Samhain wishes

This is a witchy post about Samhain rather than a pure gardening post so if you're just here for free fertiliser recipes and how to build raised beds and such, I don't mind you skipping this one.

Samhain wishes and a very happy witches new year to you all. There's as many different interpretations of this holiday as there are practitioners,  but I thought I'd share some of what it means for my path, and what I'll be doing over the next few days.

Samhain falls on or around the 31st October - Halloween, but some witches celebrate it on the cross quarter  (the exact middle date between the last equinox and the next). That falls on November 7th this year, so I'll be stretching my celebrations out between the two (because who doesn't like an excuse to celebrate for longer?)

It's that time of year when we have harvested the fruits of our hard work in the spring,  and the leaves are beginning to fall. I think we can learn much from the wise old trees at this time of year. They know that for new life to return in spring, the have to let go of the old leaves that have served their purpose and make room for new buds.  By shedding the dead parts of themselves they nourish their roots and create space for new growth.

Over Samhain I'll be thinking of what parts of myself are no longer serving me, and making a conscious effort to shed them, like the dead leaves, to nourish the core part of myself that endures and make space in my life for new joys and new growth. As the days darken we grow more introspective, and that's a great time to consider what's working in our lives,  and what isn't serving to help us grow anymore.

This could be a dead thought pattern that isn't nurturing you properly ("I'm not good enough"), a friendship that isn't fully reciprocated or that drains you, a habit that's harmful for you (I gave up smoking at this time of year after many attempts a few years ago). These thought patterns are like junk filling our houses. Perhaps once they made you smile or feel comfortable or at home but now they are gathering dust and taking up space that could  be used for things that are beautiful and useful and make you happier.

 Samhain for me,  is the time for a good clear out,  on the mental and the physical plains. I'll be cleaning out my house, donating or throwing out old clothes and giving my tools (witch tools and garden tools!) a good clean,  as well as trying to sort through my cluttered thoughts and throw out bad habits. As above, so below.

It's also the festival of the dead in many cultures and paths.  Samhain is considered to be the time of year when the veil separating the worlds is at its thinnest, so many people leave offerings for the dead, and honour those who have passed. Much like the leaves, they needed to move on to make space for us, just as we will move on to make space for those who come after us.

I'll be raising a glass to those I've loved and lost, and thinking about the lessons they taught me and the good times we had together. I'll be thinking about how those who have already crossed over have shaped and nurtured me, in much the same way the rotting leaves nurture the tree so that new leaves can grow, and how we live on in traits passed down through generations, or through our art and creativity. No one is truly gone when they are still remembered, and our energy never fully leaves the world.

Because the veil is thin and our intuition is being sharpened by the introspective nature of the dark half of the year, Samhain is a great time for divination. Clearing out old thought patterns and habits will leave room for new habits and patterns to grow, so it can be encouraging to get a glimpse of that new future ahead. Many practitioners find Samhain a good time to get out the tarot or oracle cards, the pendulum or even give the crystal ball or dark mirror a polish. Whether you believe that the tool is what gives you that glimpse, or if you believe that it gives you something to focus on while your subconscious mind works out likely patterns and predictions, is entirely up to you. I swing wildly between the two.

Actual practice wise, I'll be doing a simple ritual where I write down representations of what I'd like to die within me and my life and burn them, in the hope that my loving dead will take them back just to the underworld when they return.

I'll also be leaving my spent jack-o-lanterns out as an offering to the spirits of my garden, to help feed both the soil and the birds and animals who are prepping for winter. I'll of course be trick or treating with my children  (at houses that are decorated for Halloween only), just because it's fun. As the world grows darker and the days grow colder, it's important to keep the light of hope and joy burning until the wheel turns again and we land back on spring.

The day after Halloween I'll be wandering round the area I live, picking up trash left by kids having fun, because I think the natural world appreciates love and care too, and I feel unbalanced accepting sweeties from my community without giving much back (that said, my eldest child will be staying home this year to serve our trick or treaters, because no one wants disappointed kids in their neighbourhood).

All in all, it'll be a busy few days ahead. But a necessary busy, and a joyful one.  I'm excited to let go of what's not working for me anymore and accept new growth, and looking forward to celebrating those who have passed before me.

Are you ready to make space for new growth in your life? What do you want to let go of this Samhain?