Samhain - A Time of Release

Greetings, Gentle Readers...

And may you be blessed this Samhain!

I've posted Samhain blogs before, but I wanted to bring those blogs into this time in my life.  As you know, I've always tried to be as honest and transparent with you as I am able.  What would be the point of writing were that not so?

In the country year, Samhain (Sow' En) marked the end of summer and the beginning of the winter.  Farmers would cull their herds to prepare for the winter cold and winds and have what they needed to ensure their families would be fed during the long, harsh winter.  Hay would be brought into the barns to feed the remaining livestock.  Summer fires would be extinguished and families would re-light their fires with the new fire of Samhain.
Peat and wood would be stockpiled for use so that the hearth fires would not be lost.  This truly was a joyous occasion and families would gather to prepare food for the upcoming season.

Does this sound familiar?  Of course it does!  The holiday season is full of examples of families coming together to cook and share time with each other.

Samhain is also a time of release.  As it is the end of the year and the beginning of the next, it is a good time to look back and find those things of which we need to let go.  All of the negative that has infiltrated must be released and plans for a positive and prosperous new year should be put in play... goals, dreams, projects and hopes for the time to come.

This is also a time of the dead.  It is believed the veil between this world and the Otherworld is its thinnest and it is possible to reach across the chasm to speak to and honor those who have passed over.  We seek their help with protection, advice and guidance for the coming year.  Often, during ceremonies, extra plates of food are set for the ancestors.

And, finally, what is Samhain to me?  It isn't about goblins and candy.  It's about honoring those gone before.  Releasing the things of the past year.  Planning for the coming year and seeking the wisdom of the ancestors.  It is a time of thanksgiving for provision.  It is all these things and so much more.

So if you have pagan friends, be sure to wish them a Blessed, Joyous Samhain.  They will appreciate it!

My friends, Blessed Samhain!