Samhain

Hello there, darling.

Blessed Samhain to you! The biggest festival on the calendar is within touching distance.

The Witch’s New Year both begins and ends at Samhain. On 31st October, the worlds of the living and the dead merge and swirl together – just as they do at the beginning and the end of all living things. We stand on the threshold between the two.

It is on major Pagan holidays like this that we are reminded of the cyclical nature of life and nature. We are always stepping from spoke to spoke on the Wheel of the Year; as it turns, we head towards our own ending – but, it’s up to us to make every month of the cycle as joyful as possible! Samhain is a time of celebration.

Samhain – also known as modern-day Halloween – falls on the same day each year, as all the Cross Quarter festivals do. Unlike the mutable solstices and equinoxes, Imbolc, Beltane, Lughnasadh and Samhain always stay the same. 31st October carries the weight of the year: it is heavy with the symbolism of death, the underworld and honouring those whom have passed, but also the softer themes of letting go and releasing whatever we’ve carried on our shoulders throughout this full turn of the Wheel.

I hope it helps you shed your old skin as we pass into the Witch’s New Year.

In this newsletter, I’ll be sharing:

practical and spiritual ways to celebrate the festival of Samhain
two extra-special witchcraft events
a life update from this green witch 🙋🏻‍♀️
the omens and ancient symbols of Samhain

But what I want to emphasise is this: the magickal energies abound at this time of year. You may feel exhausted with so much whirring around! Don’t put pressure on yourself to celebrate this festival to the max – do what you can (I’ve put some small suggestions below that might be more in line with your energy levels).

For more Samhain advice, listen to and I on Episode 6 of The Divine Void Podcast 🧡

Sending lots of spooky love your way!

Jennifer x

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How to celebrate Samhain

Come one, come all, witches. This year, I’ll be celebrating by:

going all-out with my Samhain altar. I have mixed views on Pagan altars, but the eight sabbats are times when I decorate to my heart’s content. For Samhain, my altar (above) is decked out in pumpkins – a nod to this being the third and final harvest festival of the year, pine cones to honour the cycle of death and rebirth, black candles, smoky quartz (for protection) and red jasper (for grounding amidst this, the most spirit-filled festival of the year). You can also include goddess emblems, a cauldron (the tool of the Crone goddess, Cerridwen) and herbs for divination, such as eyebright or mugwort.
facing my shadow self. The darker half of the year is seen by modern witches as a time to turn inward and meet head-on what you’ve been avoiding. It’s time for some self-reflection on a grand scale. Think about the habits you have outgrown or that feel actively repellent to you – why are you holding onto them? What can you shed to become the highest version of yourself in the dark, pulsating womb of autumn? In two weeks’ time, I’ll be sharing a post on how to get started on shadow work and some insights into my own shadow journey over the past few months.

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practising threshold magick. We are standing on the biggest threshold of the year. Samhain is the traditional start to Celtic winter, making this the portal to all things new. Think about the portals in your own life – namely, the doors in your home and the gateway to your property. Protect your boundaries (guide to salting boundaries at the bottom of this post), bring abundance to those who step through them (abundance door wash here) or repel unwanted visitors using sigils.

brown wooden bridge in between trees during daytime — Photo by Eugene on Unsplash

walking the land at dusk. Getting to know the land around you is a key practice of a witch. But around Samhain, the land’s signs and messages come through even more strongly. Take note of the way the birds are flying, what animals you see, and remember, not every natural symbol will be friendly, so arm yourself with these protection charms if you’re going out alone on Samhain. Below, I’ll be talking more about the symbols of Samhain and what to look out for on your evening travels.
divining and scrying on the year ahead. As I just mentioned, we are on the threshold of the Witch’s New Year, making this a potent time to get spiritual answers on the 12 months ahead. Perform a Tarot spread to plan things out, use a crystal pendulum to ask yes/no questions, or perform a guided meditation.
embracing the harvest. Here is my favourite recipe from the book Samhain by : “Pumpkin bread – Boil some pumpkin with a little salt; when tender, strain and add half as much flour. Add milk and eggs (4 eggs for every quart of milk); beat the eggs, then stir into the pumpkin. Add flour, salt, a little sugar, a spoon of yeast, and enough milk for soft dough. Bake in buttered tins.”
You may also like to make soul cakes as part of your ancestral offering (make them as sweet as you like!).

preparing ancestor offerings. We can show respect and love to those who’ve passed over by creating physical offerings – food, candles, drinks or objects from nature. These can be placed on your altar, or you might like to make a Dumb Supper, where you cook a meal and serve it to an empty space at your dining table. Last year, I shared my complete guide to ancestor offerings to get you started.
lighting a sacred fire. Amongst the spookiness, it’s easy to forget that Samhain is one of the “Big Four” fire festivals of the year. Light a black or orange candle on your altar or crank up the fire pit in the garden, then close your eyes and say words of blessings and hope that the fire will light your way as you head into the new year.

