The Spiritual Meaning of Halloween as “Samhain”
As the light of the year wanes and the veil between worlds grows thin, we arrive at a sacred threshold—Samhain, pronounced sow-in, meaning “summer’s end.” This ancient Celtic festival, celebrated on October 31st, is the deep origin of what we now know as Halloween, or All Hallows Eve, All Souls Night. Beyond the candy and costumes, this is a high holy day of the year to honor our ancestors and a time when the veil is thin.
Samhain is a portal. A liminal time that belongs to neither this world nor the next, neither past nor future. It is the sacred pause as we approach winter, being halfway between the Autumn Equinox and Winter Solstice in the Northern Hemisphere.
This is the Dark Half of the Year, and with it comes both descent and possibility. The light retreats, and night grows longer. Life slows. The trees release. The earth prepares to sleep. We, too, are called to rest, release, and remember.
A Time Between Worlds
In ancient Ireland, Samhain marked the end of the harvest and the beginning of winter. Cattle were brought down from summer pastures. Fires were lit on the hills to honor the turning of the season and to offer protection from spirits crossing through the veil.
This was a time of sacred communion with those who have passed.
It was believed that on Samhain night, the boundary between the living and the deceased thinned. Candles were lit in windows and on altars to guide the beloved ancestors home. Prayers and food were offered. Souls who had crossed the veil were remembered, honored, and sometimes even asked for guidance or favors. This was a time to listen deeply, to ask the ancestors: What wisdom do you bring? What blessings do you carry?
Ritual and Remembrance
In the Celtic lands, it was customary to light a candle for each departed relative. Names were spoken aloud, stories remembered, tears and laughter shared. This holy night was not only for mourning—it was for reunion. For reweaving the golden thread that connects us to those who walked before.
The Day of the Dead, or Día de los Muertos, celebrated in Mexico on November 1st and 2nd, holds a similar essence. With marigolds, incense, food, photographs, and joyous remembrance, families gather at altars and gravesides to celebrate the love for those who passed. The spirits are not feared—they are welcomed.
In both traditions, the energy is light-hearted yet reverent, as if saying: Yes, you are gone from sight—but never from heart. Come, sit with us. Be remembered.
The Crone, the Queen, the Wise Woman
In the mythic cycle of the Goddess, Samhain belongs to the archetype of the Queen and the Crone—the Keepers of Wisdom, and the Ones Who Know.
The Queen is one who knows her value and worth. She holds wisdom and power to be in service to her people. The Crone is the dreamer and the visionary. She is the one who sees in the dark. This is the season of the inner elder, the sacred mirror that asks:
What must die for me to truly live?
What truth is buried deep in the compost of my forgetting?
What seeds rest in the womb of winter, waiting for spring?
Samhain reminds us that rebirth begins in darkness. That all life, all vision, all transformation gestates in the unseen. Like seeds in the soil, dreams in the womb, or stars behind clouds—we must learn to trust what we cannot yet see.
Trick or Treat: The Night of Mischief
It is said that on Samhain night, faeries and ghosts walked among us, disguised in human form. In response, people began wearing masks and costumes for protection.
“Halloween was a night of mischief... bands of young people would go door to door begging for bread or money.
Since the people knocking at the door might be faeries or ghosts in disguise, the holiday was taken very seriously, and it was of utmost importance to give them something.
Pranks were played on persons generally held to be mean or unpleasant. This practice of "trick or treat" is still celebrated in much of the US. Many of the customs we have for Halloween today comes from ancient Pagan religions.” ~ Ruth Barrett
In the old days, refusing to give could incur the wrath of spirits—real or imagined.
The Veil Grows Thin: A Ritual Invitation
In our modern world, Samhain offers us a spiritual practice to connect to our roots.
You may wish to create your own Samhain altar, draped in black or deep crimson. Upon it, place:
A candle for each ancestor you wish to honor
Photographs, names, heirlooms, or symbolic objects
Seasonal offerings: apples, pomegranates, corn, marigolds
A journal for reflections, dreams, or messages received
Calling the Directions: A Sacred Container
To begin your Samhain ritual, call in the directions.
East — Spirit of Air: bring clarity, inspiration, and breath.
South — Spirit of Fire: burn away what no longer serves. Ignite courage.
West — Spirit of Water: soften the heart, open intuition, bridge the realms.
North — Spirit of Earth: ground us in our lineage, support, and truth.
Above — Source: remind us we are held in the Great Mystery.
Below — Earth Mother: connect us to the pulse of life, the womb of becoming.
Within — Sacred Heart: the still point of knowing that lives in each of us.
The Ancestor Journey
To deepen your ritual, enter into guided visioning.
See yourself approaching an ancient, sacred tree. Its roots spiral downward, glowing with ancestral light. Rest your back against the trunk. Let your breath slow. Let the roots pull you down.
Enter the realm where your ancestors dwell:
What hardships did you face?
What did sacrifice for me to have a better life?
What would you wish for me to remember?
Breathe and listen.
Then, become the ancestor.
Welcome in the future generations.
Ask:
What legacy do I wish to leave behind for them?
What kind of ancestor do I want to be?
How do I want to be remembered?
Bless those who came before. Bless those who are coming. Remember you are the bridge.
Reflection Questions
What are the names of my ancestors who came before me?
How can I honor the Queens and Crones in my life?
What is dying within me now, so something new may be born?
What guidance is rising from my own inner Wise One?
Let these questions rest into your consciousness. Don’t rush the answers.
The spiral moves slowly. Truth reveals itself with time.
Honoring the Ancestors
After your journey, you may like to:
Light a candle and speak the names of your ancestors aloud.
Offer food, water, or flowers on an altar.
Listen to music from the homelands of your ancestors.
Write a letter to one who has passed in the last year.
Sit in silence and simply feel their presence.
When we remember, we honor the lineage from where we have come from.
When your ritual is complete, thank the ancestors. Blow out your candles, whisper their names into the night.
Thank the elements, the directions, the unseen world.
Place your hands on your heart and say:
I walk with the wisdom of my lineage.
And so it is.
In its essence, Samhain is about grief and gratitude. It’s about choosing to remember. It’s about allowing the darkness to guide you.
This is the womb of the year. The season of rest. An invitation to sit in the inner cave of our consciousness, to see what wants to emerge in the Spring.
