Understanding the Sacred Portal of Samhain
Within many witchcraft traditions today the Celtic festival of Samhain is seen as a time when the veils between the worlds, that of the living and dead, is at its thinnest. Or is it?
Over the decades, and indeed centuries, a great deal of misinterpretation has arisen surrounding this festival, as well as the roots of other historical points that have found their way into modern witchcraft and paganism in general. When it comes to Samhain specifically, there has been the rise of this festival being referred to as the “witch’s new year” which is inaccurate, not to mention misleading.
Let me explain why, albeit briefly.
Samhain is the name of a festival observed by the Celts that marked that beginning of winter, of the dark half of the year. It was the time when livestock was brought down from the summer pastures, the culling of those who it was determined would not last the winter in order to ensure that there was enough meat for the clan to last through the colder months until spring. It was also a time when other preparations for the readiness of winter would be made. As such, the same itself means “summer’s end”.
Any origins to Samhain being the end of anything appears to maybe emerge from this despite there being no records of the Celts themselves perceiving it as such, nor having anything to do with witchcraft, either historically or in connection to the revival that was led by Gerald Gardner. Any connection appears to have been much more recent, i.e., 21st century.
Today, while we can argue that there are many forms of witchcraft, something that I certainly do not disagree with, where I do personally draw a line is the circulation of misinformation and historical inaccuracies which tends to be on the rise these days. If you follow me on YouTube, you may have noticed that I have started to share some insights as to why it is increasingly important to ascertain fact from fiction (or at least I certainly hope I do). The link to this video can be found here:
As I mention in my video, within contemporary witchcraft, we perceive the year as cyclic, meaning there is no beginning nor end. If anything, there are two possibilities – the winter solstice which sees the birth of the sun/son (as the sabbats follow the journey of the God), or Imbolc where life is returning to the land (a traditional time for initiations in England).
At the end of the day, if you wish to refer to Samhain as a new year, then it is entirely up to you however at least understand that this reference has not historical basis and appears to be one based on modern media. …..
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