Samhain is the witchy New Year; the old year ends with the last harvest.
Samhain is the most important of the Wiccan Sabbats, because it is said that the veil between the worlds is thinnest at this time, making it easy to contact spirits, angels, or ancestors. Witches will visit graveyards and tend their family’s graves or those that look untended as a public service, and leave flowers and harvest symbols, such as apples.
Divination ritual
Light a candle for each of the four points of the compass—north, south, east, and west—on the outside of your ritual space, or if space is an issue, on your altar. The four directions represent the four elements and bring balance. Ring a bell three times and say:
The night of Samhain has come. I invite the spirits of this place, my ancestors, and all of good will to join me in this ritual to ring out the old year and welcome the new!
Family of old, of blood, and family of spirit and magic, I welcome you to this rite.
Stand a purple candle in the middle of your cauldron. If you don’t have a cauldron, a soup bowl or round vase will do. Pour in some water around the candle, and add a few drops of ink or black food coloring to make the water dark, to symbolize the darkness of winter coming and how occulted the future usually is. Light the candle and close your eyes to pray to your favorite deities or ancestors for guidance on a problem you are facing, or your plans for the coming year. When you feel ready, open your eyes and look into the water, trying to make out shapes from the reflection of the candle flame that will guide you; for example, one clear pool of light may mean you are on the right path, or an arrow shape of reflected candlelight may point in the direction of where you should travel.
When you have finished, gently blow out the candle with thanks for the spirits’ guidance, and ring the bell three times again, saying:
The night of Samhain is done. I thank the spirits of this place, my ancestors, and all of good will who joined me in this ritual to ring out the old year and welcome the new. Blessed be!
A variation of this divination ritual is to light a candle in a color suitable to your question:
- Brown for business success
- Green for prosperity/fertility of mind and body
- Blue for health
- Yellow for friendship
- Red for love
Pour ice cold water into your cauldron around it. Think about your question and future path while holding the candle with both hands. Then look into the dark water of the cauldron and say:
What was now dark, I will illuminate; what was uncertain, now becomes clear.
Answers I seek, answers I will get. So mote it be!
Then tilt the candle so that some wax drips into the water (candles that drip a lot are best for this ritual for obvious reasons) and interpret the shape the wax makes in the water.
Discover more Wiccan feasts, celebrations and rituals in Seasons of the Witch by Silja. To get more great blog posts like this one - direct to your inbox – be sure to sign up to our mailing list here.