Event Details

Samhain

Time: October 31, 2014 all day
Location: Where you want of choose
Event Type: holiday, festival, time
Organized By: Practitioners World wide
Latest Activity: Nov 15, 2013

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Event Description

Samhain -- different ways to celebrate. It's a great time of year to honor your ancestors and host a feast!

Some people celebrate it as Halloween, but for Practitioners, October 31 is typically known as Samhain. It's the old Celtic new year - sometimes called the Witch's New Year - and it's a time for honoring those who have crossed over into the spirit world.
This Sabbat has roots that go back thousands of years.

The evening of October 31 is known as Samhain. It's a time to mark the endless, ongoing cycle of life and death

Samhain falls on October 31, and is known as the Witch's New Year. You can celebrate it as the end of the harvest, and honor the return of the King of Winter.

Man's relationship with animals has evolved over thousands of years. Where once they were only a source of food, now they are our companions or food. Take a moment to honor the animal spirits in a ritual for Samhain.

For many Practitioners, the honoring of the ancestors is a key part of their spirituality.

In some Practitioner traditions, people choose to honor the God and Goddess, rather than focusing on the harvest aspect of the holiday. If this is something you'd like to do, this ritual welcomes the Goddess in her persona as Crone, and the Horned God of the autumn hunt.

Samhain is known as the witch's new year. It is a time to think about the endless cycle of life, death, and rebirth.

It's Samhain, and that means for many Practitioners it's time to commune with the ancestors.

Samhain is traditionally a time for divination. In many agricultural societies, divination was used to reveal the name of a suitor or potential mate, and were practiced in rural areas for centuries.

The Dumb Supper - A Feast With the Dead
In many Practitioner traditions, Samhain is celebrated with a Dumb Supper, or a Feast with the Dead. This is a solemn and sober occasion, and includes place settings for relatives and friends who have crossed over in the past year, as well as a chance to tell them what you never got to say.
Gods and Goddesses of Death and the Underworld
In many cultures, gods of the underworld and death are celebrated during the harvest time.
Mexico's Day of the Dead
Blended from Aztec tradition and Catholic ideals, the Day of the Dead is a Mexican holiday in which families remember their dead, place altars in their homes and decorate tombs in cemeteries. Although not common Practitioner paracticed, it's worth reading about because of the focus on man's own mortality and the idea of ancestor worship.

Samhain night is a great time to sit around a fire telling spooky stories.

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Comment by Dept of PMM Artists & things on October 3, 2012 at 4:27pm

As a new era begins, the pagan path is shining its light on more and more people who are experiencing a growing spiritual need to reconnect with Mother Nature and the ancient ways. Individuals throughout the world are discovering that Wicca (an earth-based religion embraced by many contemporary witches) is a positive, nature-oriented spiritual path, similar in many ways to Native American Shamanism. No devils are worshiped and no evil spells are employed to bring harm to others. Instead, most witches seek to live in harmony with the forces of nature and work positive magick to help, heal, and shape a better world for themselves and their children.

Comment by Dept of PMM Artists & things on October 3, 2012 at 4:27pm

For Pagans the world over, Samhain/Halloween is, among other things, a night of ancestors, a harvest festival, a time of magick and mirth, and a New Year's Eve celebration. Samhain's roots are undeniably pagan; yet, Halloween and its celebration should not be restricted to Witches and others who identify themselves as neo-pagans. Samhain/Halloween is a festive holiday that can, and should, be enjoyed by all, regardless of age, cultural background, or religious point of view.

Comment by Dept of PMM Artists & things on October 3, 2012 at 4:27pm

In the Middle Ages, Europeans believed that on Samhain/Halloween Witches took to the sky to celebrate their Sabbat until the rising of the sun. Hundreds of years later, modern Witches and Pagans still gather every year on October 31 to celebrate the holiday with rituals, chanting, song and dance, sacred bonfires, traditional pagan feasts, and various methods of divination, espeically those of an amatory nature.

Comment by Dept of PMM Artists & things on October 3, 2012 at 4:27pm

To the average person, the most common images associated with Samhain/Halloween are monstrous and macabre. But it may surprise you to learn that to many modern-day-witches and pagans, this jack-o'-lantern-lit night is the most sacred night of the year and a time to momentarily put aside one's troubles and enjoy some good, old-fashioned pagan mirth and merriment.

