Samhain Celebration: Review. Release. Renewal.

For Witches, the month of October is the Season of the Witch. A time when we celebrate the Craft, experience the thinning of the veil and enjoy the delights of Autumn.  Samhain Celebration, the final harvest, is at the culmination of October. There is an energy that inspires magick and divination. We may use this time to honor the Mighty and Beloved Dead. Or create an intimate remembrance for those who have died through rituals such as a Silent Supper. For myself, October can also be a time of review, release, and renewal for the final months of the year. 

Samhain Year’s End Review

As many of you may know, my mother died this past August (on Friday the 13th, no less). Additionally, my family and I have experienced other life stresses over the Summer. So, I am spending some time doing a little self-reflection or review. How am I feeling emotionally and spiritually? Is what I am doing for self-care helpful? What really worked for me in the past year or what am I proud to have accomplished?

If this time of year brings out a desire to do an “inner checkup”, here are a few suggestions:

1. Ask yourself how you are doing. Did you create healthy habits or goals in the last week, month, or year?
2. Meditation can help you connect with your personal power, Higher Self, Deity, etc. What kind of meditation is working best for you as an individual? Do you enjoy it or is it something you have to work at and why? Have you practiced with different forms of meditation or given yourself permission not to meditate?
3. Spend time in nature just breathing and “being.” How do you feel at the moment?
4. If you enjoy writing, keep a daily, weekly, or monthly journal. Review it once a year.

Release What No Longer Serves

Upon reflection, there is always something in our life that can or should be released. Conflicting emotions. Difficult relationships. Soul-sucking employment. Samhain is an excellent time to let go of things through ritual and spellcraft. Whether is through a simple letting go, purification and cleansing, or through banishing or binding, the weeks leading up to October 31st can be an optimal time for these workings.

Here are a few ideas that may be helpful. As in all magickal workings, the intention is important. So, be clear in your mind what you wish to remove:

1. Bay Leaves are excellent for releasing what has become negative in your life. Simply take a dried leaf, use a sharpie to write what it is you wish to release, and toss the bay leaf into a fire or with a candle and cauldron. You can do this with as many bay leaves as are necessary.
2. Create a bag or jar. You can include sharp things such as nails, glass, as well as herbs, stones, oils, etc., that are cleansing, protective, and will remove what you no longer wish in your life. Include black thread, string, or yarn. Then, write on a piece of paper what it is you wish to let go or remove from your life. Add the items into the bag or jar, focusing on letting go of whatever it is. Then seal the bag or jar tightly and bury it away from your home or property.
3. Cleanse yourself and/or your home with herb smoke. Lavender, Rosemary, and Cedar in sprigs or bundles will work for this.
4. Take a ritual bath with cleansing herbs and oils to remove what no longer serves.
5. Write what it is you wish to remove on a piece of paper. Roll it up into a tube, tie it with black string, and burn it in a fire or with a candle and cauldron.

Renewal Through Looking Ahead

Finally, what you can do as part of your Samhain celebration is look ahead. What is it you wish to accomplish in your life? Are there goals you can set on your path as a Witch? Is there a new skill you wish to acquire, a song to compose, or a book to write? Are you content and wish to maintain the status quo? Perhaps you are curious about events to come? Whatever it is, you can use the energy of October to focus on those things.

1. Divination is always a helpful tool for discovering what to focus on in the coming months. As the veil thins, it is a great time to connect with your inner diviner or visit someone for a reading. Whether it is Tarot, Oracle, Lenormand, Bones, Ogham, et al., you can find guidance, wisdom, and a peek at what may be happening in the future.
2. Focus on a specific goal, then create a candle spell to bring it into your reality.
3. Spell bags are also excellent for manifesting your intentions and they can be easy to carry in a pocket, purse, or bag.

Samhain Celebration

While Samhain may be observed on a particular day, I find it meaningful to celebrate throughout the entire month of October. Samhain is a sabbat that can be both solemn and joyful. And for me, it is a beautiful season to be a Witch, Pagan, or Magickal Person. However you choose to observe it, may this year’s Samhain be blessed.