Samhain Lore, Correspondences, and More

Samhain is probably one of the most well-known and well-covered of the pagan sabbats. Stories abound of spirits performing all kinds of mischief while the veil between this world and the next is thinnest.

In the days leading up to Samhain, do all those classic fall things like corn mazes and visiting pumpkin patches. Enjoy the pumpkin spice flavored everything - it's only once a year! Instead of loading up on artificial flavoring, however, buy pumpkins to roast and use, and make it all with REAL spices! Cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, clove, and allspice. Part of your path, and a big part of the sabbats, should be keeping connected to, and honoring, the earth and her cycles. What better way to honor her than to enjoy the real bounty she gives you?

Take a walk through your neighborhood and just breathe in the air deeply. If you concentrate you can smell winter coming. There is a crispness, a scent on the wind, that connects you to the changing seasons. Even when I wasn't so attuned to the weather and larger seasons, I still could smell winter. As a small child, I remember thinking, in wonder, that I could smell a season. Something that seemed so intangible. I tried to explain the smell to my a family member once, but I couldn't put into words what exactly it smelled like. It just smells like... snowflakes, grey skies, and long nights?

Samhain is the halfway point between the autumn equinox and the winter solstice. A night betwixt seasons and between worlds. Turn your sights towards finishing half-done projects, especially outdoor tasks, just as your ancestors would have.

Children's crafts with pumpkins, ghost stories, costumes, and trick or treating will fill the day and early evening.

The night is for the celebration of life, as well as honoring those who have gone before us, for without the first, there cannot be the second. Many people host a dumb supper, which is a way to have a meal with loved ones who have passed on. Have a place setting for them at your sabbat feast, including a plate with food and a cup with a drink. Use this spell to invite them in. Bask in their returned presence for the short time you have.

Correspondences

• Crystals - Amber, Smoky Quartz, Obsidian, Fossils, Onyx, Petrified Wood

• Herbs - Sage, Rosemary, Catnip, Mugwart, Mullein

• Incense - Patchouli, Sandalwood, Rosemary

• Foods - Pumpkin, Squash, Carrots, Apples, Pears, Shallots, Beef, Turnips

• Plants - Willow, Witch hazel, Oak, Maple, Straw, Gourds, Marigold

• Colors - Orange, Black, Brown, Charcoal