Samhain is the seasonal gateway to Winter, the womb of the world, and the dark dreaming time that initiates you into the DECOMPOSING phase of Nature's Arc of Change. Honor this seasonal turning, commune with your ancestral self, and reclaim your connection to the Great Mystery with a ritual a simple yet powerful ritual. This is a powerful way to reclaim your ancestral connection to Winter as a time of spiritual renewal.
Overview
Honor Your Ancestral Self
Samhain is a threshold time; a time to honor your ancestral self and the evolution of your soul. Katherine May, in her book Wintering: The Power of Rest & Retreat in Difficult Times, said, “Samhain was a way of marking that ambiguous moment when you didn’t know who you were about to become, or what the future would hold. It was a celebration of limbo.”
Here in this limbo, you can honor all previous versions of self, the self that came before this moment, this you. Think about everything these past versions of self felt and experienced, all that they dreamed and wished for. Now take it further back beyond your lifetime. See yourself as a thread woven into the story of your lineage. Consider how you live because your ancestors made sacrifices and survived. See if you can hold the complexity surrounding this without shying away from the grief or pain. Feel your ancestral self whispering through your blood and bones, their dreams manifesting. Welcome the power of your ancestral self to strengthen your sense of home within as you lengthen your spine toward the sky while rooting deeply into the earth.
You are a constellation of interdependence. Your bones, your blood, your being - a cauldron of dark matter, swirling in a sea of memories, exploding stars, dream seeds, breath of life, fire of passion. You are your ancestors and all that came before you. Honor these ancestors, whose life force and spirit conspired to create you.
Here on this seasonal threshold, as we move into the time of darkness, may you rest in the arms of your ancestors, in the womb of winter so that you may connect to the power of all that's come before, and ignite your future self by seeking guidance from your wise ancestors and spirit guides.
This ritual is for one who feels called to Samhain as a threshold crossing, one that initiates the soul through death process. It's an opportunity to look back and reflect upon the journey you've been on, to honor the sacred teachings related to dying and decay, and to honor those ancestors (blood, movement, more-than-human, or otherwise) who have already crossed the threshold from this life into the next. These ritual elements are designed to bring you into your depths and into "death consciousness" as you contemplate your relationship to this time of the year.
Themes, Symbols & Elements
Themes: Thinning Veils; Honoring Ancestors; Death & Decay; Darkness & Mystery; Dreaming
Symbols: Scorpion (sign of Scorpio); Crone, Cailleach, or Dark Goddess; Bowen Knot, which is believed to ward off bad luck and evil spirits.
Colors: Black, burnt orange, deep reds
Tree: Hawthorn: gateway between the human and spirit world; Rowan
Herbs: Mugwort: often used to enhance dreams and to aid in divination; Rowan berries
Foods: Apples, pumpkins, nuts
Animals: Bats, owls, ravens
Element: Fire: element of transformation
Precious Stones: Moonstone for balance, divination, hidden knowledge, insight. Obsidian for depth, divination, grounding. Onyx for protection, self-defense, self-discipline
"We rejoice in the dance of transitions, the dance of change, the dance of life.
And we also loosen the grip of what once was needed but it is no more.
We let go of the patterns that no longer serve our growth.
We release all that was taught to us that has prevented the expression of our joy.
We look to cut the chains of misunderstanding and isolation.
We come together as one, from all different origins, to thank our ancestors for the knowledge that prevails through time, and to let go of the old ways that didn't work."
- Rachel Watersong
Samhain Ritual Part 1
1. Right Relationship
Being in right relationship with your spiritual practice means approaching each aspect with humility, curiosity and reverence. This includes checking yourself on the nature of how you relate to "objects" as things and the process itself.
For example, if you feel called to stones as part of your ritual, consider WHY first. Then contemplate the impact of whatever action comes next. For example, instead of mindlessly purchasing cheap precious stones from somewhere like amazon (which have more than likely been harmfully mined/extracted and then shipped across the world as part of the consumer machine that's destroying our planet), perhaps part of your spiritual practice is to resist that impulse, and instead take the time to go for a mindful walk in your backyard, or a nearby stream and see if the right stone presents itself to you.
2. Cleanse your Body-Heart-Mind-Space
Cleansing is a spiritual hygiene practice that supports releasing negative or stagnant energy that's no longer serving you. As you engage in one of the following methods, remember that the intention you bring to the action is very important.
