Samhain

‘Four paths we walk from point of Arte
 Four paths we walk from end to start
 Four paths we walk alone unseen
 Four paths we walk, four paths between’
 
(Author unknown)
 
Four paths indeed. From end to start and back again. Four paths - the path of power, of magic, of knowledge, of death. All weaving and winding, together and separate. Ultimately into one - the crooked path which all walk who traverse the way of the Witch. Samhain heralds the end of the Witch’s year, but also the beginning. Like a snake that sheds its skin through an almost trancelike state, so we too slough off that which no longer serves and renew ourselves through oaths and dedications at this most potent time.

Autumn brings cooler weather as we approach the cusp of Winter. The tide shifts to one of rest and the Horned One takes precedence over the dark half of the year as the Lady rests and the land falls fallow. Death approaches as the Witch’s year ends, yet begins again, marked by Samhain and the Time of the Ancestors. Now the veils separating the worlds thin even more and the corpse roads carry the dead who are welcomed back and invited to feast with the living.
 
 As such, it is best celebrated on the the closest dark moon to the 30th April in the Southern Hemisphere. It is at this time the unearthly call of the Hunter’s Horn breaks through the dark, heralding the return of the wandering souls.
 
 At our ritual ground we set twin circles, so that we can undertake the the journey into the shadows of the Ancestors by crossing the bridge that links the worlds. This is the voyage from the living to the dead and herein wait the White-faced Hag and the Dread Lord with the hollow eyes. Silent communion is offered, oaths made and renewed, and candles left to illumine the Ghost roads. Ancestors and loved ones are invited to cross the bridge and join the living in a feast set in their name. Lamps burn in the window and prepared tables hold extra places for unseen guests. Feasts are held in silence, allowing the loved ones to speak if they wish.
 
Mugwort and wormwood are thrown on the fire as divinations are cast by flickering light. Cards are spread and darkened surfaces scried for illumination for the forthcoming year. Whispers of wisdom are heard upon the howl of the winds.
 
Samhain equates with the third harvest cycle of the agricultural year. This time traditionally represented the rounding up and housing of healthy livestock prior to the coldest months and the slaughter and salting of the weaker specimens to provide nourishment for the bitter days ahead. The shorter days meant that local folk settled in and turned their attention to tasks that could be completed within the home as inclement weather conditions prevailed. The traditional crafts of weaving, spinning and knitting, so much a familiar part of life, became a magical ritual as chants were sung and charms twined into the patterns being formed. In this way protection could be woven into a family rug, or luck knitted into various pieces of clothing. The hand knitted jumpers of the Aran fisherman still preserve this tradition. During the colder months, much time was also spent in reflection as the weather made for perfect conditions to withdraw within. Shadow quests were undertaken as growth took place from inner journeying. Shades of the Ancestors were seen through the glass darkly, and their voices spoke through the visions of dreams.
 
In a modern world most of us are no longer wholly dependent on the agricultural cycle for our daily needs. Almost unconsciously though our bodies and souls still acknowledge the older ways in the changing of the seasons. We adapt our clothing, adjust our schedules, modify our diets, prepare hearty food and build up a store in the freezer. In effect we gather our resources in preparation for the coming days when the Dark Lord and Hag ride out and the Wild Hunt holds sway over the darkest months of the year. Colder days mean that we spend more time indoors wherein we can utilize the simple creative crafts of the home to fashion potent magical workings. However, it is important to still roam the wild places, even after the change in weather. There is a raw beauty in a land stripped of its summer green, a primal power in the bare trunks and the spindly boughs that grasp as you pass by.
 
Death is necessary for the renewal Midwinter brings. Craft rituals now to purge and mourn the inevitable decay this tide brings, then use the resting time to undertake pathworking and shape shifting as you journey deep and far. Nourish yourself from the store of knowledge you have so far gathered and spend much time in contemplation.
 
‘The cold wind blows as the gates are open
The dread horn sounds as the Hunt begins
The Nightmare bursts forth from the dark mound
The Spectral Retinue roams again.
 
Come one come all and join the dance
At Samhain time when all worlds meld
The Hare becomes the White - faced Hag
The Horned One the Lord of Death
 
The spirits walk and our souls shapeshift
The nature kingdoms speak their tale
The oaths are made, the challenge taken
The time dissolves and we return
 
Come one come all and join the dance
At Samhain time when all worlds meld
The Hare becomes the White - faced Hag
The Horned One the Lord of Death’
 
 
All original material except where marked is authored by Donna L.
 
Copyright  2019.