During this Moon,

We look at the passing year and honor those gone before us...

Samhain

Samhain is the last of our three harvest festivals. As the Wheel turns towards the dark time of the year, many things in our lives are in transition. This Sabbat in particular means, and has meant, many different things to many peoples. The Celts considered this their New Year. Similar to a seed lying dormant through the cold dark winter, this was their period to rest, strengthen their bonds of kinship and plan for the new growth in the coming Spring.

Samhain is a time when the Veil between Worlds is very thin and we can visit with those ancestors who have reached the Summerlands before us.

Many traditions surround this holiday. Our wonderfully creative jack'o'lanterns of today have their roots in humbler ancestors. First carved from turnips, they were believed to scare away spirits. Another tradition is the dumb supper, when a place for the ancestor(s) to be honored is set at the table with the family supper.

There is a vast and rich body of lore surrounding Samhain that is well worth researching. Yet, it is also a signpost or marker along the Wheel. The Holiday season is coming up and for many of us life gets a little more crazy and hectic than usual. Samhain reminds us that we need to take occasion to stop and catch up with ourselves, see to our own harvest and lay our plans for our personal New Year.