Halloween is an Important Wiccan Holiday

Halloween is a very important Wiccan Holiday and is best known in the World of paganism by the Celtic name of Samhain. It is also the most misunderstood. In Wicca - All Hallows Eve is not about ghoulish costumes, green-faced witches, devils, or Freddy Krueger masks … it is a religious nature themed holiday.

The origins of many Halloween traditions that we use today come from the ancient pagan beliefs and traditions. Carving a Jack-o-Lantern for instance was done to be “scary”…. intending to frighten off negative spirit energy. Halloween costumes originated from pagan folk too. The ancients dressed in a costume to reflect the goals they had for the next year. One might dress as a Princess for wealth, or perhaps as a Fairy Queen to represent a spiritual journey.

But what does it mean to celebrate Samhain as a follower of Wicca?

Samhain is the Celtic New Year and marks the time of the “dark half” of the year (winter). This is the end of Harvest time and the end to summer. In ancient times when everyone followed the ways of paganism - it was also a time to honor the memories of our dead ancestors.

Samhain occurs astrologically in the time of Scorpio and as any Scorpio knows their sign is one of great Transformations. The Death Card in the Tarot signifies Scorpio. This means that Halloween has a strong tie to “death”. However, death is not always a scary thing! We want death occasionally in our life… specifically: death to bad habits, or death to negative influences in our lives. In the Tarot the Death card only represents “the end” of a situation or idea, and with it will come change. Nature goes into “death mode” and is noticeable on Halloween… trees are now bare of their leaves. But life is a cycle in Wicca; we believe in birth, life, and death… and know that it repeats itself (as seen in nature when the trees again are reborn). This is the time of year to celebrate “death”, for to celebrate it means we have no fear of it. We honor it, respect it, and know that it is simply a change. We need to honor our ancestral dead - to remember them, and annually show our respect.

Samhain is a time of change and a time to let go of past influences. All forms of divination are heightened on Halloween night because “the veil between the worlds is at it’s thinnest”. Psychic energies are at their highest point on this day. Wiccans do not celebrate evil forces at Halloween, - they do quite the opposite. We create protective talismans, amulets, and perform magical protective rites for our home, loved ones, and even our pets.

Wiccans withdraw at Halloween to turn our attentions on our inward spiritual growth. We take stock of our successes and failures from the last year, and think about what we have left to accomplish. We let go of old useless practices and make space in our live for new and better things.

Any faith can embrace this Halloween as the celebration it was intended to be! Do your own research on the Origins of this powerful holiday. Many of the myths that surround it have not been based in truth. Before you send you child off to a Halloween party or take them Trick or Treating… spend a little time talking to them about their ancestors and bring a little Wicca into your life!