Samhain Rituals, the Festival of the Spirits
Samhain, or Halloween, as it is more widely known worldwide, refers to the end of October, also understood as the end of the year in various pagan traditions. It is the time when the true change in weather begins to be noticed, the sun sets earlier, and the trees are already losing their leaves. If Mabon is the time of the first harvest, now is the time for a second harvest, and perhaps the last of the year before the cold winter. Spiritually, these harvests, as is the case with the end of the year in December of the Julian calendar, refer to a reflection on the goals achieved, the progress made toward them, the good times and people this year has brought, etc.
Since, as with other key dates, it is believed that the doors separating the various worlds open, particularly the one between the living and the dead, and that the Sun and the Year "also die," the central theme of this festival will be to honor and remember the deceased, while sharing food, games, and rituals with them. This is done in the Western world in October-November, while in Asia, the month of the spirits is August.
We've already discussed the origins of Samhain-Halloween at length in several blog articles, which we've included below.
This article will focus on the rituals of Neopaganism and traditional witchcraft, which can be performed freely and without conflict with most beliefs.
Meal for the Dead
Among the rituals of this holiday, we must emphasize the importance of food. In many ancient cultures, and in folklore surviving today around the world, the deceased are allowed to eat and drink. This is why, for example, in several Eastern European countries, a candle, a glass of water, and food are left near the deceased so that the spirit may be nourished before finally departing. In other parts of the world, it is customary to celebrate the anniversaries of the death of loved ones by gathering for a meal near their graves or in their former homes. As a ritual, empty chairs can be left at a table laden with sweets and dishes typical of these holidays in each region to invite the spirits.
Visiting their graves is the most traditional practice, as is creating small altars with their photos at home. Inviting them to a meal or mentioning them while playing games or rituals, asking for their help, is a way to keep them close. There is a Victorian-era tradition called "the silent supper," also known as the "silly supper," in which, after telling stories and anecdotes about departed loved ones, everything is done in absolute silence: chairs are set for the deceased and the food is served upside down: desserts first and starters last. After the silent supper, as a ritual silence of respect for the deceased, the deceased's plates are left outside (for example, at the door). In other versions, just as the plates are served upside down, the table is also set backward.
As for the food, seasonal fruits and vegetables predominate: the pumpkin, used hollowed out as a lantern, is very versatile for sweet dishes and accompaniments to meat and fish, as well as soups or creams. The pomegranate, a fruit of the underworld in the classical world and a symbol of prosperity due to its numerous seeds, is another classic element. Apples, also a symbol of the afterlife in the Celtic world, are frequently used in the same way as in Mabon. Dried fruits are the best accompaniment. Traditional regional pastries from this time of year are a must: soul cakes, pan de muerto (bread of the dead), huesos de santo (saints' bones), and fritters.
A widely used ingredient in autumn meals is cinnamon. Cinnamon has a strong esoteric connection with money and prosperity, which is why it is included in foods, drinks, and desserts, and is also scattered around the house to show how abundance enters the home. Cinnamon-scented incense and candles, or air fresheners made with cinnamon sticks and orange and lemon peel, are some of the common decorations used during this time of year.
Leaving food on doors and windows was not only done for the deceased to eat. In the British Isles, it was an offering to the faerie beings, that is, fairies, goblins, and other beings of nature. Giving them food was a way to gain their favor and ensure they wouldn't cause mischief or illness to the families who were being kind to them. Today, in the cities, pagans who don't have a low house or yard leave part of their feast on the altars, differentiating between the offerings dedicated to the gods and those dedicated to the fairies.
Candles
Candlelighting helps spirits navigate in the darkness to reach homes, so it never hurts to light the doors and windows of the house. In places like Ireland, making candles and giving them to neighbors was part of a women's ritual of good wishes for their homes. Blue candles during this time are associated with spirits.
Candles can be lit as offerings and with prayers and remembrances for the deceased. Likewise, spells cast with candles requesting the aid of spirits—whether beneficial or malevolent—will be more easily heard on this night. This also applies to lunar and threshold deities, such as Hecate.