Here are a few different methods:
Physical cleaning: dusting, vacuuming, opening windows for fresh air
Salt: a common element used for purification and protection in many different cultures. To use, simply sprinkle salt along doorways and windowsills to protect them from negative energy entering or just keep a small bowl of salt on your altar or nearby surface.
Smoke Cleansing: light incense or burn a bundle of dried herbs such as rosemary, cedar, or mugwort. Choose plants that you have grown yourself or that grow abundantly wild nearby, plants that you have ancestral tied to or just those that have been grown and harvested ethically.
Bathe: Take a shower our bath; visualize any negative energy that has accumulated in your auric field to be washed away as the water goes down the drain.
Meditate: take some time to center, still your mind and ground into presence.
A NOTE ON SMOKE CLEANSING:
If you do not have meaningful/authentic relationships to Indigenous culture and customs, "smudging" with white sage is cultural appropriation and is dishonoring to Indigenous nations across Turtle Island. It is important to understand that smudging is not just about burning sage to purify the negative energy from your space but is a sacred ritual that is culturally specific to tribes such as the Lakota Sioux, Comanche, Cheyenne, Arapaho, and Navajo. If you have been gifted sage by an Indigenous friend, use to your discretion in terms of how to relate with this medicine. This sacred plant is being abused, exploited and mass-harvested for commercial and consumer use which perpetuates the violence of white supremacy and settler colonialism. Take some time to locate yourself within a settler-colonial context interwoven with the land you currently occupy. Check out Native Land to learn the name and more about the territories you occupy.
3. Create a Samhain Altar
Altar tending is optional though it is a powerful practice, especially if you have a designated area in your home that you can tend over the course of the year to honor lunar and seasonal thresholds.
Your altar is a portal of spiritual communion; a doorway to your own sacred heart. Your altar becomes an anchor in your life.
Altar tending grounds your spiritual practice and holds your intentions. Nourishing it with your prayers strengthens your spiritual connection to the working.
To create an altar, start simple. Set up the area in a way that pleases you. At the least, you may wish to represent your relationship to the elements, directions or numerology. Different cultures and faith traditions have their own orientations. For example: In Gaelic cosmologies, the number three is very important and are associated with the three realms of earth, sky & sea.
There is absolutely no need to "buy" altar items. Everything we need is within us and can also be found around us. Here are some examples:
Dried leaves, herbs, corn husks and grasses that are abundant where you live. Candles.
Any meaningful items or objects of importance that reflect your current phase of life.
Let your altar reflect the place you live and gather photographs, heirlooms, and other mementos of deceased family, friends, and more-than-human ancestors.
If you're doing your ritual outside, take some quiet time to make a request to the land and listen (on all levels of being) for a space that calls to connect with you. When you get there, ask permission to perform your ritual, to be witnessed by the spirits of that place and to offer your blessings in return. This place should provide you with a good feeling - somewhere you can return to foster a relational bond with. Come prepared to offer something as a gift. It could be water that you have prayed over or spoken to kindly; a stone cleansed by moonlight; or even a strand of hair.
NOTE ON CULTURAL APPROPRIATION:
There is no right or wrong way to go about creating, tending or being with your altar, however we do not condone cultural appropriation or theft of any kind.
Samhain Invocation
To be said at the front door of the house on the eve of Samhain.
Grandmother Wisdom, open the door,
Grandfather Counsel, come you in.
Let there be welcome to the ancient lore,
Let there be welcome to the Winter of the Year.
In cold and darkness you are traveling,
Under crystal skies you will arrive.
May the blessed time of Samhain
Clarify the soul of all beings,
Bringing joy and wisdom to revelation.
From the depths to the heights,
from the heights to the depths,
In the cave of every soul.
- Caitlin Matthews
Samhain Ritual Part 2
To be done on the day of Samhain
Time Commitment: 2-4 hours (if you are following this template)
Overview
Opening - 15 minutes
Clarify Your Intention - 10 min
Invocation, Prayer, or Blessing - 5 min
Middle - 2 - 3 hrs
Grounding & Opening: 1-1.5 hrs
Reflect & Release: 30 min - 1 hr
Movement Meditation - 30 min
Closing - 15 minutes
Integration - 10 min
Offer Gratitude - 5 min
Opening
1. Clarify Your Intention
An intention is a way to bring heart and mind into alignment. There is power in naming that which you are calling in.
