Samhain
The most holy of the sabbats, Samhain (pronounced SOW-een) is usually observed on the night of October 31, when the sun is in the zodiac sign Scorpio. Better known as Halloween or All Hallow's Eve, this is the holiday people usually associate with witches and magick. Most of the ways the general public marks this sabbat, however, stem from misconceptions — it's a solemn and sacred day for witches, not a time for fear or humor. Some religious groups that don't understand its true meaning feel threatened or offended by Halloween and have even tried to ban it.
The Holiday's Significance
Considered to be the witches' New Year, Samhain begins the Wheel of the Year. Thus, it is a time of death and rebirth. In many parts of the Northern Hemisphere the land is barren, the last of the crops have been plowed under for compost, and the earth rests in preparation for spring. Witches often choose to shed old habits or attitudes at this time, replacing them with new ones in connection with the ongoing cycle of destruction and renewal. Samhain is also a good time to perform banishing spells.
Magicians believe the veil that separates the seen and unseen worlds is thinnest at Samhain. Consequently, many witches do divination during Samhain, because insights and information can flow more easily on this sabbat than at any other time of the year.
For witches, Samhain is a time to remember and honor loved ones who have passed over to the other side. That's why Halloween is associated with the dead. No, skeletons don't rise from graves, nor do ghosts haunt the living on Samhain, as movies and popular culture tend to portray it. Witches may attempt to contact spirits in other realms of existence, however, or request guidance from ancestors or guardians.
Ways to Celebrate
What would Halloween be without colorful costumes? This practice stems from the early custom of making wishes on Samhain, similar to making New Year's resolutions. Wearing a costume is a powerful magick spell, a visual affirmation of your intentions. No witch would portray herself as a hobo or ghost! Instead, try dressing up as the person you'd like to be in the coming year.
The Halloween customs of bobbing for apples and giving apples as treats have their roots in the Old Religion. According to mythology, the apple is one of the Goddess's favorite fruits. If you cut one in half, you'll see that the seeds form a pentagram inside.
Samhain is a good time to do a psychological housecleaning. On a slip of paper, write whatever you want to leave behind when the old year dies — fear, self-limiting attitudes, bad habits, and so on. Then burn the paper in a ritual fire.
Southwestern witches sometimes combine features from the Mexican Day of the Dead with Celtic pagan customs on Samhain. In central Texas, people decorate their altars to mark the sabbat, often displaying photos of deceased loved ones whom they wish to honor. During the week before Samhain, they go house to house, visiting the altars of friends and relatives, offering prayers and paying respects.
