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It's that time of year! Let's learn how to celebrate Samhain! We celebrate Wiccan sabbats, or holidays, on eight occasions throughout the year. Samhain is a sabbat falling within the month of October. It marks the last harvest for the year, and is known as the Witches' New Year. There are so many ways to celebrate Samhain! Honor the year's last harvest with apples, gourds, nutmeg, and candles on your altar. Take advantage of the thinned veil with the spirit world with necromancy and divination. Honor ancestors with cemetery rituals or an ancestor altar. In this article we will explain more in depth about the Wiccan sabbats, in particular the sabbat of Samhain. We'll discuss what it is and how to celebrate Samhain! Wheel of the Year Each sabbat represents a spoke in the Wheel of the Year which is the Wiccan yearly cycle. Both the Wheel of the Year and its sabbats are rooted in storied pagan traditions. Each sabbat falls on a seasonal marker based on the positions of the moon and sun. To talk about the passing of time, Wiccans refer to the turning of the Wheel. The occurrence of sabbats, and the turning of the wheel, are used to stay in tune with the Earth’s natural rhythms. They allow us to reflect on the cycle of life, and express gratitude to the God and Goddess. The eight sabbats are Samhain, Yule, Imbolc, Ostara, Beltane, Litha, Lammas, and Mabon. Celebrating Sabbats You can easily participate in these storied holidays and become at one with the Earth. Sabbats can certainly be celebrated alone, especially if you are a solitary practitioner. There are many rituals which can be done by yourself, introspection you can perform, and ways you can adorn your altar at home. Sabbats can also be celebrated as a group. This can your coven or with fellow witches. However it can also be celebrated with friends and family who are not Wiccan. For example, if you'd like to celebrate the harvest by feasting and showing gratitude, what better way to do that then to assemble some close friends and family! Even non-Wiccans like to feast regardless of the reason! So for those solitaries whose family doesn't know that they're Wiccan, this is a great way to avoid celebrating alone. How to Celebrate Samhain Samhain is a sabbat that is the third and last harvest festival on the Wheel of the Year and is often the biggest celebration for Wiccans as it is the Witches New Year. It falls around October 31. During this time of the year, the border between our world and the spirit world is porous and thin. Spirits can easily cross over so we can reach out to them for communication, guidance, and closure. The God has died so we prepare for long, cold nights as we await his rebirth at Yule. There are many ways to celebrate Samhain! Necromancy Perform necromancy magick to communicate with deceased loved ones. Hold candle ceremonies or seances to welcome deceased loved ones into your home. Connect With The Spirit World Reach to the spirit world for guidance and foretelling at this time of a thin veil. Perform divination with Tarot cards, mirrors, tea leaves, or any tools you like. Remember Ancestors Remember your ancestors and paying respect to the dead. You can hold cemetery rituals or create an ancestor altar. You can also hold dining rituals to remember departed loved ones.This can be a silent dinner at your home. You can even set table places to share a meal with them. Honor The Cycle of Death and Rebirth Just as the Wheel of the Year turns, death isn't the end of the path. The universe is full of rebirth and new beginnings. Perform ceremonies which celebrate that for every death, there is a new birth elsewhere. Celebrate the Last Harvest Samhain represents the last harvest of the year, so give thanks for this year's bounty and mark the close of the harvest season. Decorate Your Altar Decorate your altar with gourds, apples, candles, nutmeg, and dark-colored stones. Samhain Correspondences Color Correspondences BlackOrangePurple Herbal Correspondences GourdGarlicAppleAllspiceBeechWitch hazelCornCatnipMugwort Crystal Correspondences ObsidianOnyx Deity Correspondences HecateHelKaliLokiHades & PlutoThe DagdaDurgaRhiannon Animal Correspondences BatCatSpiderWolfOwl Magick Correspondences Divination and foretellingVisions and lucid dreamingConnecting with the spirit worldNecromancyDeath magickHonoring ancestors Conclusion I hope this has given you a good background on Wiccan sabbats, the sabbat of Samhain, what it means, and how to celebrate it! Click below to get more helpful information about other Wiccan sabbats. And for a wider overview of Wiccan sabbats, visit our comprehensive guide to the Wheel of the Year. ← Mabon Yule →