All Hallows Eve History and Spells
Samhain pronounced (pronounced “Sow-in” meaning Summers End.) All Hallows. All Hallow’s Eve. Hallow E’en. Some people see it as the most magical night of the year. A night where there is laughter and free spread with ease: jack-o-lanterns, trick or treats, and people dressing in costumes.
We have made this pagan holiday a night of ghost stories, card readings, seances, and scrying. It is said to be the night when the veil that separates our world from the Otherworld is at its thinnest.
History of All Hallows Eve
All Hallows Eve (Halloween) is the evening before All Hallows Day. The traditional celebration focuses on October 31st beginning at Sundown. You may have heard it was a Celtic holiday, but it is startling how many ancient and unconnected cultures celebrate. For example, Egyptians and Spanish Mexicans celebrate the “Festival of the Dead” around this time. The “Day of the Dead” is on the 2nd of November.
The Roman Catholic holiday the “Day of the Saints” is on the 1st of November. This was created by the church to remove and replace the pagan holiday. The Catholic religion has continued Pagan celebrations but has attributed the day or celebration to the Catholic religion. Some of the days that the Catholic church took over are Christmas, New Year's Day, Easter, the Roman version of Halloween, May 1st (Labor Day), Epiphany, and Saint John's Eve.
The wheel of the year is central to many pagan traditions. It is a modern conceptualisation of the cyclical seasonal celebrations. It contains 8 holidays. 4 solar festivals (equinoxes and solstices) 4 fire festivals (each Celtic in origin, marking the halfway point between solstice and equinox) Celtic mythology, and folk holidays with some Germanic, and Norse influences.
Halloween is opposite Beltane on the wheel of the year, Halloween is a Beltane dark twin. As you know Europe celebrates its summer in our winter. So, Samhain showed the division when Summer ran from Beltane to Samhain. Samhain is seen as Autumn's end and the beginning of winter. Samhain is the end of autumn as well as the end of the old year and the beginning of the new. It lands on Celtic New Year's Eve when the new year begins with the onset of the dark phase of the year, winter.
It is also known as the Feast of the Dead or Dumb Supper. This simply means it is on a night when the dead could if they wish to, return to the land of the living and celebrate with their family. The entire 4-course meal is consumed in silence. It is also served in reverse order, so dessert first, then the main meal, a serving of bread, and then appetisers. Making it a meal that the passed loved ones will remember. It is encouraged to have photos and mementos of the loved ones who have passed as well as a place set for them at the table.
In Ireland, there are fairy mountains, or burial mounds (where they say Egypt got the idea for the pyramids for their dead) and, on All Hallow’s Eve, they would open them up and light the walls of the burial mounds to help the dead find their loved ones. During this feast, they would also scry to look towards the future.
Divination
All Hallows Eve is seen as a night that exists outside of time, and it may be used to view other points of time, the future. This is the time when a tarot card reading, crystal ball scrying or tea leaf reading will likely succeed. Christianity has turned All Hallows Eve as evil. They do not believe in looking towards the future, but only making people look towards the past, and history in what they share as Jesus' sacrifices. They made the day after Halloween All Saints Day a day where you honoured and remembered or blessed all those made hallow or made holy by being obedient to God.
Apples
Apples are used in Halloween games, such as bobbing for apples as they helped many a young lady find their true love.
Learn the initial of your true love
One method was to peel an apple, making sure that the peel comes off in one long strand (remember they were using only knives to peel back then). As they did this, they had to recite. As they throw the peel into the air over their back the peel will form a letter on the ground of their true love.
See your true love
Another way to see your true love with an apple is to slice an apple through the middle to find the 5-pointed star within. Then eat the apple sitting in front of a mirror with candlelight. Your future spouse will then appear to you over your shoulder within the reflection of the mirror.
See future love in a dream
To dream about your future love, stick 18 pins into a Golden Apple. You must also tie your left garter around the apple and place it under your pillow at night.
Will your beau propose?
If the young lady had a beau or boyfriend and wanted to know if he would propose they she would get two apple seeds from the apple. Name the two seeds, one for her and one for the lover, and then toss them into the fire. If they flew off in a different direction, they were to be no romantic relationship. If the seeds burnt together without flying off, the man would never propose. If they both flew off the same side, the pair would marry.
Lots of suitors
If you couldn’t decide who was the best potential suitor, you were told to stick a bunch of apple seeds to your face. You had to name each seed to match a lover or beau. The last seed to fall off your face represents the person who loves you wholeheartedly.
