Samhain - aka Halloween - is our favourite time of year at The College of Psychic Studies. It's when the veil between worlds is at its most translucent, lending more potency and clarity to our psychic mediumship work. Indeed, those who have visited The College of Psychic Studies in October will know that we take Samhain, pronounced so-win, very seriously. The pumpkins are out in full force, our resident skeleton is enjoying her annual sojourn in the Library, and the admin team brings out their favourite spooky books for visitors to leaf through. From russet leaves on the mantelpiece to carved pumpkins in the hearth, the entire College building becomes a Samhain altar of sorts. Creating your own Samhain altar is a wonderful way to mark this special festival. Here, we list some of our favourite ingredients to add...
What is Samhain?
Samhain is an ancient Celtic festival that marks the end of the harvest season and the beginning of winter. It is the Celtic New Year, or the Witch's New Year. Celebrated from sunset on 31st October to sunset on 1st November, Samhain holds deep spiritual significance in kindred traditions such as Wicca. It represents a time when our ancestors are near, when the spirit world is a mere breath away. This festival embodies the themes of endings and new beginnings, darkness and light, death and rebirth, making it a powerful time for spiritual growth, transformation, and honouring the mysteries of life. Samhain is a time to connect with ancestors, reflect on cycles of life and death, and embrace the darker half of the year. These themes will define the mood of your Samhain altar. And this is an important aspect of it - your Samhain altar is uniquely yours, so celebrate your individual feelings towards this sacred time as you build it. With that in mind...
The main ingredients of a Samhain altar:
1. Location
Choose a quiet, sacred space for your altar. It could be a small table, shelf or any flat surface where you can arrange your items intentionally. We love building our Samhain around the fireplace in the College Library, but of course, it inevitably extends across the library shelves and into the College reception and shop.
2. Colours of Samhain
Samhain is associated with the rich colours of autumn and the underworld. Incorporate these colours in your Samhain altar through candles, cloths or decorations:
- Black: For death, the unknown and the subconscious
- Orange: For the harvest, fire and autumn leaves
- Red: For life, blood and transformation
- Purple: For mystery, spirit communication and magic
3. Candles
Candles are essential for our Samhain altar. They represent the fire of transformation, the step from darkness into light, and the guiding light for spirits. Choose your candles intentionally:
- Black candle: Represents the mysteries of the underworld
- Orange candle: For warmth, harvest and connection to life
- White candle: As a general representation of the divine and for protection
4. Photographs and mementos of ancestors
Samhain is a time to honour the dead. We can place photos or mementos of deceased loved ones on our Samhain altar. We can also add their favourite keepsakes or offerings in their memory, such as their favourite food, drink or flowers.
5. Seasonal decorations
Bring the energy of autumn and the harvest to your altar by decorating it with the bountiful produce of the season. We have been stocking up on pumpkins from South Kensingston's local greengrocer, and collecting beautiful autumn leaves from nearby Hyde Park:
- Pumpkins, gourds and apples: Representing the final harvest
- Autumn leaves, acorns and pinecones: To symbolise the change of seasons
- Grains and wheat: As symbols of abundance and the cycle of life
6. Crystals and stones
Use stones that resonate with Samhain's energy of transformation, protection and connection to the spirit world. London-based students, please do come to the College shop to stock up on these beauties (College members receive a 15% discount):
- Obsidian or black tourmaline: For protection and grounding
- Amethyst: To enhance spiritual communication and intuition
- Carnelian: For transformation and honouring the life force
7. Herbs and incense
Burn herbs or incense to invoke the energy of the season and invite protective or guiding spirits:
- Mugwort: To enhance psychic abilities and connect to the otherworld
- Sage or cedar: For purification and protection
- Cinnamon, cloves and rosemary: For warmth, remembrance and blessings
8. Symbols of death and the Otherworld
- Skulls, bones or skeleton representations: To acknowledge death as a part of life's cycle
- The cauldron: Symbolising transformation, rebirth and the womb of the goddess
- The pentacle: For protection and balance between the elements and spirit
9. Offerings
Prepare small offerings for your ancestors or spirit guides. We know how former president of The College of Psychic Studies, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, loved his cigars, and so we place a cigar on our Samhain altar to keep him close as a guiding light at the College. You could also add:
- Food and drink: Like bread, cakes, apples, wine or beer
- Coins or trinkets: As symbols of wealth, luck and goodwill
10. Divination tools
Since Samhain is a time when the veil between worlds is thin, it's the perfect time for divination. Bring out your tarot cards, runes or a scrying mirror and use them while sitting in contemplation at your Samhain altar.
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