Samhain Intro

Samhain (the ‘mh’ makes a ‘w’ sound) is the name of a major Celtic feast that can be traced back to early medieval sources, held on November 1st. In the British Isles it marked the beginning of the winter season, though in America we find ourselves at mid-autumn at this time due to climatic differences. According to historian Ronald Hutton in his 1996 book The Stations of the Sun, Samhain was the ideal time for the year’s most important tribal assemblies: the harvest had been completed, the livestock brought in from the pastures, and the normal seasons for warfare and trading closed. Thus, royalty, warriors, and peasants alike had some extra time on their hands. As such, it was the perfect setting for numerous tales involving encounters with gods and monsters. Like Beltane, which lies at the opposite point on the Wheel of the Year, Samhain was “a particularly numinous time,” during which “fairies and witches were especially active, and magical devices required to guard against them” (pp. 365–366). In time, the medieval Christian Church overlaid this festival with its feast of the dead, which brought with it its own arcane associations. The modern Samhain, then, along with the associated celebration of Halloween, is a hybrid of these ancient Celtic and Christian traditions.

Even so, being the time of year when leaves are dropping from the trees and flowers wither, it seems appropriate that the theme of Samhain celebrations should be “Death”—not as something to be warded off or feared but acknowledged as an integral part of life’s cycles. It is a time to remember our ancestors—and all those who came before us—and to reflect on how their paths influenced ours. We can tell their stories, and honor them for what they did and what they tried to do. Likewise, we can reflect on how we hope to be remembered by those who will come after us, and thereby to remind ourselves that our lives are but one step in the spiral path of the human race and, beyond that, in the journey of our living world, the Earth. Death comes to all things, perhaps even the universe itself, and being mindful of that can help us keep life’s difficulties and disappointments in perspective. Even in the darkest quarter of the year, when the world looks as if it were dying around us, we can set aside a night to celebrate our own spiral path.

Samhain Ritual

Celebration for Samhain, the Autumn Festival

Opening Poem

Suggested reading: “Door in the Mountain” by Jean Valentine

The Autumn Festival and the Meaning of Samhain

We have gathered here to celebrate Samhain, the year’s third and final harvest festival. Samhain also marks the end of the annual cycle of birth, growth, harvest, and death. The Wheel of the Year turns, moving us forward into the quiet darkness, where our seeds slumber until being reborn into the light of spring. We, too, look forward to the blessings of the year to come. But before we move on, we pause to look back and honor all that we have lost in the last year, whether it be someone who was dear to us, some task at which we did not succeed or a wish that did not come to pass, opportunities missed, relationships ended, or anything that causes sorrow from its loss. Tonight, as the veil between worlds grows thin, we will let go of all of these, leaving us free to pass on, at peace and without regrets.

At this time, we honor the ancestors of our blood. The generations of human beings who walked this Earth before us, who, in the living of their lives, forged a link in the chain that brought us into existence. Some of these ancestors are known to us. They are our parents and grandparents, aunts and uncles, siblings, cousins, and kin. We cherish our memories of their lives and the time we spent with them, no matter how fleeting. Many more ancestors are unknown to us. Though we may not know their names or faces, we recognize them, too, as kin. We are all part of the great tree of life that stretches back through time to our common human ancestor.

At this time, we honor the ancestors of this land. Those who lived in this place before us, who loved in this place before us, who struggled, and fought, and laughed, and celebrated in this place before us. The richness of their lives enriches this place still, blessing us daily. We recognize, too, that our presence here is the result of a long history of violence and injustice. While we did not participate in these tragedies, we benefit from them. We cannot undo the pain of the past, but we can honor the suffering and sacrifice of those who lived through it. As we honor them, we honor this place. As we care for this place, we care for them. In doing so, we become connected to the ancestors of this land, and they become part of us.

At this time, we honor the ancestors of the traditions that speak to us, that call to us and claim us as their own. We do so not to appropriate or diminish these traditions but to honor the truth they contain. Perhaps our recognition of these truths reflects an echoing of ancestors long past and cultures long forgotten. Buried deep in our bones, these sacred beliefs become restless within us, urging us toward the greater truths of the universe and the Earth we inhabit. As we honor these ancestors, we ask them to continue to walk with us, inspiring us to deeper understandings of ourselves, our spirituality, and our world.

In many ways, it feels as though the twelve months since we last stood around the Samhain fire have been a time of grief and anxiety. The world feels more uncertain than ever, and yet we must remember that each day we walk the Earth with our loved ones is a day that should be cherished. In recognition of these truths and the lessons they bring, we offer five bundles in the Samhain fire. We will burn these bundles one at a time, pausing to reflect as we watch each burn. If, in this time of reflection, anyone feels they have a memory to share or something to say, please feel welcome to do so.

Burning of Remembrance Bundles

The first bundle is in honor of Gaea, Mother Earth, our planet. We mourn the destruction of ecosystems, the depletion of the forests and the soil, the loss of so many species of plants and animals, the poisoning of the air and water. We recognize that we have played a part in these processes. We ask forgiveness, and we vow to take better care of our planetary home in the year to come.

The second is in honor of all our ancestors who moved through this world as refugees, who left their homes in one part of the world and migrated to another, seeking better opportunities, safe haven, or a happier life. We thank them for the difficult choices they made and for all the people who helped them along their journey, as their travails brought us here to this place together. We ask that they guide all those who seek refuge today and inspire us to provide safe havens for others where and when we can.

The third is in honor of our civic ancestors—the brave activists who imagined a country rooted in fundamental human rights and dignity, a country that relied upon and respected the processes of democracy and fair representation, a country that for over two hundred years worked to live up to its ideals and promises. We thank those of past generations who fought for social justice, civil rights, and human dignity. We ask that they guide us as we struggle to preserve their legacies.

The fourth is in honor of all those whose lives have been lost to violence, whether by their own hand, in an accident, in an act of oppression, or in one of the many wars, both declared and undeclared, that have taken place worldwide. We pray that their spirits may find peace.

The final bundle is in honor of those for whom we will be ancestors. We ask that they forgive us for our shortcomings and mistakes, and we promise to work every day to leave for them a legacy of hope, compassion, peace, and joy. We pray that they will remember us.

Closing Thoughts

Samhain is a time for remembrance, for honoring ancestors and the past, for letting go. In this way, we mark the closing of the year. But in truth, this ending, this closure is illusory. The cycles of time have no beginning and no end. Time is a process, forever unfolding, forever spiraling forward. As we let go of the losses of the passing year, we welcome the possibilities to come. And we begin this year with a time for retreat. The darkness that is falling pushes us inward, into our homes and into ourselves. It is important to note that we begin with turning inwards, with rest. The coming winter is a space for planning, for quietly germinating seeds that will not see the light of day for many months. This is our time for quiet, for healing, for preparing ourselves for the spring. The Wheel Turns. Blessed Be. Blessed Samhain.

Closing Poem

Suggested reading: “Wild Geese” by Mary Oliver