WHAT IS SAMHAIN AND HOW TO CELEBRATE IT AS A WITCH
SAMHAIN IS FOR EVERYONE, WITCH OR NOT!
So, what is Samhain anyway?
If you're new to witchcraft, you've probably seen Samhain, pronounced SOW-in, not Sam-Hane, (I’m looking at you Sam Winchester…) popping up all over your social media feeds come October. Maybe you're wondering if it's just Halloween with extra steps, or if you need to go buy a bunch of expensive stuff to celebrate "properly." Nah.
Let me save you some time and anxiety: Samhain is whatever you make it. And no, you don't need to drop a bunch of money to celebrate it meaningfully.
Let's break down what Samhain actually is and how you can celebrate it in a way that feels authentic to you, not like you're performing for witchstagram.
WHAT IS SAMHAIN?
Samhain is one of the eight sabbats on the Wheel of the Year. It falls on October 31st (the same day as Halloween) and marks the end of the harvest season and the beginning of winter—or as some call it, the dark half of the year.
It's often referred to as the Witch's New Year because it represents endings and new beginnings. The old year dies, the new year is born. Very poetic, very witchy.
But here's the really cool part: Samhain is when the veil between our world and the spirit world is at its thinnest.
This makes it the perfect time for:
Connecting with ancestors and loved ones who have passed
Divination and psychic work
Shadow work and deep reflection
Honoring the cycle of life, death, and rebirth
Banishing what no longer serves you
In ancient Celtic tradition, Samhain marked the time when the livestock were brought in from pasture, the final harvest was gathered, and people prepared for the long, dark winter ahead. Bonfires were lit, feasts were held, and offerings were left out for the spirits of the dead.
Today, we get to decide what Samhain means for our practice.
YOU DON’T NEED ANYONE’S PERMISSION TO CELEBRATE SAMHAIN HOW YOU WANT TO
Here's something I wish someone had told me when I was new to this: You don't need to be initiated into anything to celebrate the sabbats.
You don't need to be part of a coven. You don't need fancy tools. You don't need to follow someone else's ritual script.
If you feel called to honor Samhain, that's enough. Your practice is your own.
HOW TO CELEBRATE SAMHAIN WITHOUT THE OVERWHELM
I'm going to give you some ideas, and I want you to pick the ones that resonate with you. You don't have to do all of them. Hell, you don't have to do any of them if they don't feel right.
The goal is to connect with the energy of the season in a way that feels meaningful to you.
BRING OUT YOUR DEAD…
SAMHAIN IS THE PERFECT TIME FOR ANCESTOR WORK
Honor your ancestors. This is probably the most common Samhain practice, and for good reason. With the veil thin, it's easier to connect with those who've passed.
Simple ways to do this:
Set up a small ancestor altar with photos, mementos, or items that remind you of loved ones who've passed
Light a candle in their honor
Leave out their favorite food or drink as an offering
Speak to them out loud or in your mind. Tell them you remember them
Write them a letter and burn it, releasing your words to the spirit world
You don't need a fancy setup. A single candle and a photo on your dresser counts. Your ancestors don't care about your aesthetic—they care that you remembered them.
DO SOME DIVINATION
With the veil thin, divination tends to be extra potent around Samhain. This is the perfect time to pull out your tarot cards, runes, pendulum, or whatever tool you use.
Questions to ask:
What do I need to release as I enter the dark half of the year?
What lessons from the past year do I need to integrate?
What energy should I carry into the new year?
Is there a message from my ancestors or spirit guides?
If you don't have divination tools, that's fine. Try scrying with a bowl of water, paying attention to your dreams, or just sitting quietly and seeing what messages come through.
If you want to enhance your divination work, you can anoint your third eye or your tools with an oil made for Samhain. Mugwort and Bay Laurel are excellent herbs for opening psychic abilities and prophetic visions. (I make a Samhain Oil specifically for this kind of work if you're not into making your own.)
REFLECT AND SO SHADOW WORK
Samhain is all about death and rebirth, which makes it prime time for shadow work—looking at the parts of yourself you usually avoid.
Shadow work prompts for Samhain:
What patterns or behaviors am I ready to let die?
What am I afraid to look at about myself?
What have I been avoiding that needs my attention?
How have I grown this year, even through difficult times?
