The Sabbat of Samhain

Samhain

October 31st – Nov 1st
Greater Sabbat

God and Goddess:
At Samhain, the Goddess and he will be reborn at Yule. The God is the Horned One, the stag of great antlers, the god of the wild hunt. He is the animal that dies so that we may eat, and the grains and corn that once lived in the field before our harvest. He now takes his place in the underworld and prepares for his rebirth. The Goddess has entered her crone aspect. 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. 

General:
In Wicca, Samhain is the third harvest and one of the major and favorites of the eight sacred holidays celebrated by its practitioners. This festival is considered to be the most important of them all and is often celebrated on the thirty-first of October in the northern hemisphere or on April the thirtieth in the southern hemisphere. 

Wiccans honor their dead ancestors on this night believing that a black veil that separates the realm of the living and the realm of the dead has thinned, and thus communication with the dearly departed is at its easiest and that departed may enter the realm of the living for the night to pass on messages to the living. It is also a time when Wiccans believe that the earth is grieving the departure of the God who is going into slumber. Divination is heavily practiced on this day especially with the use of spirit boards, scrying tools and runes.

In History: 
Samhain (pronounced “SOW-in” in Ireland, “SOW-een” in Wales, “SAV-en in Scotland, and “SAM-haine” in non-Gaelic speaking countries) meaning Summer’s End.

Samhain is the last of the old Gaelic and Brythonic harvest festivals and the second oldest European unbroken 6, 000 year old holiday celebrating the ending of the waxing half of the year (spring and summer months) and preparing for the waning half of the year (autumn and winter months) with some aspects of the Festival of the Dead tradition that is found in many cultures and religions including Christianity.

With the coming of Christianity in the 800s AD, the early Church in England tried to Christianize the old Celtic festivals. Pope Boniface IV designated the 1st of November as "All Saints Day," honoring saints and martyrs. He also decreed October 31 as "All Hallows Eve” that eventually became Hallow'een.

Scholars today widely accept that the Pope was attempting to replace the earlier Celtic pagan festival with a church-sanctioned holiday. As this Christian holiday spread, the name evolved as well. Also called All-hallows Eve or All-hallowmas (from Middle English Alholowmesse meaning All Saints' Day). 200 years later, in 1000 AD, the church made November 2 All Souls' Day, a day to honor the dead. It is celebrated similarly to Samhain, with big bonfires, parades, and dressing up in costumes as saints, angels, and devils. Together, the three celebrations, the eve of All Saints', All Saints', and All Souls ‘Day, are called Hallowmas.

Samhain is held on the first of November each year in the northern hemisphere according to various sources, and it was on this date that the old Irish royals would come together in Tara to hold a festival in honor of summers ending. Another date that Samhain may be celebrated is on the actual cross-quarter day when the Sun is in 15 degrees Scorpio just after Sunset. This timing of the festival is associated with the Scottish ‘Old Hallowmas’.

Samhain became the premier festival celebrated during medieval Ireland running for three consecutive days with great bonfires starting with the lighting of the fires at the Hill of Tara, a sign to the people gathered around to light their own smaller fires announcing that Samhain has started. 

The Romans began to conquer the Celtic territories. By A.D. 43 they had succeeded in claiming the majority of the Celtic lands. They ruled for approximately four hundred years combining or influencing many Celtic traditional celebrations with their own. Two Roman holidays were merged with Samhain.
1. Feralia, a day in late October when the Romans traditionally commemorated the passing of the dead.
2. Pomona's Day of Honoring, the Roman goddess of fruit and trees. The symbol of Pomona is the apple and the incorporation of this celebration into Samhain probably explains the tradition of "bobbing" for apples that is practiced today on Halloween

Traditions:

Feast of the Dead: This is a dinner held in honor of dead family members. You would cook a meal and set the table for the present participating members, then set empty chairs with plate settings for the spirits of loved ones that may choose to join you. Although the Feast of the Dead forms a major part of most Pagan celebrations on this eve, and at Samhain voluntary communications are expected and hoped for. The departed are never harassed, and their presence is never commanded. The spirits of the dead are, however, ritually invited to attend the Sabbat and to be present within the Circle.

Orange and Black:
The colors of this Sabbat are black and orange. Black represents the time of darkness after the death of the God (who is represented by fire and the sun) during an earlier Sabbat known as Lughnasadh, and the waning of light during the day. Orange represents the awaiting of the dawn during Yule (Dec. 21st to Jan. 1st) when the God is reborn. Black also symbolizes death and magick, while orange was the color of the harvest.

