From now until the end of the month, the veil between the living and the dead will be thinning. It will be at its thinnest from sundown October 31st to sundown November 1st.
Samhain (pronounced sah-wn) is one of the shabbats on the witch’s calendar. It has Celtic origins, having first been celebrated by Celtic Pagans. It marked the new year, the end of summer and the beginning of the darker months of the year (An t-Samhain is Gaelic for November) and was when spirits were believed to roam the earth. The holiday is marked with feasting, dancing, taking nature walks and building altars to honor dead loved ones.
Long ago, costumes were worn to ward off evil spirits and offerings of delicious food were left out for those who had passed on.
Many cultures recognize this sacred time of year. There’s Dia de los Muertos in Mexico and Latinx communities in the United States and All Souls Day in the Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches.
And of course, we have Hallowe’en which is short for All Hallows Evening, meaning the day before All Saints Day. These days, rather than honor our dead on October 31st, we put inflatable ghouls on the lawn and send costumed children out collecting candy.
During this time, it’s easier to communicate with those who have died. Your ancestors and loved ones are always with you but you may not always find it easy to get messages from them. This is also the perfect time to practice divination with tarot or oracle cards, a pendulum, or other tools.
If you’d like to connect with someone who has crossed over, now is the time to try it. You can set up a simple altar with some seasonal items like acorns, colorful leaves, gourds, marigolds or mums, horse chestnuts, or even fruit like figs, apples, or pears. Add a photo of the loved one you wish to get a message from as well as a small offering for them. If you have crystals, good ones to use are labradorite, obsidian, carnelian, smoky quartz or amethyst.
Center yourself. Close your eyes. Set an intention to receive a message of guidance. Light a candle if you like. Visualize a bridge between the two of you and see yourself crossing it. Express gratitude for the message you’re about to receive, then get into a meditative state and see what happens. You may hear words, see something in your mind’s eye, or have a deep knowing of what the message is.
When you’re done, thank the spirit of your loved one again, seal off the sacred space, and come back to the present. Don’t forget to write down what you experienced.
So, as darkness descends, embrace the magic of Samhain and celebrate.