Samhain

Samhain. Season of icy mornings and dark nights. The darkness is creeping in upon us and the bitter chill of winter sprinkles the ground with the whiteness of frost. Spider webs hang in the still air, droplets of water shining like diamonds decorate web and plant alike, and the air feels clean

The celebration of Samhain in October heralds the end of summer and the beginning of the dark, cold winter months. It is the end of all things that have been, but yet it stands at the gateway of the beginning of the year yet to come.

Samhain is all about gateways. Gateways of summer and winter, gateways of the past and the present, gateway between life and death. Samhain is the time of year when we turn to the memory of our ancestors and honour their name, for without them, we would not be the people we are. Some ancestors are blood ties, generations of people who have seeded the future with their blood, but yet there are other ancestors, those who are not of blood bond, who are equally important to us in the way we think, the way we approach life, the legacy they left us. Let us honour them too in our celebrations, and remember all that they taught us in this life.

In darkness lies the source of life. When we are conceived, we are still, silent, embraced in mothers womb, dark and safe and warm. Thus it is the way of Samhain, to remind us of that time in our lives when we are still, silent, and embraced in the warmth we create in our own homes, dark, safe and warm. And like the child waiting to be born, we will emerge from the darkness of Samhain into a brighter year ahead, a time filled with promise.

Let us use this time wisely. In the warmth and safety of our homes, let us look to the past, see the things we have done this past year, and praise ourselves for the things that went well, and look carefully at the things that perhaps did not go the way we would want them to. There are lessons to be learned in all of this, things that can colour the year yet to come. Samhain is a perfect time to look forward also, to set down our desires, hopes and dreams for the year to come, and to plan how we will bring them about. Life is change, and change we must if we are to adapt to a new year and all the challenges it will bring.

At this time of year, I like to take some paper and write a letter to myself, detailing all the things I would like to do by this time next year. Some things are simple, a change here, a tweak there, some things are fantastical, and for why should we not wish for the fantastical? Other things are more mundane. But at Samhain next year, you can open your letter and see how far you have come since you set pen to paper. Perhaps some of the things on that list are no longer valid; perhaps you have moved on spiritually and no longer need these things to happen. Perhaps you have achieved more than you thought possible. And perhaps you have things to learn about yourself.

So take a pen, write that letter, and this time next year, see how far you have travelled. You may be surprised.

Blessed Be.

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