The Pagan Heart
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September-October 2005 Issue
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Samhaine
By Catherine M.
The 6 month couterpart to Beltaine and the official start of winter's time, Samhain falls over the 24 hours from sunset on the 31 October to sunset on the 1 November. It is usually called the Celtic New Year and is viewed as the day between the end of the old year and the start of the new, and is a time of incredible power. The old saying 'a year and a day'? This is that day. A day outside time. In my perspective, every day has the potential to be that day. I should probably explain that I do not hold with the concept of Samhaine as the New Year. It doesn't fit into the evidence very well at all and I tend to believe it was a modern effort to make Paganism a bit different and give it its own special holy day. I think the Revivalists of the 1800 and 1900 were focused upon seperating Paganism in many ways from Christianity - with festivals such as the Winter Solstice and Vernal Equinox being overshadowed by Christian ones, I can see the lure of a sacred New Year distinct from the Christian one. Add that to the lack of emphasis on scholarly research and checking of primary sources and such these days and the belief in Samhaine as the New Year is understandable. Please note that I am not trying to denigrade the avergae Pagan here when I talk of a lack of emphasis. It is completely justified in thinking that the books on the shelf by respected Pagan authors contain researched and authentic material. That they will let you know when they digress from history into their own musings. After all, in every other faith the avergae believer reads one or two seminal texts (sometimes not even as an original but as an abridged annotated version at that) and for the rest relies on Masters in the faith to provide distilled material. they know the Masters devoted time and effort to researching and studying the material - and that if it's wrong, someone else will stand up and shout about it. In our faith the Masters themselves are not always researching their material. Think of how many respected authors talk of the Burning Times and the millions of dead witches - when we know maybe 100,000 people all up died - and probably none were in reality witches. And few (comparatively) were actually burnt. Salem certainly never burnt anyone. The Celtic New Year is another inaccuracy. There is no historical data that supports the idea of Samhaine as the New Year. None. No reference in any text. No archaeological proof. The Coligny Calendar does NOT refer to Samhaine as the start of the year. It refers to Summer as the start of the calendar whereas Samhaine refers to Summer's end. I have always believed that either the Winter Solstice, Vernal Equinox, or May Day make more sense as the end/start of the year. The sheer amount of sun imagery carved all over the Celtic world and the role of the sun in so much of the mythos tend to lend a lot of credence to the Winter Solstice and rebirth of sun if there was any celebration of "New Year" the way we think of it. It also supports the balance shifting heralded by the equinox, and May Day as the start of summer itself. So, how do I celebrate? I tend to celebrate my new year along with the Western World. Although technically according to the Coligny calendar I should be partying at the start of May (that being the start of the southern Hemisphere's summer half of the year), I usually run by midinter as the path I follow sees the year divided by the solstices, and I see the birth of the sun as heralding in the New Year. But I digress, so let's return to Samhaine, shall we? Samhaine is a pastoral festival held at the end of summer to assist the powers of growth and fertility, placate the dead, protect against the forces of evil, and to please the gods by various kinds of sacrifice. Traditionally a night-time festival, it starts at dusk (the beginning of the Celtic day), and is the most important and dramatic of the festivals. Samhaine marks the start of winter and the hardship to come--the celebrations are a magical way to ensure plenty will return. Lay out the food and feast, and through sympathetic magic, you draw such things to yourself in the future. The festivities included turnip carvings, apple bobbing, roasting nuts and baking Samhaine cakes, as well as the extinguishing of all fires except the Bael-fire. From that fire came the spark to rekindle the hearthfires at dawn. Three things are often commemorated during the festivaties - the Last Harvest, the New Year and the Feast of the Dead. Each of these is powerful in its own right. Together they form a triad of otherworldly power that anyone can tap into. The Last Harvest is not only of the year's crops, but also of the Sun King as the Winter King, God of Night, defeats him and takes his throne. Winter is crowned during the Last Harvest, sharing his strength with us all. Unlike his counterpart, his strength is of the night, of the dark hidden places, the fresh turned earth of a grave and the icy grey of predawn in midwinter. These un-spoken things of power are necessary to balance life and should be accepted, venerated and used appropriately. For me, the New Year is not so much a physical occurance (as my previous comments may have indicated) as a spiritual one. I chose to use Samhaine as a marker for my development in the pursuit of my faith. I take stock of my progress and my failure. I make choices and resolutions about my future path. I grieve the changes and celebrate the growth. I think the Winter King's time is ideal for such introspection. Summer is a time to live physically. Winter is a time for dormancy and pondering. Without Winter's rule, the earth would not slumber and rest in time for spring. This is the time of dormancy, of harbouring our strength and letting it grow, not a time to shine. It is also the time of the dark side - be careful as the Winter King can sink into your heart and chill you from the inside out. Do not put aside your summer to live in winter evermore. Finally the Feast - held in memory of our ancestors and family at one of the few times the souls of the dead can easily return to visit their homes and family. Samhaine has a long reputation as a Day of the Dead - the veil between this and the Other World has thinned, allowing crossing over in both directions. And increasing the psychic abilities of all. Death is an essential aspect to life - since one comes from the other as the wheel turns. It is also important to remind ourselves of life as with the passage into winter, it would be too easy to slip into the winter blues. And this is the flipside of the Samhaine festivities. Dress-up and party. It is worth keep the cross-quarter date in mind as an alternative for celebrating Samhaine - especially if you want to take your kids trick or treating on Halloween and also have a ritual! The actual cross-quarter date is east to determine - it is the mid-point between the Autumnal Equinox and the Winter Solstice. As Pagans, Samhaine represents the time when we face the uncertainty and reality of Death - transition, change, cessation. Remind yourself of the place such things hold within Nature - they are a part of the cycle of life and the counterbalance to many things. They are not to be feared, but reverenced as important steps in our evolution. Samhaine brings change, and it is a time to reflect on our spiritual beliefs, our sense of self, our values. Take a close look at the past year and determine how you progressed spiritually. Did your belief system support and challenge you? Did it encourage you to explore? To study? To listen to others? To forge your own path? Do you feel that you are comfortable within your moral and ethical skin? If you find the answer to any of these questions is "no", then there is something lacking in how you are living your spiritual life, and you need to determine what that is and resolve it. Samhaine Blessing Night's darkest hour brings forth winter's chill -
The earth which lies beneath your feet
You hear the silence in the wind
The rain that falls so soft tonight leaves you free
Watch closely as this night passes into day.
By Catherine M.
Some Samhaine Links of Interest: All Hallow's Eve
And an interesting Christian one:
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Secondary Article - Festival of Willows in honour of Astarte
Secondary Article - The Meditrinalia
Secondary Article - Holy Day: Samhaine
Return to the Index of articles for Seasonal Festivals