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Veronica

Samhain

  
By:  Veronica  •  Wiccan  •  2 years ago  •  45 comments

Samhain
It’s the time of year when we pause to acknowledge the importance of death in the cycle of life. Honor the critical role death plays in your own spiritual journey. https://www.theseasonalsoul.com/spiritual-significance-of-halloween

My favorite feast day approaches.

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Samhain (pronounced Sow-wen) is the third harvest of the year.  It means summer's end in Gaelic.  It is the end of the Celtic year - it is the last feast on the Wheel of the Year.

il_794xN.1856363184_itsm.jpg   

On this day, the great God of the Sun dies, and leaves his widow, the Goddess Crone, to mourn him until Yule (Winter Solstice) when he will be reborn, and light will return.  With the Sun God gone, nights grow longer, plants and trees die back, and all around us freezes and hardens in the chill.  On Samhain night, we stand at the space between the seasons, and in the heightened magic that connects the realms of the living and the dead.

www.SageGoddess.com 

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"The pagan feast of Samhain is not, and never was, associated with evil or negativity.  It has always been a time to reaffirm our belief in the oneness of all spirits, and in our firm resolution that physical death is not the final act of existence." 

 

Edain McCoy –

www.witchcraftedlife.com

This is what I will be working on in this Samhain season:

https://www.theseasonalsoul.com/spiritual-significance-of-halloween

Samhain celebrates the dark and death.  It is not something to be afraid of, without the dark we cannot appreciate the light and without death there is no life.

At Samhain it’s clear that our inner world is overtaking our outer. Day is turning to night as we move into the dark side of the wheel of the year.  This is where we leave the outer world behind. This is where the energy turns inward, and things need to die on the outside in order to do that.

Samhain celebrates that Death.

At this time in autumn it’s very clear things have turned inward. You can see it in the trees & the gardens, and you can feel it in your spirit.  We’re drawing inward & our inner lives want our attention. 

This is the time of year to get comfortable with your inner life. This is where the work is for the next few months.

Make peace with yourself right now. Don’t judge anything that comes up for you. Just feel whatever you need to feel, and practice being an observer.  Observe your inner life without judgement.

This dark side of the wheel of the year reminds you not to fear the darkness. There’s a lot of beauty in these dark days. Embrace it.  Magic is born in the darkness.

And as you turn inward, don’t be afraid to look at your dark parts–be an observer. No judgement. What do your shadows want to show you?

What do you see if you gaze unafraid at the darkness you fight to hide? What if, instead, you wrap your arms around those parts of yourself–what if you send yourself only deep, compassionate love?

Samhain is the season of Death. This is when the outerworld dies, to make space for new life to be born.

If you are brave enough to look at the darkness, to listen it has to tell you, you discover parts of yourself you need to let go of in order to grow & evolve.

This is where we leave behind the things that we’ve outgrown. Welcome the mystery & the possibilities of the space that it creates in your life.

This is a powerful time for magic & manifestation. What new dreams will be born to replace the leaves that you’ve let go of?

Being brave enough to journey into the darkness requires really mindful nurturing & self-compassion. This is hard inner work. It requires you to be so gentle & loving & kind to yourself over the next few months.

In perfect divine timing, at Samhain we are entering the feminine/yin side of the wheel of the year.

Yin energy is restful. It’s gentle & nurturing. It’s intuitive & receptive.

This energy is really encouraging you to take deep care of yourself right now. Sleep as much as you can, don’t push yourself. Whatever self-care looks like for you, do that. Don’t judge yourself for how much you need it right now.

Allow yourself to rest, be open to just receive whatever comes to you in this space.

Other rituals can include:

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For the scents of the season, you could try a Simmer Pot:

A pot of boiling water on your stove:

Add:   1 whole orange peel, sliced into strips

           2 Tbsp whole clove

           3 whole cinnamon sticks

           1 Tbsp nutmeg

            2 drops of vanilla extract

ENJOY!!!

Final words for Samhain:

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Veronica
Professor Guide
1  author  Veronica    2 years ago

The most important feast of the year.  It is the end of my year.  I celebrate the darkness and try to connect with those that have moved through the veil.  The veil is very thin at this time.  It is the best time to make contact.  Learn from them, be happy for them, be happy for yourself.  Grow and welcome the darkness.  It is a time to let things that are negative in your life die & move onto the positive things - nurture them - make them grow....BUT to do this you have to let go of the negative - you have to go through the "death" of those things that are dragging you down (anger, grudges, thoughts of retaliation, etc).

Enjoy it - embrace the darkness & death....

 
 
 
devangelical
Professor Principal
1.1  devangelical  replied to  Veronica @1    2 years ago

I'd be interested in knowing what all that feast might include...

 
 
 
Texan1211
Professor Principal
1.1.1  Texan1211  replied to  devangelical @1.1    2 years ago

[deleted]

 
 
 
Veronica
Professor Guide
1.1.2  author  Veronica  replied to  devangelical @1.1    2 years ago

As in the foods we partake in or the rituals I perform?

