The Threshold Between Worlds Continued: Samhain And Halloween
As mid-October settles in, we begin to step into one of the most mystical thresholds of the year: Samhain and Halloween. Though celebrated differently today, these twin festivals share the same roots—marking a time when the veil between the living and the spirit world grows thin.
The Ancient Festival Of Samhain
For the Celtic, Samhain (pronounced sow-in) was the New Year and one of the most sacred festivals in the Wheel of the Year. It marked the end of the harvest and the beginning of the dark half of the year. Herds were brought in from the pastures, the last crops gathered, and massive bonfires were lit on hilltops to offer protection and guidance.
This was a night of deep mystery, when the boundary between the worlds dissolved. Ancestors could return to visit loved ones, and spirits—both kind and mischievous—moved more freely. Families welcomed their departed with a place at the table, food offerings, and candles to guide their way home. Yet, to ward off trickster spirits, people also wore disguises and carried protective charms.
The Evolution Into Halloween
With the spread of Christianity, Samhain’s rituals blended with All Hallows’ Eve, the vigil before All Saints’ Day (November 1) and All Souls’ Day (November 2). Over centuries, these sacred practices transformed into community traditions that carried echoes of the old ways.
- Costumes and Masks: What began as disguises to confuse wandering spirits became the costumes children wear today.
- Trick-or-Treating: Rooted in the custom of “souling,” where the poor went door to door offering prayers for the dead in exchange for food, this practice evolved into children receiving sweets and treats.
- Jack-o’-Lanterns: Originally carved from turnips in Ireland and Scotland, lanterns were placed in windows to ward off malevolent spirits. When immigrants brought the tradition to America, the pumpkin—with its wide surface and autumn abundance—became the perfect canvas.
By the 19th and 20th centuries, Halloween had blossomed into a secular celebration of costumes, community gatherings, games, and storytelling, while still retaining its eerie, mystical atmosphere.
Halloween’s Folklore And Magic
Despite its playful modern form, Halloween has never lost its aura of mystery. Ghost stories, haunted houses, and tales of witches echo the older belief that unseen forces stir at this time of year. Apples were once used for divination games like bobbing or peeling to reveal future lovers. Candles in windows still signal remembrance, even when surrounded by candy bowls and cobweb decorations.
Halloween is both festive and liminal—a night when laughter, fear, and wonder mingle together. It is one of the rare times when the collective imagination opens to the unseen, even if only in jest.
The Spiritual Heart Of Samhain
For those who walk a spiritual path, Samhain remains the Witches’ New Year. It is a night of reflection, honoring ancestors, and releasing what no longer serves.
Many Practice:
- Ancestor veneration—setting up altars with photos, heirlooms, and offerings.
- Divination—seeking guidance for the year ahead with tarot, runes, or scrying.
- Shadow work—facing fears, grief, and inner truths as part of spiritual transformation.
Samhain teaches that death is not an ending but a passage. Just as the earth lies fallow in winter to prepare for spring’s rebirth, so too do our endings carry the seeds of renewal.
Two Faces Of The Same Threshold
Together, Samhain and Halloween reveal two faces of the same threshold: one sacred and reverent, the other playful and communal. Both honor the mystery of the unseen, whether by lighting candles for ancestors or donning costumes and sharing candy.
This season reminds us that we are always moving between worlds—between endings and beginnings, memory and imagination, shadow and light.
So as the nights grow longer, light your candles, carve your pumpkins, and welcome both the wisdom of your ancestors and the joy of a Halloween night. For in these moments of crossing, we glimpse the truth: we are spirits walking for a time in flesh, and every threshold carries magic.
Closing Reflections
Samhain and Halloween remind us that life is cyclical—that endings are never truly the end but a doorway into what comes next. Whether we honor this season with solemn rituals for our ancestors or with laughter, costumes, and pumpkins on our porches, we are participating in an ancient rhythm.
At its heart, this time of year invites us to pause, remember, and release. We remember those who walked before us, we release the weight we no longer need to carry, and we step forward into the mystery of what is to come.
As you light your candles or carve your pumpkins this season, may you feel both the sacred stillness of Samhain and the joyful spark of Halloween. Both hold truth, both hold magic, and both remind us that between shadow and flame, mystery and merriment, we are never alone.
By Candlelight,
HN Staples
