A Time to Remember: Samhain

Samhain (pronounced Sow-in or Sahm-hayn), known most popularly as Halloween, marks the end of the third and final harvest, is a day to commune with and remember the dead, and is a celebration of the eternal cycle of reincarnation. Samhain is the most coveted Sabbat by many Pagan traditions.

A little background on Pagan holidays. The Sun marks the year at four clear points called the Quarter Days - in the Northern Hemisphere. These days: Winter Solstice, Spring Equinox, Summer Solstice, and Autumnal Equinox. The Celts divided the year in to eight by inserting the four Cross Quarter Days at October 31st (Samhain), February 1st (Imbolc), May 1st (Beltane) and August 1st (Lughnasad). These points are roughly half the number of days between the Solstices and the Equinoxes. Each of these days is considered a sabbat. A sabbat is a holy days among Celtic Pagans.

Pagans believe in both a Goddess and a God. The focus of most pagans is on the Goddess and she was found in trinity in the Celtic world. As a Virgin, we first see her at Imbolc as Bride. She has a Mother aspect, both Beltane and Lughnasad - times of fertility and harvest. It is here at Samhain that we meet the Goddess in Her third aspect, one that causes the most problems for many of us: the Crone.

It is a magical interval when the earthly laws of time and space are suspended, and the Thin Veil between the worlds is lifted for believers. Communicating with our ancestors and departed loved ones is easier at this time. As those that went before us journey through this world on their way to the Summerlands we can communicate at this time. It is a time to study and honor the Mother and the Father, symbolized by the Crone and her aged Consort.

In the European traditions, Samhain is the night when the old God dies, and the Crone Goddess mourns him deeply for the next six weeks until Yule. Part of the image of the witch and her cauldron comes from the Celtic belief that all dead souls return to her cauldron of life, death, and rebirth to await reincarnation.

There is another, aspect of the Crone: the wise old woman. Our Grandmothers (and Grandfathers) carry the wisdom of our people. We have seen the Native American respect for wise elders. We need to respect those older women, the Clan Mothers, those that helped choose the Chiefs among the ancients. All of the Celts had a council of elder women who chose their kings and war leaders. Some of us were blessed with knowing the wise ones that preceded us. I was blessed to know 3 of my 4 grandparents. I was also blessed to learn from the wisdom of my mother-in-law and her sisters. We need to redevelop ways of incorporating Crone energy in to our lives. A time to honor the wisdom of our elders not just at this time of remembrance but all through the year.

This a special time for Pagans. It is believed on this night the separation between the physical and spiritual realities and the veil of communication is thinnest. It is a time for dimensional openings and workings, it is a somber holiday, one of dark clothes and thoughts for the dead. It is a time to remember our own ancestors and those special people who have died. Pagans believe it is a time of endings of relationships and bad situations. It is the time when one can see the glimmer of hope in the future.

As a Pagan I will wear black, formal attire for Samhain and take time to remember those that went before and touched my life. I will light candles and share a special ceremony in my home with my partner. A time to remember, a time to let go of the past, and a time to embrace the future.

As we light candles for the Sabbat - please add names to this our remembrance of those that went before.

These I remember:
My Paternal Grandparents
My Maternal Grandmother
My Uncle - that was like a father to me
My Step-Son
My First In-Laws
My Husband's Mother and her Sisters

Cross-posted at Docuharma