Comment by Dept of PMM Artists & things on October 3, 2012 at 4:27pm

Known by many names, Samhain, Shadowfest, Olde Hallowmas, All Hallow's Eve, Halloween, Festival of the Dead, this special night of the year is the most important of the eight annual Sabbats, which are holy days that revolve around seasonal transitions and agricultural observances celebrated by pagans and witches throughout the world. It is a time when the spirits of deceased loved ones and friends are honored, as well as a time to gaze into the world of things yet to come.

Comment by Dept of PMM Artists & things on October 3, 2012 at 4:27pm

On the last day of October, when the darkness of night drapes the sky like a shroud and the crisp air grows sweet with the aroma of fallen autumn leaves, magick and mystery abound. This is the night when the shadow realm beckons and the veil that separates the world of the living from the world of the dead grows most thin.
The Great Wheel of the Year has once again completed its cycle, and the time of endings and beginnings has arrived. This is Samhain.

Comment by Dept of PMM Artists & things on October 3, 2012 at 3:53pm

Comment by Dept of PMM Artists & things on October 3, 2012 at 3:52pm

By Patti Wigington, About.com Guide
Speaking to the Dead:

Although traditionally a seance is a good way to communicate with those who have crossed into the spirit world, it's also perfectly fine to talk to them at other times. You may find yourself walking into a room and suddenly reminded of someone you've lost, or catching a whiff of a familiar scent. For me personally, every February I find myself picking over birthday cards and thinking to myself how funny my grandfather would find this one or that one. I make a point of telling him about them, even though he died in 2002. You don't need a fancy or formal ritual to speak to the dead. They hear you.
How Do We Know They're Listening?:

In some spiritual paths, one may be viewed as crazy -- or at the very least, a little bit daffy -- if they speak to the dead. But think of the people you know who have lost a spouse, particularly one they were married to for a long time. Many of them will tell you they talk to their deceased loved one. We can ask them for assistance, for companionship, or just for them to hear our words. Chances are good that if you ask, your life will change significantly.
What Can We Say to Them?:

Ask anyone who's lost a loved one, and there's a good chance they have something they didn't get to say. Whether it's "I love you", "I forgive you," or just plain old, "I really miss you," there's nearly always something we wanted to say but never got around to. When you talk to the dead, share with them the things in your life that are important. Maybe you need to let Grandma know that you're finally going to have that baby girl she'd been hoping for. Or perhaps you need to tell Cousin Joe you're sorry you broke his iPod. Whatever it is, if it's on your mind say it. Only then will you be able to move on.
An Altar to the Ancestors:

In many cultures, ancestor worship is an ancient practice. Although traditionally found more in African and Asian societies, more and more Pagans of European heritage are beginning to embrace this idea. After all, we all want to know where we came from. You can build an altar to honor your ancestors, featuring photos, heirlooms, and even a family tree sheet. Leave it up all year long, or set it out at Samhain. This is a good time to perform a ritual for Honoring the Ancestors.
Why on Samhain?:

Why hold a Dumb Supper on Samhain? Well, it's traditionally known as the night when the veil between our world and the spirit world is at its most fragile. It's the night when we know for sure the dead will hear us speak, and maybe even speak back. It's a time of death and resurrection, of new beginnings and fond farewells.
Menus and Table Settings:

Your menu choices are up to you, but because it's Samhain, you may wish to make the traditional Soul Cakes, as well as serving dishes with apples, late fall vegetables, and game if available. Set the table with a black cloth, black plates and cutlery, black napkins. Use candles as your only source of light -- black if you can get them.

Realistically, not everyone has black dishware sitting around. In many traditions, it's perfectly acceptable to use a combination of black and white, although black should be the predominant color.
Host/Hostess Duties:

When you're hosting a Dumb Supper, clearly the point is that no one can speak --- and that makes a host's job very tricky. It means you have the responsibility of anticipating each guest's needs without them communicating verbally. Depending on the size of your table, you may want to make sure each end has its own salt, pepper, butter, etc. Also, watch your guests to see if anyone needs a drink refill, an extra fork to replace the one they just dropped, or more napkins.

Comment by Dept of PMM Artists & things on October 3, 2012 at 3:52pm

The Dumb Supper:

In some Pagan and Wiccan traditions, it has become popular to hold a Dumb Supper in honor of the dead. In this case, the word "dumb" refers to being silent. The origins of this tradition have been fairly well debated -- some claim it goes back to ancient cultures, others believe it's a relatively new idea. Regardless, it's one that's observed by many people around the world.

