Experiencing Samhain

Following the seasonal shift in energy

Photo by John Mccann on Unsplash

Have you noticed how many different cultures recognize and celebrate the dead at this time of year? From commercialized Halloween to the Christian holy days of All Souls and All Saints honoring the “cloud of witnesses,” and the colorful Mexican festival of Día de los Muertos, death, deceased family members, and saints are celebrated and honored. These cultural practices reflect the seasonal shift in the natural world that is happening now in the Northern Hemisphere.

Do you find it odd to celebrate death? Nature herself is celebrating and embracing death as the normal process of the regularly scheduled cycle of birth, death, and rebirth or resurrection. The last of the crops have been harvested, signaling the death of the growing season, and the deciduous trees have been putting on an especially grand show before they let go of their golden and crimson leaves!

Recently, I walked along a river enjoying the coolish temperatures of a Florida evening. The cool darkness was a welcome reprieve from the heat and bright sunshine in Tampa in late October. The river walk, packed with restaurants, boat tours, and tourists, was decorated with bigger-than-life spooky Halloween decorations. Ghouls and goblins are scary but they miss the point of Samhain, which is to pause and turn within. Okay, that may be scary, too!

Samhain, the most important of Celtic festivals, is celebrated for three days beginning on Halloween. The three days are considered “time outside of time;” they are neither part of the year just ended nor part of the new year about to begin. The veil between this physical world and the unseen world is the thinnest at this time of year, granting spirits, evil and good alike, access to this world. 

Centuries ago, scary costumes were donned to confuse and ward off the evil spirits. Today, we have largely moved away from blaming evil spirits for unexplainable mishaps. Now that we rely on scientific reasoning to explain away any mysterious shenanigans, many have lost touch with the spirit world altogether. We have lost touch with mystical experiences that give rise to wonder and awe.

Samhain is a special time of reflection on the Celtic Wheel of the Year. Today, I am advocating the realigning of your energies to match the energies of the shifting seasons. Why? Humans are part of nature, not separate from it. We are not machines, designed to perform around the clock. The more we can function in alignment with our natural environment, the more harmonious our lives will be. The more we can live in right relationship with creation, the more we will thrive. So let’s have a look at the Celtic festival of Samhain.

Samhain is a time to pause and reflect on your own personal harvest during the previous year. As you give thanks for your harvest and reflect on the fruits of your labor, consider whether those fruits will sustain you throughout winter’s darkness. In the months ahead, you may want to set an intention in your planning for the coming year. What do you want to keep doing? What do you want to stop doing? What do you want to start doing?

Samhain is a time to prepare for the long darkness of winter. I used to hate the cold and lack of sunshine, but I am reframing this as a time for nesting and nourishing my soul. I actually look forward to the peace and stillness of cold winter evenings. The challenge is maintaining a sense of peace through the next round of holidays. 

The season of Samhain lasts until its climax at the Winter Solstice. This is a time to surrender and settle into the dark half of the year where the seasonal energy is one of releasing and dying to make room for the rebirth and renewal that blossoms in the spring. Consider this a season of returning to the womb for rest and rejuvenation. You’ll be well served to follow nature’s lead by resting and gathering your energy during the dark season of Samhain so that you are revitalized and ready for the frenetic busy energy expenditure of the summer months.

How do you deal with the shift into the winter season? 

Do you embrace the dark stillness or do you resist it?

Let me know in the comments!

As with the other cultures mentioned above, Samhain is also a time to honor our ancestors. Now, when the veil is the thinnest, you may be able to feel their presence. Although you no longer encounter them with your physical senses, their energy is still here as energy is neither created or destroyed. Your ancestors are near you even if you cannot perceive their presence. They are on your spirit team, along with the angels and other benevolent spirits who exist in the spirit world. Your ancestors are part of your cloud of witnesses that provide guidance and encouragement. They are always near, cheering you on. Because they have drawn nearer to us at Samhain, now is a good time to seek out their wisdom. Just ask!

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If you’d like to learn more about the Celtic festivals celebrated during the Wheel of the Year, and how these practices can help you enrich your life, you are welcome to join us for The Gathering of Celtic Spirits! We meet virtually around each of the festivals throughout the year, starting next Thursday, November 7th. There are sessions at 2pm eastern or at 7pm eastern. Choose the one that works best for you.

Click below to learn more about the topics we will cover and get a sneak peak at the curriculum for the course. We’d love to have you gather with us!

Photo by Michelle Granados

May your day be filled with sunlit leaves and deep blue skies a few more times before the snow falls. And may you find moments of stillness to hear the wind rustling the last of the leaves before they grow silent.

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