Here we are readers! Back to one of my favorite months of the year. October is upon us. Many of you as well as I, have probably noticed the overabundance of pumpkin spice filling the aisles of your local grocery stores. Not that I mind this a bit, seeing as we all have our guilty pleasures. You see, I love this time of year because we are counting down the days until the veil between the living and the dearly departed is relatively thin. For me, this not only marks a time of trick or treaters knocking at my door, but it is also a time when a multitude of spirits can be with us on our plane.
As millions around the world partake in the fun of Halloween every year on October 31, there are many who are not aware of the history of this celebrated day. Possibly the largest festival of the year, many wiccans look upon this day not as just a day for children to collect candy and play tricks on each other, but as a sacred festival in preparation for the winter months. The ancient Celtics marked this time as the ending of the warmer season, and recognized it as a period in which the veils between the world of spirit and the living were at its thinnest.
In the spirit of Halloween, one can guess what might be the topic of this article, Samhain! Some of you may or may not be familiar with this, so we’ll take a moment to break down where this came from, how it was celebrated, and what it entails.
Samhain is celebrated from sunset on October 31 to sunset on November 1 (All Saints Day), almost halfway between the autumn equinox and the winter solstice. People would gather on the Plain of Muirthemni and have meetings, play games, and indulge in a festival. According to Irish Samhain, this was the time when the ‘doorways’ to the otherworld opened, allowing supernatural beings and the souls of the dead to come into our world, being essentially a festival for the dead. This tradition was brought to America in the 19th century around 1840 when large amounts of Irish immigrated into the US during the famine in Ireland. In modern times, candles are often left in windows or doorways in order to help guide spirits home.
Wyandot people from the area of Ontario, Canada, recognized this time as the “Feast of the Dead”, commemorating the dearly departed by leaving food offerings on altars and outside their homes. Similarly, we see practices like this in other cultures such as in Mexico “Dia de los muertos” or “The day of the dead”, a celebration in which people remember and prepare special foods in honor of those loved ones who have crossed over. It is not uncommon for many to carry out these traditions, even in modern times.
So, all you spiritual people reading this article, make sure your chakras from the heart to the crown are open and ready to receive the messages from spirit and your loved ones. Make sure you observe the subtle taps, raps and movement in your daily life and be aware of the many different ways messages will be brought to you from the other side.
