Samhain is a potent time of year to practice magic. The veil is thin between the seen and unseen worlds. The music of the fae drifts through the ether, and the ancestors are active. 

Samhain is an ancient Celtic holiday celebrating the final harvest of the year. It is a time to commune with ancestors and honor the fairy folk. Many cultures worldwide have celebrations at this time of year honoring their loved ones who have passed away. For the Celts, Samhain heralded the New Year, and many practicing Wiccans consider it the Witches’ New Year. 

There are agricultural, ancestral, and divinatory magic rituals traditionally done at Samhain. Read on to learn three simple Samhain ceremonies you can practice. Cackling skills and a magic broom are not required but highly recommended ;). Be sure to read to the end where I share a super fun Samhain-themed music playlist I made.

The Pagan Origins of Pumpkin Carving

The Celts were carving spooky faces into vegetables long before the concept of the pumpkin patch with a corn maze became popular. Pagan Celts had a vibrant relationship with the spirit world, and just as we do today, loved to festoon their homes with menacing decorations to scare away anyone with ill intentions. Ancient peoples cleverly used what they had on hand, and back in pre-christian Europe turnips were available in abundance. 

Directions for Turnip Carving:

1. Choose the largest turnip you can find. Farmer’s markets are a great place for this. 

2. Just like a pumpkin, cut off the top at an angle and set aside. 

3. Scoop out the center of the turnip, first cutting carefully with a sharp knife and then scooping with a small spoon. These innards can be used to make mashed turnips!

4. Once the turnip is hollowed out, use a sharp knife to carefully carve a little face into the turnip

5. Fill with a tealight candle and set out in front of your house to scare off any wandering tricksters! 

Wiccans and Neo-pagans have adapted old Celtic and Germanic holidays into what is called The Wheel of the Year. There are eight points on the Wheel of The Year. Each point corresponds with either a solstice, an equinox, or a midpoint in between these celestial events. Samhain is the midpoint between the Autumn Equinox and Winter Solstice. 

For the Celts, the day began at sunset. Samhain marks the beginning of the dark time of year. Since the pagan Celts considered the darkness time a beginning, the evening of October 31 was their new year. In the growing cycle of the Northern Hemisphere, plants were dropping their seeds and animals were gathering & feasting the last of what they could find before the first snowfall. 

Samhain is a time of conception. A seed drops to the fertile earth. In the dark hush of winter, a secret unfolding quietly takes place, preparing to burst forth under the warmth of the sun come springtime. This is the true magic of Samhain. 

This ritual is intended to honor the new year. Celts would traditionally do a simple ritual with a sacred well or spring to sow their wishes and cast off their troubles. A version of this ritual is detailed here to practice if you wish. 

Directions for The Great Turning ritual:

1. After dark and before sunrise go to a special water source that you can walk around 3 times. If you do not have this, then place a bowl of natural water from a stream, the sea, or lake near the source. If using tap water inside your home, throw in a handful of salt into the bowl. 

2. While holding coins or small silver objects, slowly circle the water source/bowl three times doesil (clockwise). As you turn, hold firmly in your mind a wish or need you have and drop the coins into the water. 

3. If the water is drinkable, take a drink of the water. If not drinkable, splash your face and hair with the water. 

4. Place a small token such as a hairpin, special stone, or piece of cloth near the water source. If using a bowl indoors, drop the token into the water, then take it outside, dig a hole and drop it into the earth. Turn and walk away without looking back. 

**Please note: It is considered taboo for anyone to touch the objects you leave behind for the water. 

What is An Ancestor?

The term ancestor encompasses more than just your deceased relatives. An ancestor is anyone or anything that contributed to giving you life, from your mother to the earth herself. Celts had many honoring rituals for the land and for specific relatives at Samhain time. This ritual is intended to honor a specific person or ask for help from your human ancestors. 

The Spirit Plate

Leaving a spirit plate of food was done at Samhain. Celts felt a responsibility to continue communing with their dead relatives through offering food to indicate that they were open to the ancestor’s help and goodwill. Many cultures have a similar type of ritual that is performed anywhere from daily to once a year. This is a particular interpretation of this worldwide practice. Feel free to adapt to your own particular beliefs and ancestral traditions. 

How to prepare a spirit plate:

1. Set aside a space for your altar. This can be anything from the seat your family member used to sit in to a table dedicated solely to this altar. 

2. Gather a candle and any photos of dead loved ones you wish to honor. Do not place photos of living people on this altar. Religious/spiritual tokens/icons  would also be appropriate.

3. Gather favorite foods of your immediate known ancestors who have passed over to the Otherworld. This can be parents, grandparents, uncles/aunts, etc. If you do not know your family members or wish to honor your cultural heritage in general, choose foods traditionally loved and eaten by people who share your ethnic heritage(s). 

4. Arrange any photos or objects you have. Arrange the food you wish to offer on a plate. Light the candle. Place the plate before the photos and objects. Leave it out for as long as you wish, but at least 24 hours. Let the candle burn until it is extinguished. If you need to blow it out before you go to bed for safety, do so. 

5. Some cultures eat the food; in the Celtic tradition the food is never eaten by mortals. If you wish to remove the food from your home you can place it respectfully outdoors in your garden compost or a natural place. Do not throw it away. 

Merry Samhain To All

Enjoy Samhain time. I hope these rituals can connect you with Celtic traditions that may have been lost but are not forgotten. To learn more about the origins and traidions of Samhain, check out this in-depth article on celebrating Samhain.

To get into the spirit of the season, be sure to check out my Samhain playlist! Click Here to view on Spotify or listen below.

Merry meet, Merry part, and Merry meet again! 

Susan Marie 

Sources

A Druid's Herbal of Sacred Tree Medicine : Ellen Evert Hopman

A Druid’s Herbal for the Sacred Year: Ellen Evert Hopman