When holding a Dumb Supper, there are a few simple guidelines to follow. First of all, make your dining area sacred, either by casting a circle, smudging, or some other method. Turn off phones and televisions, eliminating outside distractions.

Secondly, remember that this is a solemn and silent occasion, not a carnival. It's a time of silence, as the name reminds us. You may wish to leave younger children out of this ceremony. Ask each adult guest to bring a note to the dinner. The note's contents will be kept private, and should contain what they wish to say to their deceased friends or relatives.

Set a place at the table for each guest, and reserve the head of the table for the place of the Spirits. Although it's nice to have a place setting for each individual you wish to honor, sometimes it's just not feasible. Instead, use a tealight candle at the Spirit setting to represent each of the deceased. Shroud the Spirit chair in black or white cloth.

No one may speak from the time they enter the dining room. As each guest enters the room, they should take a moment to stop at the Spirit chair and offer a silent prayer to the dead. Once everyone is seated, join hands and take a moment to silently bless the meal. The host or hostess, who should be seated directly across from the Spirit chair, serves the meal to guests in order of age, from the oldest to youngest. No one should eat until all guests -- including Spirit -- are served.

When everyone has finished eating, each guest should get out the note to the dead that they brought. Go to the head of the table where Spirit sits, and find the candle for your deceased loved one. Focus on the note, and then burn it in the candle's flame (you may wish to have a plate or small cauldron on hand to catch burning bits of paper) and then return to their seat. When everyone has had their turn, join hands once again and offer a silent prayer to the dead.

Everyone leaves the room in silence. Stop at the Spirit chair on your way out the door, and say goodbye one more time.

Comment by Dept of PMM Artists & things on October 3, 2012 at 3:51pm

Make a Witch Bottle

The witch bottle is a magical tool that has been reported in use for centuries. In early times, the bottle was designed as a way to protect oneself from malicious witchcraft and sorcery. In particular, around the time of Samhain, homeowners might create a witch bottle to keep evil spirits from entering the home on Hallow's Eve. The witch bottle was usually made of pottery or glass, and included sharp objects such as pins and bent nails. It typically contained urine as well, belonging to the homeowner, as a magical link to the property and family within. In 2009, an intact witch bottle was found in Greenwich, England, and experts have dated it back to around the seventeenth century.

Around the Samhain season, you may want to do a little bit of protective magic yourself, and create a witch bottle of your own. The general idea of the witch bottle is to not only protect yourself, but send back the negative energy to whoever or whatever is sending it your way. You'll need the following items:

A small glass jar with lid
Sharp, rusty items like nails, razor blades, bent pins
Sea salt
Red string or ribbon
A black candle

Fill the jar about halfway with the sharp, rusty items. These were used to deflect bad luck and ill fortune away from the jar. Add the salt, which is used for purification, and finally, the red string or ribbon, which was believed to bring protection. When the jar is halfway filled, there are a couple of different things you can do, depending on whether or not you're easily repulsed.

One option is to fill the remainder of the jar with your own urine - this identifies the bottle as belonging to you. However, if the idea makes you a bit squeamish, there are other ways you can complete the process. Instead of urine, use a bit of wine. You may wish to consecrate the wine first before using it in this manner. In some magical traditions, the practitioner might choose to spit in the wine after it's in the jar because -- much like the urine -- this is a way of marking the jar as your territory.

Cap the jar, and make sure it's sealed tightly (particularly if you used urine - you don't want any accidental spillage), and seal it with wax from the black candle. Black is considered handy for banishing negativity. If you're having trouble finding black candles, you may want to use white instead, and imagine a white ring of protection surrounding your witch bottle. Also, in candle magic, white is typically considered a universal substitute for any other color candle.

Now - where to stash your bottle? There are two schools of thought on this, and you can decide which one works best for you. One group swears that the bottle needs to be hidden somewhere in the home - under a doorstep, up in a chimney, behind a cabinet, whatever -- because that way, any negative magic aimed at the house will always go straight to the witch bottle, avoiding the people in the home. The other philosophy is that the bottle needs to be buried as far away from the house as possible, so that any negative magic sent towards you will never reach your home in the first place. Whichever one you choose, be sure that you're leaving your bottle in a place where it will remain undisturbed permanently.

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