City Magick: Urban Rituals, Spells and Shamanism - Christopher Penczak 2001

Samhain
As the World Turns

Samhain, usually pronounced “Sow-en,” is my favorite of all the holidays. When I got involved in witchcraft, it was the first holiday I celebrated. This time of year, coinciding with the more modern celebration of Halloween, which is rooted in Samhain traditions, has always been very magical to me.

Samhain is the celebration of the Celtic New Year. On this day, October 31, the Sun is in the astrological sign of Scorpio, a sign of regeneration, power, and the occult. Here, the third and final harvest, the meat harvest, is traditionally celebrated. The first animals are slaughtered, salted or smoked, and preserved for the coming winter. Because of this slaughtering of livestock, Samhain is associated with the land of the dead. The veil between the worlds is said to be thinnest on this day. Stories of the dead walking the earth were the origin of our Halloween ghosts and goblins running wild. Originally ancestors were revered on this day, as they still are by many people across the world. On Samhain, the god was in the underworld, regenerating from his summer death, and, in many myths, the goddess descends into the underworld, as marked by the slumber of Earth, to join him.

A city celebration of Samhain can best be done by combining the old traditions with the new. Now, young children walk the streets in costume, “trick-or-treating” for candy. Originally, these costumes were to scare away the misplaced ghosts for the evening. Now we celebrate cartoon characters and movie stars with our costumes. A Samhain sidewalking adventure, when the veils between worlds are thinnest, can be quite a celebration.

Materials Needed: Your altar, mementos from deceased relatives, your magical city map

Start the celebration at your home altar, at twilight. Upon your altar, place anything you have as mementos from people in your past. Traditionally, these are from deceased relatives with whom you seek to reconnect, but they can be famous personalities you wish to contact, people whose lives resonate with you, like musicians or actors. Place items associated with them on the altar. Some leave out food for the deceased, on the altar or on a windowsill.

Say a blessing for these people, asking them to be with you tonight. Now is a time to say things that were never said. If someone passed on with whom you were not on good terms, say what you need to say to make peace, for both of you. Forgive and let go.

Do Exercise 3 and 4 to prepare yourself for your sidewalking jaunt (see pages 25 and 27).

Do a sidewalking adventure through the city, as outlined in Exercise 9 (see page 79), before, during, or after the “trick-or-treaters.” Be particularly open to information and psychic senses, but also be very careful. This night is wonderfully magical, but often brings imbalance to others.

When you return home, take out your map and trace a sigil of your evening’s walk. If you have any spell work to do that night, particularly for spells making peace with the past, releasing old wounds, or saying good-bye to the deceased, do it, and perhaps use the sigil as your vehicle. Or this sigil street tracing can simply be burned on your altar as part of your celebration.

Thank all the powers who have joined you in this celebration.