Samhain blessings

Happy belated Samhain

I spent the day cleaning my living room and giving the summer altar a much needed clean and setting it ready for the dark nights, Autumn and Samhain. We lit the fire for the first time this year and remembered loved ones who are no longer with us, I got my knitting out for the first time too and knitted up a gorgeous headband but when I tried it on it didn't suit me at all, so it will be going up for sale in my Etsy shop soon.

We only had one trick or treater this year too which was a blessing as the dogs get really edgy when the door keeps going, I did some healing on my youngest son who is having a bad time lately, I did it in secret though when he was in bed because he doesn't like any of my 'fairy crap' as he calls it! (charming I'm sure) #keepingitreal

So what on earth is Samhain?

Samhain (*Note: Samhain is pronounced sowen, soween, saw-win, saw-vane or sahven, not sam-hayne)
Halloween, Winter Nights, All Hallows Eve - October 31st
Other names for Samhain include Samhuin, Samain, Saman, Oidhche Shamhna, Hallowe'en, Halloween, Hallows, Hallowtide, Shadow Fest, Allantide, Third Harvest, Harvest Home, Geimredh, Day of the Dead (Feile na Marbh), Feast of the Dead, Spirit Night, Candle Night, November Eve, Nutcrack Night, Ancestor Night and Apple Fest.
Christian names for it include All Hallows Eve (although some churches fix that as November 7), Hallows Eve, Santos, Devil Night and Mischief Night. It is also called Martinmas, but that is properly the name for the actual cross quarter day which occurs when the sun reaches its power point in Scorpio. Some church calendars fix November 11 as Martinmas.
Samhain (Summer's End) is one of our four Greater Sabbats, the highest holy day of witches. It is a cross quarter day, situated between Autumn Equinox and Winter Solstice. Samhain is a major festival with several aspects. It is new year's eve for witches, as well as our third and final harvest festival. Samhain inaugurates Winter, is the final chance to dry herbs for winter storage, and a night when fairies supposedly afoot working mischief. It is also the Day of the Dead for us as it was for the Celts, Egyptians and ancient Mexicans, the night when we remember our loved ones and honour our ancestors. We also celebrate reincarnation and note the absence the Sun (the god), who will be reborn at Winter Solstice as the Child of Promise. Astrologically, Samhain marks the rising of the Pleiades. 
Read the rest of this wonderful article on  The white goddess.co.uk

How did you celebrate?

Love Dotty x