Samhain | pagan new year | halloween| all hallows' eve
Honouring the Ancestors
No night is more associated with witchcraft than November Eve, the last night of October. Of all the witches' sabbats, this is the one most familiar to non-witches, who may enjoy it as a secular holiday dedicated to candy and costuming, or fear it as a time of occult forces from which they must hide. For witches, it is a holy day, potentially the most significant of the year.
The most famous name for November Eve, Hallowe'en or All Hallows' Eve, is a synonym for All Saints' Eve, as hallow is an archaic word for saint. The Catholic Church created a fixed-date commemoration on October 31. However, in the context of the witch's year, this sabbat marks the midpoint between the fall equinox and the winter solstice; many witches celebrate the precise astronomical date, instead of or in addition to October 31.
Samhain, the name favoured by many witches, is pronounced SOW-en. Emphasis is on the first syllable, which rhymes with "cow." It is also the start of the dark half of the ancient Celtic year. The veil between the worlds is at its most sheer. Witches of a shamanic orientation will avail themselves of this energy to travel between the realms of the dead and the spirits to return with messages and information from beyond the veil. It is believed that the dead return to visit the living at this time, whether as nurturing ancestors or vengeful ghosts. For many, this is a time to honour the dead, to build altars or make offerings to appease them. It is considered especially beneficial for séances and other necromantic rituals.
Samhain is the third and last of the Three Spirit Nights - a time to celebrate with the spirits. Spirits of all kinds are active, especially fairies. It is the feast day of Nicnevin, a Scottish fairy queen, who grants wishes on this night. It is also a holy night dedicated to Hekate, a goddess of witches and witchcraft, who presides over the dead. Hekate may be requested to facilitate contact between the living and the dead or to remove unwanted ghosts. Samhain is the perfect time for any kind of spellcasting, whether solitary or with a coven, for divination, and for honouring one's ancestors.
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