important is missing. I long for a simpler, more heartfelt way to celebrate. I want to spend my energy creating meaningful traditions and deeper bonds with my loved ones, rather than breaking the bank for things we don’t actually need or giving into senseless programs and priorities that don’t resonate.
Just stop it, Karen.
For those of us who want to connect with the natural energy of Samhain in a more organic way, thankfully there are many illumined trails available.
“Much of our work around Samhain involves undoing the negative cultural messages that have been superimposed on its ancient sacredness. Much of Halloween’s imagery comes straight from its pagan roots, but with a negative twist. Spirits, rather than being the loving reminders of our beloved dead, are frightening and malicious apparitions, against which we must be on our guard. The day also abounds with witches of course, but in a type of Crone aspect that our culture, with its ageism and fear of female power, rejects absolutely. By replacing stereotypes and unconscious activities with Samhain’s positive knowledge — reverence for death, for our ancestors and for our own inner wisdom — we give true meaning to one of our favorite holidays.” — Caitlyn Johnson & Maura D. Shaw, Celebrating the Great Mother
“By Samhain, the Goddess has entered her incarnation of Crone. She is the Old One, the Earth Mother, the wise one we turn to when we need advice. She teaches us that sometimes we must let go in order to move on. The God, at Samhain, is the Horned One, the stag of great antlers, the Lord of the wild hunt. He is the animal that dies so that we may eat, the grains and corn that once lived in the field before our harvest.” — Patti Wigington
THIS is the gorgeous energy we can realign with on this festive holy day 🙌🏼
Sidebar: Though I don't identify as Pagan, I feel it's important to point out that the term itself has been egregiously maligned to mean “evil heathens, Satan worshipers, ungodly heretics, etc.” according to many dictionaries and religions. A history and use that is grossly misunderstood. In bygone times, to be called ‘Pagan’ simply meant that you were not a follower of the new mainstream religion (Christian or otherwise) and followed the ‘old ways’ of living — usually an Earth-based practice in harmony with nature, worshiping gods/goddesses which predated the current or popular religion. Over time, this label was warped into something dark and terrible, which isn't fair or accurate.
To up the ante, this year on Samhain we have a Full Moon (and a Blue Hunter’s Full Moon to boot!) across all global time zones — something which is quite rare and hasn’t happened since 1944. We are also in the 44th week of the year and this year is a 4 year in numerology (2+0+2+0).
Match, meet kindling...
What a juicy portal!
For more info on the astrological weather of this day, check out this lovely article.
If you’re looking to harness the powerful bounty of intuitive gifts available on this late Autumnal day, it’s the perfect time for rituals and other intentional magic ✨
Over my years of study, I’ve come across many different approaches and beliefs about ritual and its place in spiritual practice. No matter what kind of ritual inspires you, I believe the point is to intentionally connect with the present energy and create a sacred space for spiritual expansion — in a repetitive way that becomes a foundation you can build upon. Intention is 99% of the law when it comes to the world of Spirit.
Note: You may wish to call in certain deities or you may not. Sometimes you can have a more vibrant experience when you ask certain guides for assistance, especially when your intentions are aligned with something that particular being specializes in. Call on them by name before beginning your activity (or whenever feels appropriate to you) and ask for their help in a way that’s for the highest good of everyone involved. There are many more high vibrational beings available than the brief list I provided here. You may wish also to try one technique or custom over another. Take what resonates with you and leave the rest ❤︎
As with any spiritual work, it’s a good idea to cleanse your energy field and space beforehand. This sets up a strong and clear energetic structure to operate within.
Goddesses, Gods, Ascended Masters & Angels for Samhain:
Archangel Azrael — the angel of death, helps loved ones of those who have crossed over and gives support in times of transition
Archangel Metatron — angel of clearing lower energies and replacing them with higher vibrations
The Morrigan — a triple goddess in Celtic mythology associated with death; patroness of sovereignty, battle, prophesy and otherworld power
Cernunnos — the great horned Lord of the wild hunt, Celtic patron of virility, physical love, reincarnation, crossroads and the underworld
Hecate — considered to be the mother of all witches, spells and magic, Greek Goddess of the crossroads where the paths of the physical world, spirit world and underworld meet
Kali — Hindu goddess of death, destruction, transformation, often called “The Dark Mother”
Isis — ancient Egyptian goddess of fertility, magic and rebirth/death
Osiris — Egyptian god of the dead, Lord of the afterlife and resurrection
Merlin — a sage mystic and Ascended Master of psychic and intuitive abilities
Odin — Norse god of wisdom, magic, fallen heroes and the dead
Ways to connect with the energy of Samhain:
Salt Bath Ritual
Salt is the bees knees when it comes to cleansing your energy field and creating sacred space! This is one of my favorite rituals by far 😍. I like to put on some ethereal or witchy music (Silvia Nakkach, Erutan or Loreena McKennitt, anyone?) and intuitively gather crystals, flower petals, bath sachets/soaks and candles, making a complete sensory experience.