 
 
 
devangelical
Professor Principal
1.1.3  devangelical  replied to  Veronica @1.1.2    2 years ago

food is my religion. I devote myself at the table.... er, altar 3 times a day.

 
 
 
Veronica
Professor Guide
1.1.4  author  Veronica  replied to  devangelical @1.1.3    2 years ago

Samhain is the final harvest feast so we are talking root veggies (carrots, parsnips and beets), potatoes, winter squash.  I like to do a venison roast if I can get my hands on one, but if not I turn to pork.  Apples play a big roll in bread and dessert.  

 
 
 
devangelical
Professor Principal
1.1.5  devangelical  replied to  Veronica @1.1.4    2 years ago

sounds great... now I'm hungry...

 
 
 
Veronica
Professor Guide
1.1.6  author  Veronica  replied to  devangelical @1.1.5    2 years ago

Good, bring your appetite on Monday.

 
 
 
devangelical
Professor Principal
1.1.7  devangelical  replied to  Veronica @1.1.6    2 years ago

be serious, I'll bring a refrigerated truck...

 
 
 
Veronica
Professor Guide
1.1.8  author  Veronica  replied to  devangelical @1.1.7    2 years ago

jrSmiley_4_smiley_image.png

 
 
 
Tacos!
Professor Guide
2  Tacos!    2 years ago
A pot of boiling water on your stove:

Add:   1 whole orange peel, sliced into strips

           2 Tbsp whole clove

           3 whole cinnamon sticks

           1 Tbsp nutmeg

            2 drops of vanilla extract

That sounds lovely.

I’m mainly just trying to figure out how anyone gets the sounds “sow-wen” out of a word with an “m” in it. Or - more likely? - perhaps the sound came first and the correct question is why would anyone spell that word with an “m.”

 
 
 
Trout Giggles
Professor Principal
2.1  Trout Giggles  replied to  Tacos! @2    2 years ago

It's Celtic. That's all you need to know. Want some real fun? Try to figure out how to pronounce words in Welsh

 
 
 
Veronica
Professor Guide
2.2  author  Veronica  replied to  Tacos! @2    2 years ago

All has to do with the translation & their letters don't correspond with ours.

 
 
 
Kavika
Professor Principal
2.2.1  Kavika   replied to  Veronica @2.2    2 years ago

miinibaashkiminasiganibiitoosijiganibadagwiingweshiganibakwezhigan

This is the long longest word in the Ojibwe language and translates to blueberry pie.

Ojibwe is a pictorial language and this word describes it. 

This literally translates to "blueberry cooked to jellied preserve that lies in layers in which the face is covered in bread".

We have two alphabets the single vowel and the double vowel. Most Ojibwe is currently taught in the double vowel system.

Boozhoo, which is a formal greeting is pronounced,  boo zhau

My Ojibwe name is Animikii zaagijiwan which translates to, Thunder that flows from the River.

The double ii sounds as E as in seed and the double aa sounds out as AH as in father.

 
 
 
Veronica
Professor Guide
2.2.2  author  Veronica  replied to  Kavika @2.2.1    2 years ago

Boozhoo...

I learn so much from you.  I wish I were more adept at languages.  The languages of the first people have always fascinated me.

 
 
 
Raven Wing
Professor Guide
2.2.3  Raven Wing  replied to  Kavika @2.2.1    2 years ago

That is great info, Kavika. I love learning about different languages. Thank you for sharing with us.

 
 
 
shona1
PhD Quiet
2.2.4  shona1  replied to  Kavika @2.2.1    2 years ago

Morning Kavika..

A good strong name, it suits you..

Hope the rellies are good in NSW tad wet up there and here at the moment..

 
 
 
Kavika
Professor Principal
2.2.5  Kavika   replied to  shona1 @2.2.4    2 years ago

Thanks, shona. The tribe is doing fine but they said to me, ''it's a bit damp, pops''. LOL

 
 
 
shona1
PhD Quiet
2.2.6  shona1  replied to  Kavika @2.2.5    2 years ago

Yep as they are swilling around in six foot of water..

See they rescued a camel up there that was sloshing around..they can't swim. Didn't know that...

 
 
 
Ender
Professor Principal
2.3  Ender  replied to  Tacos! @2    2 years ago

For some reason that reminded me. Back in my early school days we had a project around the holiday time.

We put a string on an orange so it could hang then used cloves to pierce into the rind and stuck them all over the orange, like a pin cushion.

I forget what it actually smelled like.

 
 
 
JohnRussell
Professor Principal
2.4  JohnRussell  replied to  Tacos! @2    2 years ago

the Irish name Saorise is pronounced sear-sha.

 
 
 
Trout Giggles
Professor Principal
2.4.1  Trout Giggles  replied to  JohnRussell @2.4    2 years ago

Thank-you. I could never figure out how to pronounce that name

 
 
 
JohnRussell
Professor Principal
2.4.2  JohnRussell  replied to  JohnRussell @2.4    2 years ago

I have a toddler nephew whose name is Cillian. His little nickname is Kill or Killy because the C is hard in his name. 

