Samhain Blessings
As October turns to November,
thousands of Witches, Wiccans, Druids, and other Pagans across America, Canada,
Europe, and elsewhere observe the sacred time of Samhain. Samhain is a festival
of the Dead. Meaning "Summer's End" and pronounced saah-win or saa-ween,
Samhain is a celebration of the end of the harvest and the start of the coldest
half of the year.
Samhain also is the
beginning of the spiritual new year. This
is the time of year when the veil between the world of the dead and the world
of the living is said to be it's thinnest. Spirits and souls of loved ones are
said to have more power and ability to visit us. This is the time of year for
remembering and honouring our dead, and many people will leave a plate of food
and a glass of wine out for wandering spirits.
Samhain is also a time for personal reflection, and for recognizing our
faults and flaws and creating a method for rectifying them.