Jack-O-Lanterns:
It is believed this custom originated from the lighting of candles for the dead to follow as they walked the earth. These candles were placed in hallowed out gourds and put on the ground to light the way. Irish and Scottish people began making lanterns by carving scary faces into gourds, turnips or potatoes and placing them into windows or near doors to frighten away the wandering evil spirits. 
In England, large beets were used. Immigrants from these countries brought the tradition to America where they found the pumpkin, a fruit native to America that made the perfect jack o'lanterns.

Tricks & Treats:

"Trick-or-treating" is a modern tradition that probably finds its roots in the early All Souls' Day parades in England. During the festivities, poor citizens would beg for food and families would give them pastries called "soul cakes" in return for their promise to pray for the family's dead relatives. The distribution of soul cakes was encouraged by the church as a way to replace the ancient practice of leaving food and wine for roaming spirits. The practice, which was referred to as "going a-souling" was eventually taken up by children who would visit the houses in their neighborhood and be given ale, food, and money
The 'trick' portion of "Trick or Treat" was an invention of the Christians. The tricks were supposedly caused by the dead who didn't receive a treat of food left for them when they arrived at your door.

Costumes:

During celebrations, the Celts wore costumes, and danced around the bonfire. Many of these dances told stories or played out the cycles of life and death or commemorated the cycle of Wheel of Life. These costumes were adorned for three primary reasons:

The first was to honor the dead who were allowed to rise from the Otherworld. The Celts believed that souls were set free from the land of the dead during the eve of Samhain. Those that had been trapped in the bodies of animals were released by the Lord of the Dead and sent to their new incarnations. The wearing of these costumes signified the release of these souls into the physical world.

The second reason for these traditional costumes was to hide from malevolent spirits to escape their trickery. Not all of these souls were honored and respected. Some were also feared as they would return to the physical world and destroy crops, hide livestock or 'haunt' the living that may have done them wrong.

The final representation was a method to honor the Celtic Gods and Goddesses of the harvest, fields and flocks. Paying homage to the deities who assisted the village or clan through the trials and tribulations of the previous year; and to ask for their favor during the coming year and the harsh winter months that were approaching.

Some suggest, this practice originates from England, when it was believed that ghosts came back to the earthly world on Halloween. People thought that they would encounter ghosts if they left their homes, so to avoid being recognized people would wear masks after dark so that the ghosts would mistake them for fellow spirits. In addition, these early English people would place bowls of food outside their homes to appease the ghosts and prevent them from attempting to enter or cause harm to their homes. A tradition obviously taken from the ancient Celtic pagans.

Celebration:

The way you observe and honor this holiday is entirely up to you. It can be a grand feast of the dead or elaborate ritual. On the other end of the spectrum, you may simply decorate your house or just your altar and light a candle with some pictures near it of those who died in memory of them and their lives. 

This is a time of reflection, looking over what has been accomplished over the past year and understanding the knowledge, wisdom and skills that have been ‘gifted’ to us as the result of the hard work and sacrifices that had been made in the past year. Rituals should be focused on banishing, sorting out unfinished business, facing the darker side of ourselves and contemplating the changes you want to make for the New Year.

Ritual Ideas:
(“From Mrs. B’s Guide to Household Witchery”)
I have adapted these rituals from Mrs. B. and love them and would like to share them.

Ritual: 5 Minutes Alone
This simple Samhain ritual lets you honor those who came before. If you have a few extra moments, add your favorite form of divination and see what the coming year will bring!
Items Needed:
• Your ancestor altar
• Lighter or matches
• A glass of apple cider
• A small snack, such as gingersnaps or a sliced apple
Cast your Circle.
1. Sit before your ancestor altar and take a few deep breaths. Think about those who have passed on—their struggles and how they’ve affected your life. Think about how blessed you were to have them in your life.
2. When you feel centered and ready, light the candle on your altar and say,
“I light this candle in honor of Samhain and to recognize the changing season. I honor the Lord and Lady and my ancestors and give them thanks. On this night, when their spirits walk among us and magic is in the air, I ask my ancestors for their blessings and ask them to watch over my family and home. So mote it be.”
Sit for a moment or two. Drink your cider and eat your snack, being sure to leave some on your offering plate. 
Open Circle
Let the candle burn for as long as you safely can.

