Halloween can be traced back to the ancient, pagan holiday of Samhain. This holiday marks the last harvest and the end of summer. It primarily focuses on the sacredness of death, the unknown, and unseen. Even to this day, it is observed by many modern witches. Samhain is well known as the time that the veil between worlds is thinnest. Therefore, on this holiday, witches participate in various spiritual practices involving the departed and the deeper mysteries. These practices include but are not limited to: creating shrines, a feast for the dead, a Samhain ritual, meditation, divination, and dream-work.
Personally, Samhain is very special to me as a witch and as an individual. For starters, I was born on the original date of Samhain, when the sun enters fifteen degrees Scorpio. In addition, the sign of Scorpio deeply embodies the themes of Samhain, because it rules death, rebirth, the occult, and many other dark mysterious energies. As a Scorpio, I am constantly being presented with these themes in my day-to-day life. Not only that, my birthday and Solar Return directly follow Halloween/Samhain. This means my life is renewed each year, after I’ve decided what I need to release. I find this to be a perfect set up for coming into the New Year. Plus, fall is my favorite season, and Halloween/Samhain is my favorite holiday.
For me, Samhain is a deep and powerful time. I’ve seen certain themes repeat year after year. First, I usually experience a combination of deep rest and grieving. Here, I let go of everything including expectations and dreams. I grieve lost relationships, and missed or stolen opportunities. Yet, I rest as I sit with my grief. There is a surprising amount of relief, when I accept the weight of my disappointment. In addition, I dive deep into the mysteries. I become more involved in mediation and divination. I explore my subconscious, & I struggle against the chains of my limitations. Here, I come to unravel limitations, so I can see through their illusion.
This year seems particularly powerful. I’ve discovered a format for working through these deep and murky waters: transform, create, destroy. There’s a lot I want to change in my life right now, but the theme for transformation appears to revolve around relationships. This makes sense, considering the new moon was in Libra. To begin with, I want to work on my relationship to myself. My mental and emotional health has suffered quite a lot in the last couple months. I really want to find a healthy balance with myself. Next, I want to create better relationships in general. I’m really struggling with healthy partnerships, and I want to be able to feel good in my relationships. Another relationship I struggle with is in regards to money. Even writing about my relationship with money, I am filled with anxiety. Obviously, it really needs to be improved.
In terms of creating and what I have brewing for the coming year, I’m focused on empowering choices. To start, I’m working towards building an emotional foundation for myself. It’s very hard for me to feel safe in my body. How can I expect myself to expand and grow, if I’m always stressed and terrified? Therefore, I’m focused on creating an emotional safe space. The goal is to meditate everyday for a year. This way I can learn to relax, and I will be more capable of coping with stressful situations. This will also force me to work on creating better boundaries. I have a tendency to let people walk all over me, and I get dragged into everyone else’s drama. I need to learn to stand up for myself and set limits with other people. In addition, I really want to tap into my inner fearlessness. This year I really want to push myself past my limits. I have lived a life full of fear, and the only way out is to move through it. I am sick of feeling paralyzed!
What do I need to destroy? This year I want to “kill” off my inner victim. I’ve had to face my victim mentality, in the past, but I think it’s time to pull it out by the roots. One of the root causes is passivity and apathy. A lot of the time, I choose to do nothing. I’m not willing to face things head on, so I ignore it or I stop caring. I’m pretty done with inaction. Another problem that contributes to victim hood is straight up avoiding it and my escapism tendencies. It’s time I stop burying my problems under distractions like Facebook, television, and video-games. It’s time to face reality head on. Lastly, I need to stop giving into being helpless and hopeless. I need to stop thinking I have no control of my life, because it’s a lie. I can face problems, confrontation, and fear. I can make better choices, and I’m ready for that change.
These are the issues I’m facing this Samhain. What issues are you facing this time of year? Answer in the comments below! Try out my Samhain Transformation Formula Below:
Transformation Theme:
List three things you want to change.
Creation Theme:
List three things you want to build and create.
Destroy Theme:
List three things you want to release, let go, or stop.
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