Samhain 2007 Approaches

Harvest time has been a busy time as usual this year. In fact, the prolonged spell of hot weather seemed to add a certain feverish quality to the usual buzz of activity that always comes during the harvest season. Now that the cold rains of fall are finally upon us, though, I feel inspired to write a blog entry about Samhain.

What is Samhain? If you're unfamiliar with the holiday, I'm tempted to just direct you to an article on the subject. Instead, though, I'll offer a brief description in my own words.

Samhain, which is most commonly observed on October 31, is an old Celtic holiday marking the end of summer. As the sun spends less time in the sky each day, the winds grow sharper, the cold rain falls, the leaves start dying, the final harvest is taken in, and many of the flora and fauna of summer undergo some form of hibernation or metamorphosis to prepare for the hard, dark winter. Therefore, on a spiritual level, this becomes a time to consider the themes of harvest, change, challenge, and death.

Samhain is a Pagan holiday, but the themes of the season are recognized in many other beliefs and practices. Halloween, All Saints Day, and Día de los Muertos are just a few examples of related holidays that honor beloved ancestors and relatives at this time of year.

What does Samhain mean to me? It means many things, all of which are hard to put into words. I feel Samhain in the coming of the October rains... cold, sharp rains that wash away the leaves of summer and leave the landscape in the crystal clarity of winter. I feel Samhain in the return of the ancestors... on my home altar, in my thoughts, in the themes of my life, and in the landscape of my dreams. I feel Samhain in the magic in the air... an almost electric sense that the veil is thin, that unknown mischief is afoot, that anything is possible as the old year dies and the new year waits in the womb of winter.

My Coven is having a private Samhain gathering this weekend. It's going to be much smaller than we originally anticipated since most of our out-of-town guests were unable to make it this year. Even so, it will be a good opportunity for all of us who do make it to meet up with each other, share stories of what the year has brought us, and prepare together for the coming of winter.

I'll have more to say about Samhain as the day approaches. In the meantime, the cold rains of the past few days were enough to leave me eager to say at least a little something about one of the most important days in my year. Samhain is in the air -- and even though it's often a challenging time of year, it's also a time of powerful magic that I welcome with open arms.