An example of a candle ritual during this time is to light a candle for seven minutes during the previous seven days, making a request. On Halloween, it is left to burn overnight, and the next morning, the remaining wax seal is placed in a piece of paper or a small bag to be carried during the dark months.
Another purpose of candles is purification and divination, but we will discuss that in the following sections.
Purifications
Herbs and spices play a major role in the creation of floral waters and purification baths. In addition to cinnamon, we find clove, with clear symbolism, and especially mugwort, used in infusions and bath water.
Candles can be used to purify people or spaces. A house cleansing ritual involves lighting a light-colored candle, or alternatively a palo santo candle, and carrying it around the house, expressing your intention to cleanse. Another ritual, this time for personal purification, involves lying on the floor and meditating, holding a black candle to the left and a white candle to the right, visualizing how the energies move from one to the other and how they are consumed by the fire.
This is also a time to consider finalizing resolutions, and burning papers or figures and dolls that represent certain things or people you want to eliminate or purify (for example, you can make an effigy of yourself with your greatest flaws).
Another ritual involves cutting seven pieces of wool and tying them together, forming a circle. The goal is for the Wicca practitioner to attempt to cut the knots with the athame, a dagger known for having a barely sharp edge, thus demonstrating the effort to free themselves from the bonds they have endured during the previous witch year. This same ritual can be performed without an athame, using the hands or blunt earth or knives: the goal is to manifest effort.
Pranks on neighbors included throwing tomatoes or cabbages into yards and windows, causing a mess. Throwing fruits and vegetables may have originated in earlier agrarian rites, as in Scotland, where all evils were poured onto kale and thrown outside the boundaries to rid themselves of them.
Nowadays, this ritual can be recreated by throwing an object, a ball of paper, or a stone where the year's evils have been poured, and then disposing of it by throwing it in the middle of the field. Likewise, since loud noises ward off evil spirits, shouting can be used to ward them off.
Divination
Of course, there are those who claim that this night is the ideal time to conduct séances, Ouija boards, or use a pendulum, all with respect. Mirrors and water are used to try to visualize ghosts or visions of the future, in dark rooms with a single candle lit, something similar to black mirror scrying.
Certain herbs such as myrrh, cedar, hawthorn, hazel, thyme, or bay are frequently used to try to contact spirits, either as ingredients in cauldrons or burned. There are herbs such as belladonna, aconite, or asphodel that, despite their witchcraft reputation, are strongly discouraged due to their high toxicity.
With pomegranates, some attempt to divine through the seed kernels, either using odd-even systems or some more complicated form of geomancy. Chestnuts and hazelnuts also have this use. Likewise, with apple skins, or by interpreting tea grounds or blades of grass. Divination by bones is more aesthetic than seasonal.
Divinations are also made for the following day, such as pouring an egg into a glass of water to read its shapes in the morning, just as on St. John's Eve, or by letting candles burn with intentions to determine from the falling wax how the eggs will develop or end.
Protection
Not everyone wants to attract spirits; each person has their own reasons. That's why some people place carved pumpkins and other horrible objects in their windows on this night, intending to scare them away rather than attract them. It's the same goal as the large bonfires that were once built around certain areas. The sound of bells or holy water is also used to ensure that no evil spirits enter the home.
Iron, salt, and wheat or oat flour are effective against fairies. In ancient times, two sticks forming a cross or a piece of coal from the fireplace were placed on the headboards of cribs and beds to prevent fairies from kidnapping children.
Costumes have undoubtedly become the biggest attraction of Halloween, especially due to the influence of American celebrations. As with Carnival, costumes were originally intended to scare spirits, or failing that, to blend in with them so as not to be attacked.
Rumors, music, shouts, and dancing are part of this festival, originally intended to scare away the monsters and spirits that roam freely around the area during these times. Proof of the survival of these traditions is found not only in the "scare" and frightening of people, but also in the large parades organized in some countries.
Some herbs are considered more effective than others in warding off spirits and evil energies. In this sense, hanging bunches or sachets of rue and wormwood, garlic, as well as branches of elderberry and blackthorn on doors, windows, and/or balconies are good warnings against evil spirits.