 
 
 
JohnRussell
Professor Principal
2.4.3  JohnRussell  replied to  Trout Giggles @2.4.1    2 years ago

great actress

00-social-saoirse-ronan.jpg?mbid=social_retweet

 
 
 
Trout Giggles
Professor Principal
2.4.4  Trout Giggles  replied to  JohnRussell @2.4.2    2 years ago

And here I thought it was a soft C.

Always good talking to an Irishman

 
 
 
Trout Giggles
Professor Principal
2.4.5  Trout Giggles  replied to  JohnRussell @2.4.3    2 years ago

She is good

 
 
 
Ender
Professor Principal
2.4.6  Ender  replied to  JohnRussell @2.4.2    2 years ago

I would have pronounced it sil e an

 
 
 
Trout Giggles
Professor Principal
3  Trout Giggles    2 years ago

I like this time of year because it means I can get back to my sweatpants and hoodies.

What are some of the foods you cook/eat for Samhain? I think you told us this before but that was a year ago

 
 
 
Veronica
Professor Guide
3.1  author  Veronica  replied to  Trout Giggles @3    2 years ago

I try to find a venison roast, but if I cannot get one I do a pork roast.  For the final harvest feast we are supposed to use bounty from our last harvest....potatoes (usually mashed), squash (buttercup is my favorite), carrots, parsnips...all kinds of root veggies.  I usually do some apple bread or pumpkin bread.  For dessert I do an apple cobbler (I cannot make apple pie to save my life).  I usually make soul cakes for snacking and make beet chips and sauté some scallops for appetizers.  I do love to eat....

 
 
 
Trout Giggles
Professor Principal
3.1.1  Trout Giggles  replied to  Veronica @3.1    2 years ago

It all sounds delicious. Dev is on his way

 
 
 
devangelical
Professor Principal
3.1.2  devangelical  replied to  Trout Giggles @3.1.1    2 years ago

damn straight, it was the squash, scallops, and cobbler that clinched it...

 
 
 
Veronica
Professor Guide
3.1.3  author  Veronica  replied to  devangelical @3.1.2    2 years ago

Plenty of room and plenty of food.

 
 
 
shona1
PhD Quiet
3.1.4  shona1  replied to  Veronica @3.1    2 years ago

Morning Veronica..

Gulp you eat Bambi!! 🦌

Hmm well I suppose we eat Skippy...🦘

Thanks for the article rather fascinating and just love the photo at the start of the article..looks like heaven...

 
 
 
pat wilson
Professor Participates
3.1.5  pat wilson  replied to  Veronica @3.1    2 years ago

Everybody loves pumpkin...

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Photo from neighbor.

 
 
 
shona1
PhD Quiet
3.1.6  shona1  replied to  pat wilson @3.1.5    2 years ago

That is so funny...

 
 
 
Veronica
Professor Guide
3.1.7  author  Veronica  replied to  shona1 @3.1.4    2 years ago

Thank you for reading.  I do enjoy some venison, but since my hubby gave up deer hunting the roasts are few and far between.

Does Skippy taste like chicken?????

I have had alligator.

 
 
 
Veronica
Professor Guide
3.1.8  author  Veronica  replied to  pat wilson @3.1.5    2 years ago

A new house - awesome...hope he is a polite neighbor.

 
 
 
shona1
PhD Quiet
3.2  shona1  replied to  Trout Giggles @3    2 years ago

Morning Trout..

Sweat pants sounds a bit gross.. in Aussie speak they are:

Tracky dacks...in case you ever roll up here for a visit...

 
 
 
Trout Giggles
Professor Principal
3.2.1  Trout Giggles  replied to  shona1 @3.2    2 years ago

I'll remember that!

 
 
 
Kavika
Professor Principal
4  Kavika     2 years ago

Great article, Veronica.

Thanks for posting it.

 
 
 
Veronica
Professor Guide
4.1  author  Veronica  replied to  Kavika @4    2 years ago

Thank you.

 
 
 
Raven Wing
Professor Guide
5  Raven Wing    2 years ago

Thank you for sharing this great information, Veronica. I love learning about different cultures/traditions of others, and their religious beliefs. 

Your feast sounds delicious, and very healthful as well.

The world is full of very interesting things to learn if one keeps an open mind, and willing to put aside their  prejudices and bigotry.

 
 
 
Veronica
Professor Guide
5.1  author  Veronica  replied to  Raven Wing @5    2 years ago

Thank you.  I love to learn about the traditions and cultures of others as well.  I have learned a lot from my NA friends here at NT.  NA cultures have always fascinated me & when I started practicing Wicca I figured the fascination is born from the commonality of revering nature.

 
 
 
charger 383
Professor Silent
6  charger 383    2 years ago

Enjoyed article and food sounds great

 
 
 
Veronica
Professor Guide
6.1  author  Veronica  replied to  charger 383 @6    2 years ago

Thank you.