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For a closer look at the festival of Samhain, pick up a copy of my book, The Wheel: A Witch’s Path Back to the Ancient Self.

A little life update 💫

The Wheel turns, and life keeps on going 💙 But I wanted to draw attention to the fact that October is Baby Loss Awareness Month.

You may have noticed a video on my TikTok page that went viral recently. I posted this to raise awareness of baby loss, and it ended up receiving 760,000 views and 53,000 likes (and counting). So… a lot of people are now aware!

The darker months have got me in my feelings as we lead up to the anniversary of Sky’s passing. I’ve been a bit quiet online recently while we continue to reshape our lives around this loss and our ongoing struggles with fertility. I’ve also been doing the final proofread of my book Underwing: A Story of Motherhood, Loss and Wild Intuition, which has been a toughie and very triggering. But I wanted to share that this is a safe space for anyone who has experienced baby or child loss. I see you, and I’m sending you the biggest hug in the world.

Now is the time of year when our earthly plane meets the spirit realm, so it is an apt period to talk about loss and letting go. I’ll be laying out some soul cakes for my darling girl this Samhain – while I am moving forward with my world, I will always want to feel her spirit close.

If you are currently feeling the weight of any kind of loss in your life, I’d like to gently point you in the direction of my Substack posts:

Keeping magickal when your world implodes
4 (hard) lessons grief has taught me
Ancestral connection, Tarot & Circe’s Underground Gateway – on connecting with those who have passed at Samhain

Lots of love to you all xxx

Autumn witchcraft events 🍂

Samhain at Blackwell’s Oxford

Join and I next week at Blackwell’s Oxford, where we’ll be sharing all our knowledge on the Pagan festival of Samhain. Find out the history, lore and ways to celebrate the most important date in the witch’s calendar.

The event is very nearly sold, out so get your free ticket quickly! See you on Thursday 30th October, 5.30 pm.

Book your free space

Mind Body Spirit Festival

See you at Mind Body Spirit Festival at Birmingham NEC!

On Friday 14th November, 1-1.30 pm, Laura and I will be back on stage – but this time chatting Witchcraft For Wellbeing. Learn about spellwork, crafting and living alongside the Wheel of the Year. Don’t miss our practical happiness spell jar demonstration either!

Book your ticket

I can’t wait to see you at one of my magickal events this autumn!

6 signs and omens of Samhain

This is the point of the newsletter where I usually give you an exclusive spell or ritual. But this time around, I wanted to talk about “the signs.”

As witches, we are more attuned than most to the symbols of the world. In ages past, we would have been the first people that others would have turned to to interpret strange celestial goings on or suspicious calls in the undergrowth. In my upcoming book, Underwing, I’ve been delving deep into the lore of omens – especially signs of death and grief. In fact, this research has rather consumed my life, so that when I close my eyes, I see magpies, sigils and rowan berries dancing there.

When it comes to Samhain – in the dead of autumn – particular natural symbols and signs make an appearance: the bright leaves symbolising the beauty of renewal; the acorns showing that strength arises from the smallest of things. But there are the more sinister signs that we, as magickal folk, must be aware of.

I wanted to share some insights from my readings to help you arm yourself against autumn’s Samhain’s symbols

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Crows: “A crow flying about a house and cawing signifies a death to come, while to see one of the birds perched alone is an omen of bad luck” (Philippa Waring, A Dictionary of Omens and Superstitions, 1978).
Owls: When a single owl hoots close to the home, with no responding call from another owl, death will soon come to the house.
Cats: Be warned if you spot a black cat with a white spot on its chest. This might be the Scottish Cat Sith – a witch in the form of a cat, intent on stealing your soul. It is known to prowl at Samhain and is attracted to heat, so keep your windows and doors closed. It is custom to leave a saucer of milk outside for the Cat Sith to appease its appetite.
Moths: Said to guide the spirits of the dead into the underworld – they are symbols of transformation and rebirth. But also, if one is fluttering around your head, you may soon receive an important letter.
Weather: “Dead branches falling in calm weather indicate rain” (D. Bowen, Folklore Guide to the Weather, 1953). While “[i]f the fire do make a huzzing noise, it is a sign of tempests near at hand” (J. Brand, H. Ellis & WC Hazlitt, Brand’s Popular Antiquities of Great Britain, 1905).
Birds: If a bird flies into the house, bad luck will befall the family and someone will get ill very soon. Don’t forget to salt the boundaries…

But, thankfully, you can create magickal talismans to ward off the most potent of omens; you can also carry an Evil Eye or visualise a protective barrier of light around you. Write down any signs you see to work out if there is a pattern to be found, or to see how they relate to you personally right now.

Keep an eye out if you decide to walk at dusk on Samhain, and blessed be.