Do you know about the spiritual side of Halloween? We all know Halloween as a fun time for dressing up, scaring ourselves, and the ever-exciting trick-or-treating for the younger generation.
We dress up, buy a bunch of candy for the kids who will stop by, and, well, just party. Bobbing for apples, going to haunted houses, pretending to be our favorite ghosts, ghouls, and characters.
It is a night full of that oh-so-important fun and good times we all need.
But if you take the time to step back from all the Halloween fanfare, it is easy to sense that there is much more to this time of year than candy and costumes.
It is an extremely significant and deeply spiritual time. Carrying an energy not quite like any other time during the year.
Tapping into this energy will bring healing and growth into your life.
Not only that, this energy can help bring you closer to loved ones who have passed on, help children understand the cycle of life, and give us all a new perspective on what it means to live and die.
Propelling us forward along our life path and spiritual journey.
The Spiritual Side of Halloween
The Pagan celebration of Samhain (pronounced Sow-in) has a long history of recognizing this time of year as when the veil between the spirit world and the physical world is the thinnest.
A time when the world around us is preparing for winter. The trees lose their leaves, the animals begin their hibernation, the final harvest of the year is taken in, and the days become colder and shorter.
All of this shrouding us in death, darkness, and pushing us inside.
With so much death and darkness upon us, it was believed the barrier between the living and the dead was so thin spirits could easily cross through it and even interact with the living.
Although this meant they needed to protect themselves from the mischievous and darker spirits who may have had malicious intent, it also meant they were able to connect and commune with loved ones on the other side.
The Light in the Darkness
The darkness around this time is not bad or evil. Rather it is a representation of the potential of what is not yet seen.
We are leaving the past behind and freeing up the future for new dreams, new life, and new things we cannot yet even imagine. It is dark because it has yet to be created.
It is also a time when things slow down and force us to spend time inside.
Making it a significant time to turn inward and take a look at where we’ve been and where we want to go.
A time to contemplate the passing of this phase in our life. To recognize our accomplishments, reflect on our past, and prepare for what we want to happen next.
And if you think about it, isn’t this the kind of holiday our lives are missing?
The Benefits of a Spiritual Halloween
Wiccans continue to celebrate Samhain. This holiday is one of their most deep and significant spiritual times. Often taking place here in the Western Hemisphere from sundown October 31 until sundown November 1. It is known as the Witch’s New Year.
Some Christians continue to observe their adaptation of this holiday on November 1st and 2nd as All Saints Day and All Souls Day to recognize and honor the saints and souls of those who have crossed over.
Mexico has its version of this holiday as well. Dia de los Muertos, a day to honor, provide offerings, and commune with their dead.
Even if you are not a part of any of these religious practices, there is still a lot of benefit to recognizing this powerful spiritual time.
Here are a few of the benefits the spiritual side of Halloween can have for us:
- Gain a deep and spiritual understanding of the cycle of life and death.
- Reduce the fear, pain, and suffering that death brings for many of us in the western hemisphere.
- Gain closure and relief from the loss of loved ones who have recently passed away.
- Give our children a healthy perspective of death and loss.
- Release the old and make room for the new that is necessary for our material and spiritual growth.
- Become more in touch with your spiritual nature and gain a new perspective regarding your spiritual journey.
- Connect with and honor our connection with the earth.
- Celebrate and honor the seasons of our physical life.
Celebrating the Spiritual Side of Halloween
The spiritual side of Halloween or Samhain is celebrated at or around the midpoint between the Autumn Equinox and the Winter Solstice.
As that is when we enter the shortest and darkest days of the year.
Most of the time it is celebrated anywhere from the 31st of October through the first week of November.
However, this tends to be a more individual holiday, focused on personal development, so you can celebrate for one day, a few days, or for the whole week. Whatever feels right to you.
Here are a few ways you can celebrate and use this spiritual energy to enhance your life and spiritual journey:
Create an altar in remembrance of crossed-over loved ones
On or around the 31st of October, create a special place to honor and remember your loved one(s).
Using a shelf or table, place pictures of your loved ones, light some candles, and add mementos or reminders of your loved ones. You may also like to add some flowers. Anything that feels right is good.
Keep the alter up and light the candles each night in their memory and honor. When you light the candles, take the time to remember and talk to your loved ones. Fill them in on what is happening in your life. Tell them how much you miss and appreciate them.
Keeping in mind that since the veil between our worlds is thin during this time, they are more likely to hear you, and you are more likely to feel their presence with you.
Family Candle Ritual
Have each member of your family light a candle and share some memories of those they want to remember and honor. Including any animals or pets.
As they light the candle, have them say the person’s name and why they want to honor them. Share some memories and special moments. Then finish up by thanking that person for having been a part of your life.
Take a mindfulness walk and feel your connection to the earth and the cycle of the seasons.
Take a walk in the evening and pay attention to how the world is changing seasons. Notice how Mother Earth is releasing the old life, going into hibernation, and preparing for new life to come.
Feel your connection to this energy and how you, too, are going through seasons in your life where parts of your past must be released so new growth and life can emerge.
Clean up and Clear Out.
Pick a room, corner, closet, or somewhere in your physical space to focus on organizing and cleaning.
Throw away or donate things you no longer need, use, love, or that no longer bring a sense of joy into your life.
Wipe away any dust and give the space a good deep cleaning. As you do so, feel how it is also clearing away old thoughts, emotions, and experiences that no longer serve your growth and purpose going forward.
Practice Forgiveness.
Take some time to explore any past hurts that continue to haunt you.
Face these experiences and accept them as being part of your past. Then forgive those who have hurt you in any way.
Be sure to include yourself in this session of forgiveness. Be willing to take any lessons from these experiences and then let them go.
Have a feast
Have a special dinner to celebrate this spiritual time and honor your crossed-over loved ones.
Eat family-style with everyone sitting at the table with all the food on serving plates.
Have an empty chair and place setting for those who have crossed over. Put a little food on their plate and drink in their cup as a way to commune and eat with them once again.
If it’s a pet you want to honor, you can put a small plate for them on the floor.
Celebrate how far you’ve come
You don’t know exactly what the future holds, but that does not mean what you have already accomplished is not significant.
So, celebrate all the good you have done over the past year. Celebrate everything you have learned, become, and accomplished.
Think about how everything that occurred over the last year has helped you grow and become who you are today.
This is your support and your foundation for moving forward. That from which you will continue to evolve and grow along your spiritual path.
Put the Spirit-ulaity in Your Halloween
However you choose to celebrate Halloween and the spiritual holiday of Samhain, be sure to take time to remember and honor your crossed-over loved ones, thanking them for enhancing your life.
And be sure to take the time to honor your own cycle and season of life.
This time reminds us that our souls are eternal, but it also reminds us that we only have a short time on the physical plane to accomplish our goals, purpose, and mission.
So let go of the old and head into this next season with new ambition and perspective. Fully open to new experiences and opportunities for your material and spiritual growth.
How do you celebrate/observe the spiritual side of Halloween? Be sure to let us know in the comments below.
More Spiritual Celebrations
- Bring In the Light: Celebrating the Winter Solstice
- Burning Bright: Celebrating the Summer Solstice
- New Year: A Time for Change? Making New Year Resolutions Work With the Law of Attraction
- Getting the Most Out of Mercury Retrograde
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