Small Group Ritual 
This ritual is just the right length to do with a friend or two, your partner, or the whole family. Just gather round and share the time together.
Items Needed:
• A candle
• A lighter or matches
• Scraps of paper
• A pen or pencil for each participant
• Your cauldron or other heat-safe container
• Cider and cups
• A plate of cookies
Cast Circle. 
1. Gather everyone, and sit down somewhere comfortable with all of your ritual items. Begin with a simple deep breathing exercise to get everyone centered.
2. When everyone’s ready, light the candle and say,
On this fall night of Samhain, we celebrate the turning wheel. As the seasons change, so goes the cycle of death and rebirth. Tonight we mark the death of the old year and the birth of the new. We make these pledges to ourselves and to the Lord and Lady.
3. At this time, each person should write down any resolutions that they’d like to make for the new year or any plans for new beginnings that they’d like to put into motion.
4. Go around the circle, and one at a time each participant can choose whether to share what they’ve written out loud. The paper is then lit on the flame of the candle (younger participants should be assisted by an adult) and placed in the cauldron to burn.
5. When everyone has finished, pass around the cider and cookies and enjoy each other’s company. Everyone should save a sip of the cider and a bit of his or her cookie. When it’s time to finish up, take the cooled ashes outside and bury them in the ground. Leave your food offerings nearby.
Open Circle.

For the Kids
There are usually more than enough Halloween activities going on in October for the kids. But how do you get them to understand what Samhain is really about? Create something fun to draw their attention while you count down the days!
Grab some orange construction paper and cut out thirty-one pumpkin shapes; number them 1 to 31 on one side. On the other side, write a short fact about Samhain, or paste on a picture of a loved one who’s passed or share a fun fact about that person. If you like, staple or tape a small treat to each pumpkin, such as a piece of candy, a coin, a small Halloween eraser, or something like that. Starting on October 1, find a place to stash the pumpkin where you know your child will find it. Pack it in their school lunch, stick it in their sock drawer, or prop it up by their toothbrush. On Halloween morning, tape the last paper pumpkin to a real pumpkin and help them carve a face in it so that it can guard your home that night.

This is my Samhain Ritual

Samhain Correspondences

Element:
Water

Threshold:
Midnight

Herbs:
Allspice, comfrey, dandelion, mugwort, catnip, ferns, flax, mandrake, mullein, dragon’s blood, sage, straw, thistles, oak leaf, wormwood,

Gemstones:
Black stones, jet, obsidian, onyx, carnelian

Incense/Oil:
Frankincense, basil, yarrow, lilac, camphor, clove, wood rose, wormwood, myrrh, patchouli, apple, heliotrope, mint, nutmeg, sage, ylang-ylang.

Colors/Candles:
Black, orange, indigo

Animal/Mythical Beings:
Bats, Cats, Dogs, pooka, goblin, medusa, beansidhe, harpies

Tools/ Symbols/Decorations:
black altar cloth, Halloween items, jack o lanterns, oak leaves, acorns, straw, balefire, brooms, black cat, black crescent moon, cauldron, divination tools, grain, mask, bare branches, animal bones, Hazelwood, pictures of ancestors.

Goddesses:
The crone, Hecate (Greek), Cerridwen (Welsh-Scottish), Arianrhod (welsh), Caillech (Irish – Scottish), Bast (Egyptian), Persephone (Greek), Hel (Norse).

Gods:
Horned hunter, Cernunnos(Celtic), Osiris(Egyptian), hades (Greek), Gwynn ap Nudd (British), Anubis (Egyptian), Coyote Brother (Native American), Loki (Norse), Dis (Roman), Arawn (Welsh).

Essence:
Magick, plenty; knowledge, the night, death &rebirth, success, protection; rest, new beginning, ancestors, lifting the veil, return, change.

Dynamics/ Meaning:
Death and transformation, wiccan new year, wisdom of the crone, end of summer, honoring, thinning of the veil between worlds, death of the year, time outside of time, night of the wild hunt, begin new projects, end old projects

Purpose:
Honoring the dead, especially departed ancestors, knowing we will not be forgotten, clear knowledge of our path, guidance, protection, celebrating reincarnation.

Rituals/Magick:
Foreseeing future, honoring/consulting ancestors, releasing the old, power, understanding death and rebirth, divination, past life regression.

Customs:
Ancestor altar, costumes, divination, carving jack o lanterns, spirit plate, the feast of the dead, feasting, paying debts, fairs, drying winter herbs, masks, bonfires, apple games, tricks, washing clothes.

Foods:
Apple, pumpkin pie, pomegranate, pumpkin, squash, hazelnuts, corn, cranberry muffins, bread, ale, cider and herbal tea.