31st October
Also celebrated as: Halloween, All Hallows Eve, Feast of the Dead, Feast of All Souls, Hallowsmas
This is the festival of the last harvest. It is the end of the summer and the final passing of the Sun King. It is the time when animals are slaughtered and their meats preserved for winter and when fruits and crops are set-aside for the cold months ahead. Samhain is usually pronounced Sow-en (rhymes with cow) or Soh-ween, there is no Sam Hain, except in the realms of fiction and wannabe Satanic rock groups
At this time the barriers between the realms are thin and spirits may walk the Earth. It is a time to remember the past and to honour the dead.
For my ritual I like to toast in apple juice and to name those that have died in remembrance of their passing. It can be a very moving experience.
In the story of the Goddess and the God, she is now the Crone and wears a cloak of autumn colours, but she is also Mother and heavy with child. She is tired after the harvests and prepares to travel to the Underworld to rest and give birth. The God is Lord of the Underworld, resting and waiting for his rebirth at Yule.
Also celebrated as: Halloween, All Hallows Eve, Feast of the Dead, Feast of All Souls, Hallowsmas
This is the festival of the last harvest. It is the end of the summer and the final passing of the Sun King. It is the time when animals are slaughtered and their meats preserved for winter and when fruits and crops are set-aside for the cold months ahead. Samhain is usually pronounced Sow-en (rhymes with cow) or Soh-ween, there is no Sam Hain, except in the realms of fiction and wannabe Satanic rock groups
At this time the barriers between the realms are thin and spirits may walk the Earth. It is a time to remember the past and to honour the dead.
For my ritual I like to toast in apple juice and to name those that have died in remembrance of their passing. It can be a very moving experience.
In the story of the Goddess and the God, she is now the Crone and wears a cloak of autumn colours, but she is also Mother and heavy with child. She is tired after the harvests and prepares to travel to the Underworld to rest and give birth. The God is Lord of the Underworld, resting and waiting for his rebirth at Yule.
Samhain Blessing
Samhain blessings to one and all,
Food in the larder, stock in the stall.
For now's the time of Nature's rest,
Regains her strength so we'll be blessed,
With fields of gold and wondrous fruits,
That follow on from spring's new shoots.
So store the harvest and cure the meat,
Then through the winter we shall eat.
Samhain when the veil grows thin,
A time for pause and remembering.
Now spirits walk the land once more,
So leave some food beside your door.
Honour the passed; give them their due,
And they will cause no harm to you.
The seasons turn and leaves now fall.
Samhain blessings to one and all.
© Kev the Cosmic Fool 10/2004
Samhain blessings to one and all,
Food in the larder, stock in the stall.
For now's the time of Nature's rest,
Regains her strength so we'll be blessed,
With fields of gold and wondrous fruits,
That follow on from spring's new shoots.
So store the harvest and cure the meat,
Then through the winter we shall eat.
Samhain when the veil grows thin,
A time for pause and remembering.
Now spirits walk the land once more,
So leave some food beside your door.
Honour the passed; give them their due,
And they will cause no harm to you.
The seasons turn and leaves now fall.
Samhain blessings to one and all.
© Kev the Cosmic Fool 10/2004
Samhain