This doesn't have to be intense therapy-level work. Even just journaling about what you want to release can be powerful.
Light a black candle, sit with your journal, and let yourself be honest. The dark half of the year is for going inward.
FEAST AND CELEBRATE
The ancient Celts knew how to party, and so should you. Samhain was a time of feasting before the lean winter months.
Ways to feast:
Cook a meal using seasonal ingredients (apples, pumpkin, root vegetables, warm spices)
Bake bread or treats and leave some outside as an offering
Drink warm cider or mulled wine
Share a meal with friends or family, living or dead
If you're setting a place at the table for your ancestors (a traditional practice called a Dumb Supper), you don't have to make it weird. Just set an extra plate, put some food on it, and acknowledge those who aren't physically present.
BONFIRE OR CANDLE MAGIC
Fire is a huge part of Samhain tradition. In ancient times, people would light bonfires to guide spirits and offer protection through the dark season.
Your modern version:
Light a bonfire if you can (safely and legally)
Or just light candles—black for banishing, orange for honoring the season, white for ancestors
Write down what you want to release on paper and burn it
Gaze into the flames and meditate on transformation
Fire is transformative. It takes what was and turns it into something else entirely. Very Samhain.
PROTECTION MAGIC
With the veil thin, it's not just your beloved ancestors who can slip through. It's smart to do some protection work around Samhain.
Simple protection:
Sweep your doorstep and sprinkle salt across the threshold
Hang protective herbs like Mugwort or Bay Laurel above your door
Burn protective herbs like Yarrow or Bay Laurel as incense
Anoint yourself or your doors with protective oil
You're not trying to keep all spirits out—you're just setting a boundary that only those with good intentions are welcome.
TAKE A RITUAL BATH
Sometimes the most powerful magic is also the simplest. A ritual bath can cleanse you of the old year's energy and prepare you for the new.
Add to your bath:
Mugwort for psychic opening and protection
Lavender for purification and peace
Rose petals for honoring the cycle of life and death
Sea salt for cleansing
Black candles around the tub
Soak, reflect, and visualize the water washing away what no longer serves you.
WHAT YOU DON’T NEED TO DO
Let's talk about what you can skip:
You don't need to:
Perform an elaborate ritual with a million steps
Buy expensive tools or ingredients
Follow someone else's tradition exactly
Post about it on social media
Make it perfect
Samhain isn't about performance. It's about connection—to your ancestors, to the cycles of nature, to yourself, and to the mysteries beyond the veil.
MY SAMHAIN IS PROBABLY DIFFERENT THAN YOURS
Here's how I typically celebrate: I carve pumpkins and eat a shit ton of candy corn. Maybe pull some cards and use some of my oils. That’s it. I’m a lazy witch sometimes. Not gonna lie.
And that's enough.
Your Samhain practice should reflect who you are and what you need, not what looks good in a photo or what some book told you to do.
USING OILS AND HERBS FOR SAMHAIN
If you're into using herbs and oils in your practice (and you don't have to be), Samhain is a great time to work with herbs that open psychic abilities and offer protection.
Key herbs for Samhain:
Mugwort - The witch's best friend for psychic work and protection
Yarrow - For divination and warding off negative energy
Bay Laurel - For prophetic visions and success in spirit work
Rose - For honoring the dead with love and respect
Calendula - Traditional flower for Day of the Dead and ancestor work
You can burn these as incense, add them to baths, or infuse them into oils to anoint yourself and your tools.
We make a Samhain Oil with Mugwort, Bay Laurel, and protective crystals specifically for this work if you want something ready to go. But you can also just grab some Mugwort from an herb shop and steep it in olive oil for a few weeks. Your kitchen herbs have just as much power as anything you can buy.
THE BOTTOM LINE
Samhain is about honoring endings and beginnings, connecting with those who came before us, and preparing for the introspective work of winter.
You can make it as simple or as elaborate as you want. The most important thing is that it means something to you.
So light a candle for your ancestors (you can even put that candle in a pumpkin!). Pull a tarot card. Eat some seasonal food (candy corn). Reflect on the year behind you and the year ahead.
That's Samhain. That's enough.
The spirits don't care if you used the "right" herbs or said the "right" words. They care that you showed up and honored the season in your own way.
Find your magick, witches. May the veil be thin and the magic be strong.
