The Wheel
Samhain
October 31: ancestors, release, death and rebirth, and final harvest.
Date: October 31
Colors: Black, Orange, and Indigo
Customs: Jack-o’-lanterns, spirit plate, divination, costumes, feasting
Ritual Focus: Honoring ancestors, releasing the old, understanding death and rebirth
Samhain is the final of the three harvest festivals. A portion of the last bounty was traditionally left in the fields as an offering and in gratitude for the providence of the year.
This is the night in European traditions when the old God dies and the Goddess mourns. His soul returns to Cerridwen’s cauldron of life, death, and knowledge to await rebirth. The veil is thinnest, making this a time to remember ancestors who have passed into the Summerland and to invite memory, reflection, and reunion.
Samhain is an excellent time to reflect on life and death while reaffirming that life should be celebrated even in the face of death.