Mysticism
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.
A Samhain Invitation From The Faeries
Fairies love fun and joyful games in the great outdoors, even during the darker seasons of the year. I am reminded of this every year at this time when the veil between the worlds thins during the mystical season of Samhain and Halloween.
If you’re currently experiencing a highly creative period or feeling called to get out into nature, even if it’s just to your garden before the weather gets too cold, there’s a good chance you’re also being invited to have some fun and free-spirited playtime with the fairies.
It is easiest for us to connect with the Faeries or Fae during the times of the year when the seasonal energy portals are open at the cross-quarter holidays of the Summer and Winter Solstices and the Spring and Fall Equinoxes.
These seasonal transitions are also traditionally celebrated in the ancient pagan festivals and religious holy days of Imbolc (St. Brigid’s Day) on February 1st, Ostara (Easter) on around March 21st, Beltane (St. Walburga’s Day) on May 1st, Litha (St. John’s Day) around June 20th or 21st, Lammas (Day of Bread) on August 1st, and Samhain (All Saints’ Day) on October 31st.
Traditionally celebrated as a time to honor our ancestors and reflect on the cycle of life and death, Samhain on October 31st marks the halfway point between the Autumnal Equinox and the Winter Solstice. It is a special time that invites us to step beyond the ordinary into the realm of magic and mysticism. The lingering echoes of autumn and the approaching winter in the Northern Hemisphere also foster a sense of introspection and connection to nature, making it an optimal time to commune with the ethereal elementals of nature.
Why You Should Be Dream Journaling
When my grandfather was alive, we had many deep conversations about spirituality and the afterlife. During a few of those conversations, he also promised me that if there was a way for him to contact me from the other side after he passed away, he would do so.
True to his word, he kept his promise. Our connection has remained strong ever since, and he continues to guide me from the other side.
It’s been well over two decades since his death, but I still have visitation dreams and mediumistic experiences in which he communicates with me. I feel incredibly blessed for these encounters, and they have confirmed much of what I’ve always believed about the afterlife and the spirit realm.
Grandpa was one of the few people with whom I could openly discuss my psychic abilities, mediumship, and paranormal experiences growing up. He was incredibly open-minded and spiritually aware for a man of his generation and background.
Not only was he a firm believer in the existence of the soul beyond this life, but he was curious about all things mystical and supernatural. I vividly remember him telling me about an out-of-body experience he had, describing how he had seen his own body from above as he “floated”.
One of the most valuable lessons my grandfather taught me was the spiritual significance of our dreams. He grew up at a time when dreams were losing their mystical significance in society as scientists began to increasingly view the dream state purely through a psychological, biological, and neurological lens.
The Psychic Technique Of Remote Viewing
Recently, Brazilian psychic Chaline Grazik made waves when she predicted a plane crash during an Instagram live broadcast on August 8, 2024. Grazik urged her followers to start praying after she had a vision of a falling plane with many people on board. Sadly, the very next day, a tragic plane crash near São Paulo claimed the lives of 62 people.
Psychic visionaries, or “seers,” have always piqued people’s curiosity. Known as clairvoyance, “psychic vision,” or “third eye seeing,” people with this psychic ability are able to see visual information about objects, people, places, or events in their mind’s eye without relying on the normal senses. It is a fascinating phenomenon that has woven its way through history and has had a significant influence on religion, metaphysics, spiritualism, and scientific research.
There are documented examples of psychic visions dating as far back as ancient times. One of the most famous is the Pythia or Oracle of Delphi in ancient Greece. She was known for her prophetic visions, including one given to King Croesus of Lydia in the 6th century BC. In a trance-induced vision, she foresaw him fatally cross a river. She then cryptically warned him, “If you cross the river, a great empire will be destroyed.” Croesus took this as a sign that he would triumph over Persia, but the prophetic vision ultimately meant the downfall of his own empire.
The Bible also has its share of references to psychic visions. For example, the prophet Isaiah described a vision of angelic beings surrounding God’s throne (Isaiah 6), while Peter had a vision of a sheet of animals descending from heaven (Acts 10), among many others.