On the first day of Samhain, my true love gave to me, a bite of immortality . . . On the second day of Samhain, my true love gave to me, two caramel apples and a bite of immortality . . .
Samhain, aka Halloween Old School, is a High Holy Day, a cross-quarter day, which is different from the solar holidays, or the Full Moon and New Moon celebrations. Cross-quarter days actually mark the true beginning of the seasons. The solar holiday marks the midpoint. Winter does not begin on December 21–it begins on October 31. That’s why Yule is called the Mid-Winter Solstice.
The cross-quarter days get celebrated a little differently, too. Since they mark the true transition points between seasons, they tend to get a little more attention, sometimes as many as three days. Samhain in particular was given three full days, because it marks the end of the old year, the very end of the harvest, the beginning of the sleeping time, and, perhaps most importantly, it contains the Day Between Years. All that Year-and-a-Day stuff we hear about? Well, here’s your extra day.
All the cross-quarter celebrations begin at sundown and go until sundown the next day, usually for three days running. Samhain begins at sundown on October 30, the Day Between Years begins at sundown on October 31 with the familiar revels, and the New Year begins at sundown November 1. The designation of All Hallow’s Eve, or Hallowe’en, is an echo of that tradition. The whole cycle can be moved to the nearest full or new moon to be celebrated over those three days as well. For example, I’ll be celebrating Samhain 2017 from sundown November 3 to sundown November 6, taking full advantage of the fullness of the moon to amp up my work. [Ed. note: I’ll be celebrating Samhain 2021 on a new moon cycle from November 3-5, with the Day Between Years falling right on the new moon (also my mother’s birthday so, you know, extra creepy), and I feel like I really need the dark sky to do some serious shadow healing. Also, there may be a star party involved with an old friend.]
So what do you do with three days to observe? It’s a marathon! Don’t worry, you don’t have to be celebrating every minute! You can sleep, you can go about your business, you can do some laundry, read a book whatever. But do it mindfully. Stop and think once in awhile about what you are doing, and why, and how it could tie into the major theme of the holiday. That way, when the time comes to do something celebratory, you’re already in the mindset, in the vibe of the thing.
The major celebrations are at night. The first night, we have what is sometimes called a Dumb Supper, where we use no salt, the Western door or window is opened, and nobody speaks. Why no salt? Because salt absorbs spirit, neutralizes things. We throw salt over our shoulder to erase bad luck. In the Death Eater or Sin Eater tradition, salt was placed in a bowl on the body of the departed, to be consumed by the Sin Eater. The Sin Eater thus absorbed the sin, or the disease, of the departed so their soul could be at rest. So we don’t want any salt around, because we don’t want it to absorb our beloved dead. The Western door is left open as an invitation to our ancestors and beloved dead, and a plate of food is placed for them at the table. Why do we not speak? Because we are listening. We are listening for their voices, paying attention to the vibe in the room, seeing what we feel, what we notice.
We are also listening within, spiraling in to commune with our deepest selves.
After our saltless supper, Michael and I go out to our fireplace in the backyard and light a small fire. Once the fire is going strong, then we talk. We share our thoughts and observations from the supper, talk about our ancestors and our beloved dead, tell stories and sing songs. We look up at the sky, listen to the night sounds, tend the fire, burn some incense, and let the night wash over us. It is a beautiful, simple, and powerful way to honor our mortality, our journey through the physical world, and commune with the spirits we dearly miss. We also talk about the past year, the good stuff we want more of, the stuff we had enough of, and talk about whether we accomplished the things we set out to do the year before.
This is the perfect time to reflect–it’s like being between the surfaces of two mirrors, one is the past, one is the future, and we are focused between, in the still-point of the year. What has the last year brought you that you didn’t have before? And is that a good thing, or something you were happier without? And what is really important about this is that it is not done from a place of judgment, but with great objectivity. We can’t control everything. We can create what we want, but there are obstacles and challenges so that we learn how to be stronger and smarter, how to seek to be in Grace, no matter what. Sometimes what we want is not what we need. So don’t let this be a big regret fest, but instead, just an honest review of the year.
And so to bed.
Samhain Night, aka Halloween, is the Night Between Years, when the veil is thinnest, and spirits walk abroad. It is possible to get lost, to cross the boundary between this world and the Otherworld, and get yourself in trouble, so no drunken walking alone through the forest, or down deserted alleyways, or straying into the center of any standing stone circles nearby unless you know what you are doing. This is the night we confront our fears, to let them know that we are in charge. We dress up, sometimes to embody something we desire in order to bring a little of that magic into our lives, sometimes to embody something that terrifies us in order to let fear know who is boss. Your costume reflects what you need at that moment. Give it some real thought. Don’t just throw any old thing together at the last minute. Witches, Druids and other Pagans often go in full regalia, and that can be a powerful statement, but sometimes it’s not what our heart really needs. It’s a night when we can be totally ourselves, with no fear of discrimination or other repercussions. Allow any Youness that you usually keep under wraps full autonomy. You don’t have to be afraid of pissing off the in-laws or the parents, or losing your job, or having the local chapter of the moral majority sicced on you. Revel in the freedom, and hold on to as much of it as you can in the days, weeks and months to come. Remember what it feels like to be totally free to be fully who you are, and make space in your life for more.
Spend some time in meditation, doing some fire, water, or crystal-gazing, Tarot or tea-leaf reading . . . Whatever feels right. Ask for information, clues, knowledge. This is not a time for trivialities. The veil is thin. There are additional highways for communication available. Use your limited time on those highways wisely. Remember, you can’t ask questions about anybody else, unless you are doing a reading for them. You can only ask questions about you. Do the serious stuff first, or you might not get it done, especially if you are going to be celebrating with libations of an alcoholic nature. Veggies first, then dessert. Do the work, and then enjoy the revels of the night to the fullest extent of your comfort zone, and maybe push the boundaries a wee bit. Don’t put yourself in danger, but step a little outside yourself. Embody that Goddess you’ve dressed up as, be the archetype you’ve chosen to represent, put on an act, throw yourself into the role. If you have decided to dress up as something you fear, try to deeply understand the function of that fear, and then when the night is done, bring that understanding with you back to Middle Earth. Your fear will likely have evaporated.
Get yourself home safe, especially if it means calling a cab, and take a moment to reflect on what you experienced. If something needs writing in your journal, at least make notes. You can flesh it out in the morning when you’re awake and rested. But don’t just let it go, thinking you’ll remember, because this is a Trickster Night. Make some notes, because otherwise, poof. Your insight might come off with your costume and makeup.
And so to bed.
Lastly comes the New Year, a totally hopeful and forward looking celebration, setting goals for yourself, setting your intention for the coming year. This is when you take the information from the first night, the Night of the Dead, and look at the things you want more or less of from the previous year; take the insight you received in your meditation or divination work–as well as what came to you when you were embodying your fears or desires in costume–about what might be possible for you in the coming year; and write down your expectations, dreams and desires, so that you can watch them become a reality by next Samhain. See, there is a method to the three days of madness! Spend an evening looking at what you have, what you don’t want and what is missing; spend the next evening divining the future and seeing what might be possible; and then put it all together, write it down with intention, and make it so!
And then go out and celebrate the New Year with the best company you can muster. Dress up, though maybe not in costume. Dress like you would for a New Year’s Party, because that’s exactly what this is. Go out for dinner and dancing, or host a party at home. Do something to seal in the magic of the weekend, and to start the year off with the best possible feeling. Start creating your new year in gratitude and celebration, and keep that attitude the whole year. Bright Samhain Blessings, every one.
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