Merry Samhain

Merry Samhain!

Leaves are Dead

Time is the wind, fast then slow,

ever shimmering on the edges of all life.

Your bones are weary, yes.

Long labours speak out now and whisper

“Rest”.

Discover a use for your being that is beyond being useful.

Do not fear the Womb!

Knit as you were knitted.

Find the threads down the byways of your curiosities.

Risk weaving the web,

carefully constructed with the wisdom of your ancestors.

Remember the ancients,

for they do not forget you.

This Moon is Full

so we celebrate the Wild,

the one who dares to go her own way.

Listen & Know.

-Hecate

Samhain (pronounced Sa-ween) is an Irish Word meaning summer’s end, and indeed it is. It is the third and final harvest of the year, marking the conclusion of the fertile season and the transition into death and darkness. We learn to love the dark and find the beauty of death – the ultimate giveaway. What is left in the field remains for the animals, the Earth to keep. We store what we can and hope that our efforts will last us through the Winter. We transition from long days in the sun into long nights beside the fire.

Traditionally known as the Celtic New Year, Samhain begins a new cycle of growth, as the seeds fall into the Earth and conceive that which will grow in the Green World next Spring. Autumn is the magical, romantic, mystical conception. The light is Golden and often we find ourselves whisked away to another world through the glimmer of a dew drop or the intricate lines running through a russet leaf. The icing of frost is the work of the faeries as they begin to cover the Earth in her crystalline blanket. Snow may be falling in the Far North, and further south we feel the chill in the night that tells us Winter is at the door. The veil is thin, and we can now speak with the ones beyond and seek protection from spirits who may wish us harm. Boo! Begone. Acorns are a classic amulet of protection, carried in the pocket. Salt in a satchet, jewelry of iron, these are the ancient charms of those who wish to remain Earthside.

Samhain is the season of the Scorpio, and thus we cannot hide from the shadow aspects anymore. If we refuse to see and love the darkness in ourselves, we feel it all around us in the form of fear and monsters, conflict and harm. Samhain is a call to recognize that which we use to sabotage ourselves, and cut it away from our beings, freeing our hearts to expand into deeper love. Samhain is the holiday of Morrigan, lady of the dead, who helps us understand rampant destruction and what is at the root. Samhain is the domain of Hecate, the Crone who guides us into our wildness and teaches us how to grow old. In her we face our fears of change, of becoming something different than what we are now. We reckon with how we will never be what we once were. We seek the gifts in every age and look forward to our own elderhood.

Samhain is all about roots. We make remedies out of the roots, full of strong medicine to help our bodies survive the winter. We dig and burrow. We welcome weariness and indulge in sleep. We seek our own roots, the voices of our ancestors. We ask them for their wisdom, and to release us from their unfinished business. We carry on the pains of our mothers and grandmothers and great-great-great great-great grandmothers no more. We invite the knowledge of the past to inform our present choices, remembering that there is nothing new under the sun. We rest easy, wrapped up in the love of the ones who came before us, trusting in the fact that they made a way for us to be here right now, in this moment. We light candles, make altars for the ones who have gone before us. We honor them.

We reflect on what we need to let go of. Try finding red string or yarn (but really any color will do). List the things you wish to let go of. Tie as many circles as there are items on your list. Find a dull blade and cut each circle of string. The magic is in the struggle. Once all circles are cut, burn the string together in a vessel, and release the ashes into wind.

We finish up our unfinished business. We tidy and prepare for a new set of weather conditions. We examine the year, draw up our accounts, and reflect on our failures and successes with total acceptance in order to find where we can adjust and bring new energy and experiences into the next cycle. Today I will preserve some of the last fruits of the season. In this I complete the cycle of the farmer’s year and also invoke my grandmothers who began this tradition to nourish themselves and their families once the growing time is done.

Samhain is only scary if you fear facing yourself, as you are. Know her. Accept her.

How will you celebrate Samhain this week?

P.S. Next up on the blog is our first Q & A article where I answer Herbal Medicine questions from the community (that's you!). We'll be touching on themes of managing chronic pain, herbal anti-inflammatories, and deeply nourishing our nerves.