Samhain is a festival of the Dead, meaning “Summer’s End”. Its a time-honored tradition followed by modern pagans across the world.

Tradition holds that Samhain is a celebration of the end of the harvest and the start of the coldest half of the year, and with this transition, it’s also celebrated as the beginning of the spiritual new year for practitioners, which is also why it’s nicknamed “The Witches’ New Year.”

Samhain reaches for deeper themes – tying in with Nature’s rhythms. In many places, Samhain coincides with the end of the growing season. Vegetation dies back by killing frosts, and therefore, literally, death is in the air.

The ancient notion that at Samhain, the veil is thin between the world of the living and the realm of the Dead and this facilitates contact and communication. For those who have lost loved ones in the past year, Samhain rituals can be an opportunity to bring closure to grieving and to further adjust to their being in the Otherworld by spiritually communing with them. And it’s also a way to appreciate the cycles of our lives.

We’ll celebrate together by doing a community art project, enjoying food and drink (mulled wine & cider)in company and acknowledging the spiritual and sacredness of the day. (We are celebrating a day early in order to allow parents to be with their families on October 31st)

Your hosts:

Lynanne Politte & Tina Shattuck