Samhain 2013

Samhain is one of those festivals that I prefer to celebrate on the actual day (as opposed to the nearest weekend).  But I also love Halloween, and it's hard to do both.  For years I tried to celebrate Halloween and enjoy the children, and then Ritual afterwards, but it was just too much.

So this year, we hosted friends for Samhain on Saturday, and then we will celebrate Halloween on Thursday.  At the beginning of the month, we loaded the yard with pumpkin lights, as well as strings of purple and orange lights. We added skulls strewn about the yard, a broom parking lot, giant spiders, and ghouls in the trees.  We draped black crepe fabric over the porch rails and hung a funky "shroud fabric" in the trees.  On the door, we have a grape vine wreath painted black and decorated with skulls and shiny bats.

In the invitation for the Ritual, we asked people to come ready to talk about their ancestors and the ancestral energies they want to get in touch with.  We prepared the space, setting the altar in the east, where the grounding Earth energies would be their highest.  We covered the table with a black cloth, and set the altar with all black tools--Air was a blown-glass ball that is threaded with black on the inside; Fire was an oil lamp I had made with a vase full of black marbles and filled with lamp oil, with a wick up the center; Water was a black-stemmed wine glass filled with rain water; and Earth was a large, black fossil stone we had collected during a trip to the mountains. Two black taper candles stood near the center, and I scattered black stones about the altar for added Earth energies and some visual texture.  We placed a black wooden skull, and a black iron star as well.  The center held a glass and metal sculpture that creates a three-dimensional, many-pointed star.

We also made an ancestor altar, again with a black cloth.  I placed black taper candles--one for each participant (11 this evening)--in a half circle around the back edge of the altar.  Over the years we have collected many, many glass candle holders in various heights and sizes, so all the black tapers were of different heights.  In the center was a low glass skull candle holder and a single candle, which we lit before guests arrived.  I also placed a scrying mirror on the table.  As people came in, we placed ancestral memory items on the table, with items from the mother's side of the family on the left, and the father's side on the right.

We gathered and first simply met to talk about our experiences with ancestral energies.  We ate and drank--I had made mulled cider, taking care to include apple slices cut with the stars showing--and we chatted casually at first.  Once we were ready to start really focusing the conversation, we took a few moments to cast a protective circle, given the thinned veils and the potential to invite unwanted energies.

We took special care with the safety of the Circle for this Ritual, and I believe any writing about Samhain should include a nod to spiritual safety. Those who are vulnerable should take extra care, as one of our friends did, when she chose not to use the mirror that night.  For those like me who are not particularly open to these energies, choosing this time of year may help in finding what you seek.  But for those like my friend who is very open, scrying would be safest when the veils are not so thin. If you don't need the thin veils to be successful, the safer choice is to wait.  Remember, you should always feel in control of your own situation. For that matter, if you are practicing with others, you should never feel pressured to engage in a level you are not comfortable with.

We then spoke on our experiences learning about our families and ancestors.  Some spoke in general terms of their ethnic heritage, others spoke of family traditions, and others of family members lost.  Some chose not to speak, and this was honored, of course.  Then, when the timing was right, we called Quarters and lit the main altar.  Then we each in turn went to the ancestor altar and lit a black taper, and those who wanted to had a chance to experience the scrying mirror, a first for several in the group.

I later received news from several participants that they had their own individual experiences after leaving our home, and it occurred to me how much of a spiritual practice really is a solitary experience, even for those who Ritual in a group.  So we come together for structure, direction, motivation, and social contact, but in the end, the spiritual experience itself is very personal and individual.

By the end of the Ritual, we had many black candles glowing, and we knew each other better.  We have been working together for nearly a year, and I hope we are developing strong, intimate ties.

Blessed be!