How my nerves tingle as we approach this magical time. I feel more alive and vital than at any other time of the year. I love to be alone on this night, except that I am not alone. The night air around my remote cottage is alive with spiritual energy. I sit and gaze at the moon and infinity and the answer to every question that has ever been asked is within my grasp.
Samhain (which is supposed to be pronounced sow-en, though some modern Pagans pronounce it as spelled) is the most important holy night of the year. In fact, it is considered the Celtic New Year. It is believed to be the evening in which the veil between the realm of the living and the dead is thinnest, allowing members of the spirit realm to walk the earth in great numbers. It is thereby considered the evening where our loved ones who have gone over to the other side of the veil are honoured with a special feast. This is certainly the reason All Saint’s Day was created by the Roman Catholic Church to celebrate honored individuals who have passed on, as well as the similar All Souls Day, which honours the memories of our individual loved one’s who have passed on. The association with spirits of the dead walking the earth, as well as faeries and other ethereal beings roaming the material plane in large numbers that evening, is probably the basis for the modern Halloween’s emphasis on ghosts and goblins, and the popular stereotypical image of the witch as a swarthy old crone with green skin was derived from negative images of real witches as being corrupt harbingers of evil or mischief. The jack o’ lantern, a still popular decoration, is derived from the image used by ancient Pagans to keep unwelcome spirits from the hearth during the celebration. Calls to your ancestors and loved ones for assistance is appropriate for those practicing spellwork on this day, as is spellwork for endings and calling upon the Crone aspect of the Goddess.
The God symbolically dies of old age at this point, though the Mother Goddess is now pregnant with the reborn Sun God in her womb.
Enjoy the spiritual freedom this occasion allows.
Feel free to contact me on any issues
Love and Light
Lianne