Place all your spiritual goodies around/in the tub in a way that feels good, add 2 cups of Epsom salt or sea salt to the water, along with any oils (I love calendula and vanilla essential oils) or bath sachets and voila! A recipe for ultimate relaxation and self-care 🥰
While you’re soaking, ask your angels or one of the guides from the above list to help you clear any energy that is not yours out of your energy field. Ask for it to be returned to its original owner, with consciousness attached. Ask for all of your energy to be returned to you, cleared and integrated with ease. You can also get intuitive messages while bathing from the heightened psychic energy of water, so it’s the perfect opportunity to get quiet and present — perhaps ask any questions that have been coming up for you recently ✨
Intuitive Card Reading
3 card spread — this is one of the easiest types of readings you can do for yourself (or others). You can use any oracle or tarot deck (Starseed & Work your Light oracle decks or Shadowscapes Tarot deck are my faves).
Focus your attention on a particular situation you’d like more clarity on. You can choose to call in a guide, angel or Source to help you, or ask your inner Divine self to provide the answers.
Pick 3 cards (you can do this by simply shuffling & picking 3 cards, or intuitively selecting each one based on how drawn to it you are) and place them in a row. The one on the left will give you the Past energy of the situation, the one in the middle represents the Present energy and the card on the right represents the Future energy.
Intuitive spread — you can use the same method above but rather than having set positions for the cards, you can create your own layout and intuit what each card means for you 💖
Crystal Blessing Ritual
This ritual is perfect for manifesting all the wonderful things you want to call in! And bonus — the potent energy of the Full Moon will be like adding rocket fuel to your intentions 🌝
Intuitively pick some crystals that speak to you — some suggestions could be citrine for positive recharging & abundance, selenite for protection & high vibration clarity, amethyst for spiritual awakening, rose quartz for unconditional love & heart opening, amazonite for soothing the mind & nervous system or speaking your truth, black tourmaline for energetic protection, lapis lazuli for third eye opening / psychic abilities, and quartz to amplify. You can also grab other materials that you feel represent the energy you want to create (herbs, flowers, metals, symbols, etc).
Get clear on what your intentions are for each item individually or linked together for a common purpose. Cleanse & charge them under the light of the Full Moon for a bit — I like to do at least 4 hours.
Prepare a pretty jar, container or grid layout to store the crystals in for the blessing. You can get as creative as you want with this — paint and decorate the container any way you’d like, or just label it simply, but mark it in a meaningful way with the intention you’d like the crystals to help you manifest.
After the stones have been cleared & juiced up with Full Moon energy, ask them to connect with you and help with your goal; declare your intention for them aloud. You can also invoke the name of one or more high vibe beings to assist and bless your materials for the intended purpose. When you feel the moment is right, place the crystals in the container and set it somewhere you will see it often (by the mirror in the bathroom, on the nightstand, etc). You can take this a step further and place them in the correct Feng Shui area of your home that supports your intention. Whenever you see this jar of crystals, it will light you up inside and serve as a reminder of what you're manifesting — you can say an affirmation or just bask in the glow of intentional co-creation and envision your new reality 🌟
Sacred Circle
Any of the above activities (except perhaps the bath lol) can be done with a friend, loved one or group of kindred spirits. Creating a sacred circle focused on specific intentions can be an exquisite amplification of energy! Lighting a bonfire of some kind would be pretty epic for this particular seasonal celebration, a tradition many of our ancestors upheld as a way to represent ushering the sun faster through it’s dark path in the winter months 🔥
Woo! That’s a lot of spiritual gems in one Blog Post!
Get your Samhain mojo on 😘 Please feel free to share any mystical experiences using these rituals in the comments below, I love hearing our tribe’s stories ❤︎
Over and out,
Starsong Maiden
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