All this week we’ve been talking about what Samhain is, how to make an altar for Samhain and how to honor our ancestors at Samhain. Now it’s time to celebrate Samhain! Tonight at sunset it will officially beginning the holiday of Samhain which will go until sunset on November 1st. Some people actually take it through until sunrise on November 2nd.
There are a lot of different things that you can do to celebrate Samhain. Earlier this week I asked the awesome members of The Wild Spirit Tribe what they might like to see during this week of posts and one thing that came up was a simple Samhain ritual. Since there are different ways to approach Samhain, and we’ve well covered ancestors now, let’s talk about a simple ritual for marking the end of the spiritual year and preparing for the next.
I’ve decided to keep this simple, but if you practice a specific way of working, please feel free to modify this as you wish.
Simple Samhain Ritual
Our Intention: The intention of this ritual is to say goodbye to the year that is passing, release what we do not wish to carry with us into the new year and set intentions for what we wish to manifest in the year ahead. We’ll be working simple magic for attracting love, luck, health and wealth in the year ahead.
Supplies: For this ritual you’ll need a quiet place to work after sunset on October 31st or before sundown on November 1st. Working outside is ideal but you can certainly do this indoors.
For this ritual you’ll need:
- 1 black candle
- 1 orange candle
- 1 white candle
- holders for each candle
- printed seals {download here}
- Herbs: dried orange peel, cinnamon, sage, mint {for protection and attraction}
- Patchouli essential oil {optional}
- a piece of clear quartz crystal
- a small drawstring bag
- a small bowl or plate
- lighter
- candle snuffer {if you don’t burn your candles down}
The Ritual
Find your space where you’re going to work and set up your items. Place your herbs in your bowl and mix them up and set aside. Lay out your seals {order: wealth, health, love, luck}. If you have Patchouli oil use it to anoint your candles. Arrange your candles, black to the left, orange in the middle and white on the right. Have these above your seals on your work surface or altar.
Now take a few minutes to breathe deeply. Sit comfortably in front of your altar and simply let your breath take with it the worries of the day. Visualize roots growing from your spine down into the earth, rooting and grounding you and your energy. Feel yourself becoming centered, focused and energized.
Lift your arms up over your head with your palms facing the sky. Visualize a bright white light coming down from above and filling your hands. Slowly begin to lower your arms, visualizing that you are pulling this white light down over you and your work space like a curtain. Pull it all the way down until your hands touch the ground, seeing the white light going down into the earth below you.
Next begin to focus on what you want to let go of for the year. Visualize it, verbalize it, really feel it. When you have this clear in your mind, light your black candle and say:
As this year comes to an end I clear my spirit and my life of ____________________.
Give yourself a little time to really feel this being let go. Know it’s being released. Know that as this candle burns down you’re giving up this energy to the hungry ghosts that wonder the night of Samhain who are looking for energy to take. Give it freely.
When you’re ready light the orange candle and say:
As this light burns bright,
so too does my spirit burn.
I know that I will endure through this dark season
and I am ready to go inward to find my own light.
As I release the things that weight on my soul
and give them up to the hungry ghosts
I am ready to turn my sights to the light
and being to set my intentions for the new year.
Begin to think about what you want to manifest in the new year, what you want to attract into your life to take the place of the things that you have decided to release.
Light your white candle and say:
In the year ahead I ask for the help of the Gods, my guides, my ancestors and angels so that I may manifest what I most want in my life.
{state the things you wish to manifest}
Take your herbs and sprinkles some of the herbs across the seals while thinking about how you will work to manifest these things.
Pick up your quartz and hold it in your dominant hand {the hand you write with} and touch the seals with it as you say:
{Touching the money seal} May I be blessed with wealth.
{Touching the health seal} May I be blessed with health.
{Touching the love seal} May I be blessed with love.
{Touching the luck seal} May I be blessed with luck.
May all my blessings in the year to come be for the good of all with harm to none.
So mote it be!
Gather up the seals with the herbs and your crystal and place them inside your cloth bag. Add the rest of the herbs as well. Breath into the bag to add a little of your own energy and close it up, tying it closed.
Place the bag in front of the candles as they continue to burn down to help charge it with energy.
You can spend time now in meditation, communicating with your ancestors, guides and angels, seeking guidance or help with how you’ll manifest these things in the year ahead or getting help with any questions you have. If you read read tarot or oracle cards or work with other forms of divination, now is a perfect time to work with this for insight into the year ahead.
To close up your ritual say thank you to the Gods, your ancestors, guides and angels. Let your candles burn down. If you can’t, snuff them and relight them at the next chance you have to complete your work. If you have to relight your candles, place your ritual bag with your candles to continue charging it with energy.
When you’re ready to end your work, say thank you three times. Hold your hands down to your side and visualize gathering up the white light curtain again. Slowing raise your arms up over our head and once your hands are above you release the white light and visualize it being pulled up into the heavens.
Your magic is done!
Keep your ritual bag with you or in a sacred place in your home for the year. Any time you want to send a little energy to it or if you have a specific blessing you need during the year, hold it, squeeze it, and pray for what you need.
