Moon & Moss🎡 Wheel of the Year
Samhain: The witch's new year
Samhain (October 31 – November 1) is when the veil between worlds is said to be thinnest. A time to honor the dead and release what has ended.
- Date
- October 31 – November 1
- Type
- Cross-quarter
- Element
- Water and Earth
- Southern Hemisphere
- April 30 – May 1
Samhain (pronounced SOW-in) marks the end of the harvest and the start of the dark half of the year, which is why many witches call it the new year. The veil between the living and the dead is said to be at its thinnest, making it a traditional time to honor ancestors and loved ones who've passed.
It's also a powerful time for divination, and for letting go of whatever in your life has come to its natural end.
Ways to celebrate
- An ancestor altar
- A candle for loved ones
- Tarot or scrying
- A dumb supper (a silent meal with a place set for the dead)
Try this
Set out a photo of someone you've lost with a candle, and tell them one thing about your year.
Journal prompt
What in my life has come to its natural end?
The modern Wheel of the Year draws on older traditions, and practices vary widely. Take what feels true to your own relationship with the seasons.
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