Items to create Halloween Fun
Hazelnuts were also used for divination. Girls were told to place hazelnuts along the front of the fire grate. Each nut symbolised one of the beau or suitors. She could then find her future husband when she chanted, “If you love me, pop and fly. If you hate me, burn and die”
The Jack ‘o’ Lantern comes from Scottish or Irish origins. They used turnips or gourds to create a lantern for people to use to travel the road on this night. They put scary faces on them to frighten away spirits or faeries who might want to lead them astray. Others put them on windowsills or porches to give their houses protection. Americans used the pumpkin instead of the gourd.
Bats traditionally bats were not used at All Hallows Eve, but when the people lit huge bonfires, the light attracted lots of bugs. The Bats were simply seen easily on that night as the bats came to feast on the free meal. Since then, they were always shown in the night sky for Halloween.
Bobbing for Apples This dates to a traditional craft initiation ceremony or a pagan baptism. The water-filled tub represents a cauldron of regeneration. They used to immerse the novice’s head. They would also have their hands tied behind their back and be blindfolded.
Costumes were worn to go trick or treating by adults as well as children. The treat was often spirits (a liquid drink) given to adults. The children received apples and or nuts. In ancient times, carolers would go house to house to sing seasonal carols. Also receiving a warming “treat” The tradition of dressing in costumes so men could dress as women and women as men to try on the role of the opposite gender. Cross-dressing was alive on All Hallows Eve! They were also worn to disguise themselves from the people who had crossed over that they did not wish to meet up with.
Witches In the Celtic times, witches were never seen as evil but as a healer, care givers. They were known as the Wise One. Witches see Halloween as one of the four high holidays. It is called the Great Sabbat. The witches within their coven held a large Halloween party for non-craft friends the weekend before, and on the night itself, they have a ritual that is late enough that they will not be interrupted by trick-or-treaters
Spiders are not really connected to Halloween, but over the years with so many of us fearing these small creatures and people seeing them connected with witches they have joined in on the decorations of Halloween
Ghosts are simply the connection of being able to connect with loved ones, with the veil so thin.
Black Cat or witches’ familiar. It was said that a witch got their power from a black cat. In fact, the people known as witches were people who liked to have clean areas. They used the cats to catch the mice and other rodents. The church claimed all black cats were evil and in history asked for all the cats to be killed. After this, the mice and rats had no predators, and the black plague was caused in history.
Full Moon: Did you know that Halloween will not fall on another full moon until 2039? It is just another example of people being scared or thinking a full moon is evil. With so many of the images of a witch flying over a full moon, people connect a full moon with evil. A full moon is very significant to help you to manifest abundance in your life. Releasing the old and allowing the new in.
Spells to do on Halloween
I thought I’d share with you some favourite spells to do to help you manifest, but first my disclaimer.
Disclaimer for this article’s fun
Please remember that spells are fun and more art and being creative. You are helping yourself to sit in the feeling of having what you want. You are changing your energy to a high positive vibration. Like attracts like.
When you do spells, rituals, and other techniques that are listed here, you may find that some are like pure fun for you, entertainment. You may not get the result that you want today, but if you go practise at home and do the meditation to get into your quiet space and then open yourself up to the Universe, you might be surprised at the changes in your life.
First of the Month Abundance Ritual – Cinnamon and Salt
What you need:
Ground Cinnamon
Fine Sea Salt
Step One:
Go to your front door (open or closed) and stay inside facing into the house.
Pour some sea salt into your left palm and say out loud:
“As I blow this salt into this space, may it perfectly, properly, and safely remove all blocks, hindrances and obstacles that are in my way”
And then blow the sea salt into your house.
Step Two:
Place some cinnamon in your left palm and say out loud:
“As I blow this cinnamon into this space, may it sweetly and lovingly attract all abundance, prosperity, success, happiness, love, health, and opportunity in my way”
Then blow the cinnamon into the space.
Then leave them on the floor for the next 24 hours (please be careful if you have pets)
Need a Fast Wish use this spell
What you need:
One lucky charm or item you like.
Your voice: you need to say the words out loud, so be in a place you are comfortable.
A candle. Any colour, but if you are setting an intention, think of your chakra’s meanings
Step One:
Go to your altar or room that you feel your wonderful energy within.
Put your golden bubble of protection around you
Hold your lucky charm in your right hand close to your heart chakra.
Say the following:
“This simple wish is mine to cast,
a magic spell to make it last
I close my eyes – a little shiver
This will for me now please deliver”
Now see what it is that you wished for in your mind. Feel the emotions, see them in your mind, and feel the emotions attached
Keep your eyes closed and place your charm on the altar or special spot in your room
Snuff the candle. Do not blow it out; you will be blowing away your wish
Keep your eyes closed as you can see all that you wish for come true. As you open your eyes, know that it is done. Every time you look at the charm or item, you evoke the same feeling. See it, feel it and know that what you want is on its way to you.