Samhain

[qos]

Samhain continues to sit in the back of my mind, reminding me that I don't yet know what I'm going to do to celebrate. At some point this weekend I'll sit down and talk with Ereshkigal and LM and ask them what they would like me to do -- but I'm also interested in my friends' plans.

So I'm asking. . .

What is it you celebrate at Samhain?
(What is the reason or purpose of your observances?)

Which deities, spirits, and/or allies do you work with?

What are you planning to do this year, and/or what has been the best/most satisfying Samhain you've ever observed?

Comments

[a-belletrist.livejournal.com]

I celebrate my Ancestors, my past lives, and the others who have crossed over whom I have known. I take a page out of the book of Dia de los Muertos. This year I will most likely take a spirit journey to see what wisdom they have to share.

I work with my ancestors, my allies, my spirit animals, the four directions, Mother Earth and Father Sky ... any of the good, true and beautiful spirits who wish to join in for the greater good of all.

The most satisfying Samhain I've ever observed was attending the Dia de los Muertos day at Seattle Center to see the altars there, and then to make my own to use for the three days ... and to light a bonfire in the back yard, using its smoke as an offering.

That was not only fun, as the kids helped me with the altar and the bonfire, but it felt really, really good.

[erl-queen.livejournal.com]

We're spending some daylight hours at the cemetery where our town founders are buried, breaking bread with the dead there, possibly setting up some sort of cenotaph for our own honored dead.

In the evening, we are preparing a feast for the gods of death and the underworld from several different traditions (Erishkegal included, actually), and having a dumb supper by candlelight. Then we are going out masquerading.

Once my old coven did a candlelight processional through town, complete with chanting in Latin, which would have been great if we hadn't gotten harassed by a bunch of stupid kids. When we stuck to the Wheel of the Year and used to follow the cycle of the Dark God and the Light God and The Goddess (long ago), we had a very effective Samhain ritual where we mourned the death of the Light God by making a life-size effigy, pouring graveyard dirt on his chest, and keening a dirge for him. It was very powerful.

[oakmouse]

I celebrate to honor the realm of the dead, the gods and spirits thereof, and to honor those who have passed over during the year.

I work with deities of the underworld or of the transitional zone between the realm of the living and the realm of the dead; with spirits and ancestors; and with nature spirits, plant and animal spirits, and the Folk. I never know in any given year just who is going to show up; it tends to vary quite a bit. This year I have some fairly heavy crossings to honor, including a suicide, so it may get a bit intense.

The best Samhain I ever experienced was one where I had the opportunity to celebrate privately and spend the evening doing inner work and ritual. I'll be doing some of that again this year, but also joining in my Grove's celebration. It happens that I currently hold the position which has the most active role in the Samhain ritual, so I'll be priestessing the holiday for my entire grove. That has its virtues too.

[dangerousface.livejournal.com]

My church will be having a 'virtues and vice' themed Samhain, dealing with traditions associated with Dia de los Muertos.

I will be working and I think my residents are doing a mainstream halloween-y thing.

I will be mourning the passing of my grandfather and the passing of this year [which I am grateful for] and readying myself to step into something new..with lots of gratitude.

[jcalanthe]

I have gone along with other people's Samhain plans before (really large stuff like Reclaiming's ritual, and small stuff like joining B's 3 person coven), but this will be the first year where I'll do my own thing, so I'm still figuring it out. Thanks for asking - it's prompting me to think about it!

My purpose is to honor my Ancestors. I'll be working with them & the faeries I usually work with. & I need to sit down with them to make a plan for what we'll do.

It's a holiday I feel ambivalent about. My people are (in part) Scottish & Irish, and it's in the tradition of some of the noncorporeals I work with, but it's not really part of what I think of as my tradition. More like, I went to the Jewish High Holy Days this year because B is Jewish, and sometimes I've observed Samhain because many in my chosen family do. & until fairly recently, I very firmly didn't work with my Ancestors (couldn't see past family trauma), so this holiday in particular was fraught for me. So this year is an experiment, to see if we can find something that works for both me & my noncorporeal buddies.

I'm interested to hear anything about what you end up planning/doing that you're willing & able to share.