Halloween mythology: ghosts, animals, fairies, witches.
In ancient times, an initial slaughter took place in villages, and in some cases, a black animal (pig, goat, cow) was sacrificed to the gods of the underworld. In Celtic culture, the black pig or sow had a parallel relationship with the devil and with the ghost of a white lady, Lady Gwyn, who used to ask men for help to escape her torments, sometimes being a victim and other times a devouring spirit.
Other animals, such as an entirely white dog or a black dog, or hunting dogs, were considered bad omens because spirits were believed to take these forms. Hunting dogs, specifically, belong to the folklore of "The Great Hunt," where brave men would go out into the forest on this night to "hunt" and scare away the fairy beings that inhabited the forest, accompanied by their faithful dogs. Legend has it that fewer always returned than those who left, because they were kidnapped by goblins and fairies and dragged to their world. Because of this, seeing a hunter on horseback or a lone hunting dog was considered a cursed encounter.
Greyhounds could also be kidnapped, or they would roam the woods like spirits searching for their owners. Therefore, hearing dogs barking on this night is considered a bad omen, as it would indicate the presence of spirits and the dogs alerting us to their presence.
Other ominous sounds on Halloween night are the unrecognizable, high-pitched screams of banshees, as well as other possible spirits. Also, the cawing of crows and the hooting of owls.
Cats, for their part, have always been companions of witches and are considered beneficial, even familiar spirits, although some still believe that they are one of the devil's appearances.
To honor these animal spirits and also to perform rituals invoking the characteristics of certain animals or beasts, on Samhain, skulls and bones can be used as ingredients to be thrown into the cauldron or for manifestation. Currently, taxidermy is not to everyone's liking, and mostly artificial and painted ones are used for decorative or symbolic purposes. The most common are deer, horse, goat, wolf, raven, cat, and so on. They are also used in shamanic and totemistic rituals.
At first, going door-to-door was a solemn affair undertaken by children and young people to offer prayers for the deceased and chant magical protection in exchange for sweets or coins. These children were sometimes accompanied by adults disguised as spectral beings, wearing animal skins and skulls. One of these is the famous "Welsh horse," whose appearance consisted of a fur tunic and a mask made from a black-painted horse skull adorned with red ribbons.
Later, it became more of a trick or treat, as there was also the custom of playing practical jokes on the village curmudgeons, or simply pranking friends and family and saying that "it was the fairies."
In European countries it has always been said that when fairies dance, they do so in circles, causing areas of burnt grass, stones or mushrooms to be found forming circles the next day.
This tradition proposes continuing by going to the countryside or the forest, or failing that, a garden or hall, and performing group dances in circles, placing candles also in a circular shape, along with stones of tourmaline, obsidian, quartz, amethyst, etc. It is, in reality, a magic circle in which to enclose the energies transmitted from the dance and the Sabbath.
As for the figure of the witch, they were actually, as we saw in other articles, more closely associated with spring and summer festivals, and it was later that spirits and mysterious ladies became associated with demons and witches. Today, the ceramic or cloth witches found around this time are more for decoration than anything else. However, some have been reinterpreted due to the rise of witchcraft and neopaganism, viewing the witch as the Crone facet of the Triple Goddess, who will mourn the death of her son-husband until his rebirth in December. Furthermore, the witch's cauldron has Old Religion symbolism, as the womb of the deity into which we all end up upon death and from which we all emerge upon rebirth.
Pietro V. Carracedo Ahumada - pietrocarracedo@gmail.com
Bibliography:
- Cunningham, S. Wicca. A Guide for Individual Practice. Arkano Books, 2003
- Hopman, E.E. The Sacred Herbs of Samhain. Plants to Contact the Spirits of the Dead. Inner Bear Tradition ed. 2019.
- Rajchel, D. Samhain. A Complete Guide to the Celebration of Halloween. Arcopress, 2022.
Related articles:
>Mabon Rituals, the Beginning of Autumn
>Night of the Witches: Halloween vs. Walpurgis
> Samhain Rituals in Ireland Between the Celtic and the Folk
>Ceromancy: Divination by Candle Wax
