Samhain, Halloween, All Hallow's Eve. Whatever you call the holiday, you know that this is the biggest day of the year for many Wiccans, pagans, witches, and other Halloween enthusiasts! Most of us know how to celebrate Halloween. After all, many of us grew up trick-or-treating, carving pumpkins, and watching the spookiest movies we could get our hands on. And while you can do all of those things for Samhain, as well, maybe you're looking to switch things up and find other ways to honor this turning of the wheel. Need some ideas? Keep reading!
1. Honor Your Ancestors. An easy way to celebrate Samhain is by honoring those who came before you. Whether that means adding photos of your ancestors to your altar, praying to whatever deity or energy that you honor to connect with those who've passed, or creating a candlelit shrine from scratch, finding ways to remember our loved ones always adds an extra layer of reverence to Samhain. Personally, I like to light a candle and pray, speaking to my family who are no longer with me and asking for their guidance, protection, and love. I want them to know that they are loved and missed and that I'm thankful for their continued presence in my life, even if only in my heart.
2. Throw a Dumb Supper. At Samhain, the veil between the living and the dead is the thinnest it'll be all year. If you really want to kick things up a notch when it comes to honoring your ancestors, a Dumb Supper is the perfect way to do it. To perform a Dumb Supper, you'll want to set your dining table with an extra place setting for those who have passed on. If you have the space, you can set a place for each of the loved ones you are choosing to honor. Alternately, you can light individual tealights for each person and place them at the single setting you have prepared. Dinner is to be served by candlelight and in complete silence throughout the meal. On your way in and out of the room, stop by the empty chair for loved ones and offer up a quick prayer of gratitude for their love and guidance. To really formalize things if you want, you can write your prayers or messages to your ancestors and then burn them in a cauldron to release them into the ether. The structure of the Dumb Supper is pretty standard, but you can always add your own flair to the proceedings to really give it personal meaning.
3. Practice Divination. While any time of the year is great for pulling out your tarot cards or swinging your pendulum, Samhain is an especially perfect time to get your divination on. Again, the veil is thinnest around this time meaning it's even easier for you to receive messages from deities, spirit, the universe, ancestors, spirit guides, whatever it is you go to when working with divination tools. Spend some time setting the scene by creating sacred space, lighting candles or incense, cleansing your tools with smoke, crystals, or holy water, anything that helps you to better connect with your intuition and your spirit allies. You can ask for specific advice, pull cards at random and see what messages arise, utilize a special spread, gaze into a crystal ball or candle flame and see what images appear, whatever calls to you. Find what type of divination interests you the most and dive in!
4. Visit a Historic Cemetery. This next suggestion is inspired partly by my dear friend, Jillian, who organized a walk through a local historic cemetery last Samhain to great success. It combines several important things for any sabbat, but especially Samhain: getting out into nature, honoring those who came before, and doing something good for the community. Not only are cemeteries places of peace and quiet, perfect for reflection, and packed with some of the most beautiful statues, trees, and other installments, they are not a commonly tread place meaning that some of the gravestones have likely been long overlooked by friends, family, or community. This Samhain, head to your nearest historic cemetery for a little bit of quiet meditation and then pick a stone that's become overgrown and do a little upkeep. Pull weeds, refresh flowers, light a candle in remembrance. Those who have passed on will surely be grateful for your care and kindness.
5. Light Candles. So, this suggestion seems self-explanatory. In fact, I bet most of you are thinking that you do this anyway and it sounds like a gimme. However, as I've noted before, Samhain is the time of year when the veil between the living and the spirit world is the thinnest. This means that sometimes spirits can get lost as they wander between planes. If you are able, light white candles in your windows to help guide spirits as they traverse the realms. Again, say a prayer in their honor, invite loved ones to visit if you'd like, and take a little time out of your evening festivities for remembrance.
What are some of your favorite Samhain traditions? Leave your best ideas in the comments below!
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