samhain
A Cuddly Message From Grandma At Halloween
All of us have lost, or will in time lose someone very dear to us. Like it or not, all of us also have to ponder the concept of life after death at some point in our life. Some of us have very strong beliefs on the subject, one way or the other. We either believe in the afterlife, or we do not.
For me the answer is simple and easy. I strongly believe, because of both my personal and professional experiences. For example, I have been visited many times by my grandparents, and I have communicated with many loved ones in spirit in my daily work, when I do readings for my clients.
My grandma often communicates with me in the dream state. She tends to show up when I least expect it, usually to give me a guiding message or to warn me about something. She always has been a worrier, in this life and the next! Right up to the very day she departed this life, she was telling us what to do to keep safe, and she was always giving us good advice. She is very wise.
I was asking her just the other day to give me a sign that she was around, and sure enough, she did. But this time she did not show up in a dream. She spoke to me…through a teddy bear! Yes, indeed.
It is one of those plush toys that makes a cute kissing sound and says, “I love you very much,” when you squeeze it. I was in the tub and this little teddy bear was right next to me, on top of a shelf. After drawing the bath, I was leaning back in the soothing, warm water, letting out a sigh of relief that a long day was over. Next thing you know, this teddy bear goes off on its own, making the kissing sounds and saying I love you, over and over. I knew right away that it was grandma making contact.
The History And Hidden Blessings Of Halloween
As a child, I remember getting excited about dressing up as a witch on Halloween and enjoying all the treats, like toffee apples and spooky cakes, that my mom used to make.
But one year, my father ruined the holiday for me when he explained his views on the significance of Halloween to me. I was just 10 years old, and it upset me.
Because of his religious beliefs, my father then forbade my siblings and me from celebrating Halloween. This made us feel excluded from our community as we watched other children dress up and enjoy themselves.
As an adult, I learned that it was not the event itself that was the issue, but rather the assumed F.E.A.R. behind it: False Evidence Appearing Real.
Remembering those times recently, I was prompted to take another look into the origin of this holiday tradition and what it truly stands for.
On 31st October each year, the Celtic pagan festival known as Samhain is celebrated, symbolizing the end of the harvest period and the start of the winter season, sometimes referred to as the “darker half” of the annual 12-month cycle.
Long before it became a night of costumes and candy, it was a sacred festival rooted in ancient spiritual tradition. The celebration we now know as Halloween traces its origins to Samhain (pronounced Sow-in), a Gaelic festival that marked the end of the harvest and the beginning of the dark half of the year.
Embracing The Dark Season With Isa And Jera
This time of year, when the air first sharpens and the trees begin to release their golden leaves, I feel a familiar stirring in my heart and soul.
Early fall has always been more than just a change of weather to me. It is a threshold, a sacred gateway that leads us from the brightness of summer into the deeper mystical wisdom of the dark season.
There’s a particular magic in this in-between time of the year…where light and shadow meet, and the veil between worlds begins to thin.
Fall is not merely an ending; it is an invitation inward. It asks us to reflect, to release, and to realign with the deeper currents that move through all things. Just as the trees surrender their leaves, we too are asked to let go of bad habits, limiting beliefs, or self-imposed burdens that no longer serve our highest path.
Our ancestors knew this well. They did not simply mark their calendars this time of year…to cover the pool or reorganize their closets, like we do. Instead, they were in deep sync with the rhythmic cycles of the year.
In the North, they honored the harvest with gratitude, they stored up sustenance for the long winter months ahead…and they carefully consulted the runes. The runes were for them living messages from the gods that spoke of fate, nature, and the mysteries of life.
As an spiritual advisor who works with the runes, I often remind my clients that these symbols are not relics of the past. They are very much alive, pulsing with energy, ready to guide us if we open ourselves to their voices.
Embrace The Transformative Power Of October
October is one of the most transformative months for anyone who works with intuition, energy, or spiritual guidance. As the leaves fall and the air begins to cool, the spiritual atmosphere seems to ‘heat up.’
This is the season of shadow and light coexisting, where transformation becomes not just possible, but necessary.
Nature herself models this beautifully. Trees release what no longer serves them without resistance. The days grow shorter, urging us inward. And the whispers from the other side grow louder, inviting us to deepen our trust in the unseen.
The veil between the physical and spiritual worlds is said to be thinner this time of year, making it easier to receive messages, notice synchronicities, and tap into your own inner knowing.