When we speak to Love/Life/God/Spirit/Source/Allah, we acknowledge that we are not alone and that support and guidance is available to us.
When we give voice to our intentions, we are speaking to the Self that permeates existence.
The intentions we give voice to now will stay with us and ripple through the unfolding of the seasons.
Example:
May this ritual bridge the perceived gap between self and no-self and deepen my devotional path to interbeing rooted in the wisdom of non-duality where notions of self dissolve into the many. May I surrender deeply to the path before me, and enter into the depths of not knowing with courage and humility. May I feel the support of my ancestors at my back, and remember their sacrifices so that I may learn how to walk my path in a good way. May I receive the loving support and strength to continue emptying myself in service to all kin and kind.
2. Samhain Blessing or Prayer
*See below for examples
A blessing or prayer can be done in silence, but there is power in speaking words that come from the depths of your heart.
A prayer is spoken to the animating, loving force of the universe - that which gives us life and is the source of love.
How you call this permeating, loving presence is unique to each of us, but here are some words that you may have resonance with: Spirit, God/Goddess, Allah, Source, Buddha, Creator, Tao etc.
It's important to remember that Spirit is not outside of you, but is within you... so when you pray, you're also praying to the deepest, divine aspect of your nature.
Sample Samhain Prayer
Blessings to those who have gone before.
I call to the ancestors who lived and died before I took breath,
to all the mothers and fathers who created life,
who created life,
who created me.
Walk with me tonight.
I call to the ancestors who lived and died in my lifetime,
my beloved dead, my family, my friends.
Those who made me laugh and shared in my tears,
who shared this journey with me,
who shared their journey with me.
Visit with me again.
My breath is your breath.
My bones are your bones.
We are all relations.
I drink water for you.
I take in food for you.
Together we light the beacon…
Together we stand in the doorway…
We call to the recently dead.
We offer your names to the air.
We offer your names in prayer.
(Offer the names of those in your life who recently passed…)
All of my ancestors,
all of our relations,
wait to greet you.
Safest passage to each of you.
You are loved,
you are remembered.
Be at peace.
- Sarah Lyn, 2014 (Walking With Ancestors: A Samhain Prayer)
Middle
3. Grounding & Opening
Below are two meditation options to choose from. Of course you are always welcome to do both or find your own.
I. Ten Points Practice (earth body connection)
This is all about coming home to your body, cming home to earth, and tending sacred ground for making contact your ancestors throughout the ritual. Land creates a bond with people who engage it. Your body is a portal. Focusing your mind and settling your nervous system softens resistance and releases constrictions so that you can access the still point within.
“Your body is an ancestor. Your body is an altar to your ancestors. Every one of your cells holds an ancient and anarchic love story. Around 2.7 billion year ago free-living prokaryotes melted into one another to form the mitochondria and organelles of the cells that build our bodies today. All you need to do to honor your ancestors is to roll up like a pill bug, into the innate shape of safety: the fetal position. The curl of your body, then, is an altar... to the womb that grew you… Breathe in, slowly, knowing that your breath loops you into the biome of your ecosystem… Your body is an ecosystem of ancestors. An outcome born not of a single human thread, but a web of relations that ripples outwards into the intimate ocean of deep time.” - Sophie Strand
II. Ancestor Meditation (ancestral connection)
This Samhain meditation has been adapted but the meat of it was written by Patti Wigington.
Close your eyes and breathe deeply.
Think about who you are, and what you are made of, and know that everything within you is the sum of all your ancestors.
From thousands of years ago, generations of people have come together over the centuries to create the person you are now.
Think about your own strengths — as well as your weaknesses — and remember that they came from somewhere.
This is a time to honor the ancestors who formed you.
Kindle the candles on your altar in memory of your beloved dead.
Recite your genealogy — aloud if you like — as far back as you can go.
Call out their names and express well wishes. Thank them for being part of your life.
As you say each name, describe the person and their life. An example might go something like this:
I am the daughter of James, who fought in Vietnam and returned to tell the tale. James was the son of Eldon and Maggie, who met on the battlefields of France, as she nursed him back to health. Eldon was the son of Alice, who sailed aboard Titanic and survived. Alice was the daughter of Patrick and Molly, who farmed the soil of Ireland, who raised horses and tatted lace to feed the children...
and so forth. Go back as far as you like, elaborating in as much detail as you choose.
