Celebrating Samhain for the first time
I’d love to be a witch when I grow up. The supernatural realm of wicca has always spoken to me. To know plants, spells and live in tune with nature. Unfortunately, I’m already quite grown and have no witchy knowledge whatsoever.
I don’t know much about nature - apart from not touching stinging nettle -, I’ve never tried a spell, I can hardly recognize any plants. If you’d send me out to pick berries, there’s a good chance I will return with only the poisonous ones.
Green fingers also don’t necessarily run in my veins. I only started trying to keep houseplants alive last year. I have only been moderately successful.
But I’d love to know more about all of that. Even if I don’t have anyone in my family who practices witchcraft or knows the healing properties of plants. So, I’m starting from scratch.
And what better way to start than on Samhain? The night where the veil between our world and the spirit one is thinnest.
A quick internet search tells me that Samhain is when the Celtic new year is celebrated. New years always begin in darkness. It's the time when a seedling makes its home in the ground. Building a base for when it's time to sprout.
Samhain is also a harvest celebration. The last one of the year. This is when the last crops of the year are picked. On Samhain people express their gratitude for another year of food. It’s kind of like the last celebration before the darkness sets in. It’s a party honouring the longer nights to come.
This is how I’ll celebrate Oct 31st - as a very green newbie -
Carve the symbols for Earth, Fire, Water, Air and Aether into a candle that I’m burning. I speak some words of intention expressing my gratitude for the coming darkness.
Forage for autumnal nature objects. Where I live there’s a lot of acorns, fallen leaves and chestnuts on the ground. I’ll make a little altar with them and put them around candles I’m lighting.
Burn incense.
Meditate on where I am right now and where I’ve come from. Specifically going over the past summer and coming winter. For summer I’ll ask myself questions like; ‘How did I feel?’ and ‘How did I enjoy the sunlight this summer?’. And for the winter; ‘How will I get into the darkness this year?’ and ‘What are my priorities for these months?’
Look into an old photo album. This is apparently a good practice on Samhain because it’s honouring your past selves.
Burn a candle for your ancestors. And maybe think about them for a little while. Imagining their lives and how they would differ from mine.
Thank the spirits that visit me on the night of Oct 31st. If any visit. How do you know?
Read the autobiography of someone to get to know their origin story. I really like the idea, but I don’t have a book like that lying around at the moment. So instead I’ll read The Walworth Beauty by Michèle Roberts. A joint story about a journalist guy writing a piece on brothels in the 1800's and a woman living in the 2000's who had to forcibly retire as a teacher. It has a bit of a spooky vibe.
Drink tea. I don’t have any specific Samhain tea in my cupboard (apple, salie, valeriaan according to the internet). I’ll see if I can find some. Otherwise I’ll use what I have.
Hey, look at that. Nine things I can do to respect and honour this celebration. That’s not bad for someone who has never done this before.
The main thing I want to focus on tonight is taking a moment to try to feel the energy in the air. Maybe even the spirits. I want to engulf myself in the soothing darkness that’s on our doorstep. I love this time of year. But it can get away from me if I don’t take the time to bask in it and appreciate it.
If you have any suggestions for me, I’d love to hear them.
Happy Samhain!
(Hopefully this is a normal saying)
Love,
Michou