October is an invitation to slow down, listen deeply, and share our wisdom with others who may be feeling the energetic shifts.
This belief is not new. Across many cultures, October has long been seen as a threshold month. It is considered a liminal time when the unseen draws closer to the seen.
In Celtic and Pagan traditions, the end of October mark Samhain, the great harvest festival and the turning of the year. It is known as a sacred doorway between worlds, when the living can more easily connect with ancestors and the spirit realm. Fires are lit to honor the departed, and divination rituals practiced to glimpse what lay ahead.
A Mystic’s Guide To The Final Months Of 2025
As we move into the final months of 2025, the energy around us feels less like things are quietly wrapping up and more like they are building toward a big, undeniable turning point.
This is not just the year slowly running out of days. It is a season where the universe seems to be leaning in close, asking us to pay attention. There is a sense that something important is in motion, even if we cannot see all the pieces yet.
These last months carry a certain electricity in the air, a quiet pressure that says, “Something is shifting. Are you ready?” But it’s not about pushing harder or doing more. It is about listening more deeply, trusting more fully, and allowing the old ways to loosen their grip so we can step into what is next.
We are in a threshold season: that sacred in-between space where the old patterns no longer fit, but the new has not fully taken form. It can feel strange, even uncomfortable, like standing in a doorway, grasping one handle while peeking into another room, not quite ready to let go, yet knowing you cannot stay where you are.
You might notice a pull to slow down, choose your time and energy more wisely, or step back from noise and distraction. This is not you being unproductive; it is your inner compass reorienting. Your soul knows when it is time to listen within. Sometimes it whispers through restlessness, sometimes through a craving for solitude, sometimes through sudden clarity about what no longer feels right.
Honor Your Pagan Heritage This Halloween
Samhain holds special significance for those who practiced paganism in a past life, especially those who were involved in magical practices as seers, soothsayers, druids, and witches.
For us, this time of year evokes a deep sense of nostalgia, spiritual reorientation, and a return to ancient wisdom as the veil between worlds thins and we reconnect with our ancestors and the spirit realms.
Samhain is an ancient Celtic festival marking the end of the harvest season and the beginning of winter, traditionally celebrated from October 31 to November 1. It is one of the four great Gaelic seasonal festivals, along with Imbolc (February 1), Beltane (May 1), and Lughnasadh (August 1).
In Celtic tradition, Samhain (pronounced “sow-in”) is a liminal time when the boundary between the physical and spiritual worlds is thinner, allowing the spirits of our deceased loved ones, ancestors, and other spirits to cross over more easily.
In ancient times people would light fires and wear costumes to ward off harmful spirits, while also honoring their ancestors with offerings of food and drink.
Samhain is considered the origin of modern Halloween traditions, although Halloween has evolved and incorporated elements from other cultures to become a mostly secular and commercial holiday. For Neopagans and Wiccans, Samhain remains an important festival for honoring the dead, celebrating the cycle of life, death, and rebirth, and connecting more deeply with the spirit realm.
Samhain Ritual For Personal Tranformation
One of the most mystical and energetically powerful times in the metaphysical calendar is upon us again tomorrow. Samhain, also known as the Celtic New Year, is a sacred festival celebrated on October 31st.
Samhain traditionally marks the end of the harvest season and the beginning of the winter. It is a time to honor our ancestors, reflect on the thinning veil between the physical and spirit realms, and set intentions for the new annual cycle ahead.
Samhain holds special significance for those who are attuned to the cycles of nature and the spirit world. Traditionally, the boundaries between the physical and spirit realms were believed to be at their thinnest on this night.
The Celts and Norse in particular saw it as a time when communication with ancestors, departed loved ones and the gods was most possible, providing guidance for the future. For the Vikings and other northern European cultures, Samhain was also a time for divination. Runes, symbols of cosmic wisdom, were often used to gain insight into the coming year.
This year, Samhain carries a particularly powerful energy as it coincides with the Waning Crescent Moon’s transition from Libra to Scorpio. This last lunar phase before renewal invites us to release what no longer serves us, and its journey from the balanced, harmonious energy of Libra into the intense, transformative depths of Scorpio will amplify this process.
Libra’s influence encourages reflection on relationships, inner balance, and the need for harmony, while Scorpio’s energy propels us toward deeper introspection, emotional transformation, and embracing the mysteries of life, death, and rebirth.