Once you can go back no further, end with "those whose blood runs in me, whose names I do not yet know".
Continue to sit quietly and pay attention to what you experience. If you happened to meet a certain ancestor, or their archetype, during your meditation, take a moment to thank them for stopping by.
Take note of any information they may have given you — even if it doesn't make sense just now, it may later on when you give it some more thought.
Think about all the people you come from, whose genes are part of you. Some were great people — some, probably not so much, but the point is, they all belong to you. They all have helped shape and create you.
Appreciate them for what they were, with no expectations or apologies, and know that they are watching over you.
4. Reflect & Release
I. Reflect on your life over the past year
Review journals, planners, photographs, blogs, and other notations you have created during the past year. Consider how you have grown and the portals of initiation that opened, challenged, and changed you. Reflect on your soul adventures and learnings.
II. Journal about your year in review
What in my life is coming to an end?
Who or what am I grieving?
What has my ancestral self taught me over the past year?
What in the darkness must I embrace?
How can I become receptive to the dream of earth this Winter ?
How can I honor my ancestors and commune with my guides?
What question am I holding?
III. Cord Cutting
As we come to the end of a cycle it can be an important and liberating practice to cut away any energetic and psychic ties that you sense may be holding you back or binding you.
Cord cutting allows you to let go of psychic ties to relationships, stories, and/or patterns of relating that you’re ready to let go of.
To perform this portion of your ritual, first get clear about the psychic cords you will be cutting. Write them down.
When you are ready, bind your hands, feet or other areas of the body with black cord/yarn to symbolize the. Cut the ties to symbolize an energetic release. Complete this portion of your ritual by burning the bindings.
5. Movement Meditation in Darkness - 30 min
If you're able, perform this portion of the ritual outside in the darkness. If that is unavailable to you, create enough space in a room for you to move around in. If you feel comfortable, let the space be dark, otherwise simply keep your candles lit.
This movement meditation practice is about exploring intuitive, non-goal oriented movements. This style of movement contributes to neurogenesis, or the growth of new brain cells. Samhain is the gate to Winter, which I liken to the cosmic womb space; the place where all life begins.
Sample Practice:
Begin by lying down on the ground for at least 5 minutes to connect to the rhythm of your breath as you anchor into the ground beneath you.
Communicate an intention. For example, you might call upon to your ancestors and invite them to speak through you. Alternatively you might offer this movement as a healing prayer to your lineage. You might simply want to connect with the spirit of your primal nature, to touch into and be transformed by whatever emotions are present.
Next, focus your attention on the way the breath moves in and through you. Watch the in-breath take up space in your body, then observe how the out-breath settles your weight into deeper contact with the earth.
Give all of your attention to this inner movement, the ebb and flow of the breath, and the wave it creates through your body. Sense the movement of the cosmos in your breath: the ebb and flow of the moon tides, the dance of the seasons, the circling of the stars, the rise and fall of a day.
Wait until a movement impulse arises and follow that. Let some part of you lead with gentle exploratory movement. For example, maybe your feet want to slowly rock back and forth, and as you explore this, it expands, sending a movement ripple through the rest of your body. This expansion leads to another impulse.
Whatever the movement impulse, let your exploration be heavy, slow and even small to start, and then moving into larger movements with a focus on swaying and undulating.
Throughout the practice, let your breath guide the movement impulses. Stay with the breath at all times.
If you can, let yourself go. Let go of thoughts or worries or inner inhibitions. Invite full expression of feeling.
End with shaking: Spend a few minutes shaking your body and limbs as a symbolic gesture of letting go and releasing dead skins, old narratives, ways of being that are holding you back
Closing
6. Integration
Find a comfortable place to sit and be with the totality of your experience. Now's a good time to return to your altar.
Notice how you feel and what it’s like to be in your body now.
Dwell here in the vibration of your experience and soak in whatever sensations are present for as long as feels right to you.
7. Offer Gratitude
Drop into your heart space and offer gratitude ...
Gratitude to your body, mind, spirit, ancestors, Land and all those who have joined you in your ritual.
Gratitude for the humbling journey of descent into the seasonal womb of Winter
Take one final moment to pause...
Inhale, appreciating all of the gifts you've received.
Exhale, giving it all back from where it came.
Now your heart is open, increasing the flow of love in your life.
Did you find this post supportive in any way?
We'd love to hear what you enjoyed! Let us know in the comments below :)
Comments