It’s Samhain again. Only this time it’s astrological Samhain, the calculation of which is based on things like the Pleiades and calendars. I can’t quite get my head round it all, due to all the Other Life happening today, so if you want to know more, that’s up to you, feller.
Given I’d performed quite a lot of Samhain traditions on Halloween (the first day of Samhain), I found it quite tricky finding something new to do. I also needed something quick (see Other Life above). Then I found a candle custom. A big part of Samhain is that it’s a festival of the Dead, and candles are lit to help guide the Dead on their way.
So I set my Carrie Fisher votive on the kitchen windowsill, lit it, and said the following:
O little flame that burns so bright, be a beacon on this night. Light the path for all the dead, that they may see now what’s ahead. And lead them to the Summerland and shine until Pan takes their hands. And with Your light, please bring them peace, that they may rest and sleep with ease.
www.gaia.com
I felt surprisingly emotional, but then it’s been an emotional day. What with the bumblebee yesterday and the TV adaptation of His Dark Materials starting back up tomorrow, this weekend will have been a coincidental hat trick of soul related folklore, so to speak.
On another note, tonight would have been my fifth night in a row counting stars (yes, still doing that, no haven’t managed to get to seven yet), but the sodding clouds descended. November is supposed to be known for its clear skies. Hmm.
Resources
Cooper, Q. and Sullivan, P. (1994) Maypoles, Martyrs & Mayhem: 366 Days of British Myths, Customs & Eccentricities, London, Bloomsbury Publishing Plc
https://www.gaia.com/article/modern-paganism-13-rituals-celebrate-samhain
