As Samhain approaches the excitement is building! This is my favorite Sabbath as it is a great time of celebration. It is the Celtic New Year, the end of the harvest, the time when the veil between the worlds is thinnest, and time to let go of the old and plant the new. Many different cultures have their traditions for celebrating this time of year. The Celts held bonfires and would dance and feast with their gods and spirits wandering the night. Mexicans have parades for Dios de los Muertos and picnics with their departed loved ones at their graves. Americans, well pig out on candy and wear silly costumes :) Halloween-American-style is a fun time to both be scared by death and laugh at our fear of it.
Some of my favorite ways to celebrate is by having a dinner for the dead. This is a private event for me usually as it is a silent dinner. I decorate my home with harvest colors, spice scented candles, and dark draperies. Remembering the loved ones I have lost this year and previous years, I cook a feast, trying to include some of their favorite foods. At midnight I open the door and leave a black candle to light the way. I set the table for my loved ones and myself. In silence I say a prayer of thanks for all the joys they brought into my life and the lessons they shared. After dinner I place their plates outside so they may feast on their journey. In the morning I place their food in a composte pile, if I have one, so the food of the dead may nourish the new plants of the living in Spring. Leaving my front door open is not a problem because Texas doesn't normally become cold until Thanksgiving. If it is storming or too cold to leave the door open, a candle in the window is also a way to welcome in your loved ones.
A way to celebrate with friends and family is to have a small bonfire. Dancing around the fire to raise energy, toss pieces of paper into the fire with things you'd like to burn away. Release the old, letting it die in the fire never to return. Feast, dance, sing and have a jubilant time! Death sweeps away what is no longer needed on this plane and makes way for new blessings, allowing our departed loved ones to continue their journeys. Then write down the blessings you wish to welcome in the new year and either burn them in the fire so your prayer is released with the smoke, or add it to a composte pile or bag of soil so your wishes may grow with the plants.
Divination, such as tarot reading, is often more powerful at this time of year as our guides commune with us across the veil. Spend time reading tarot, scrying, and dreaming as you walk through the veil. Remember not to feast in fairy land if you happen to wander there.
I hope you all have a jubilant time feeling the hightened energy of the Earth before nature turns dormant in preparation for the winter to come!
No comments:
Post a Comment