Countdown to Halloween: Samhain by The Stars

by Marisa

Guising and witches, campfires and pumpkins – these past seven days have been a whirlwind of Samhain images and traditions. But now that you’ve explored the whys behind contemporary Halloween trends, what’s next?

Well, Samhain was initially a New Year celebration, developed by the ancient Celts out of reverence for the earth’s calendar, the end of the harvest, and the changing of the seasons. As with all Pagan holidays, great attention was paid to the earth’s cycle and the elements of earth, wind, air, and fire. So, for a last exploration of Samhain 2007, and in keeping with this holiday’s Pagan roots, let’s see what the stars have to say.

October 31, 2007 falls within several astrological cycles. Perhaps most prevalently (and familiarly to anyone traveling or working with electronics these past couple weeks), from October 13th to November 1, Mercury is in retrograde. In simplest terms, this means we can all expect miscommunication, travel glitches, and electronic difficulty (back up those computers!). As the first and last few days of Mercury's retrograde cycle tend to be the most difficult, you may wish to allow extra travel time for any Halloween commutes, or to be particularly attentive to your communication.

The news isn’t all bad, however, as while Mercury is in retrograde it's an excellent time to reflect back and return to old projects and intentions – a perfect match for Samhain’s traditional reflection on the year’s harvest. Just keep in mind that Neptune will be direct this Halloween, so we may not be seeing everything clearly. (Unsurprising, given the extensive masks and costuming on this day - perhaps Samhain’s wandering spirits will be equally stumped!)

By Pagan tradition, certain qualities are also attributed to each day of the week. As Halloween falls this year on a Wednesday, we are in particularly strong alignment for creative work and money/business matters. More relevantly for Samhain traditions, Wednesday is believed to be the best day for lifting hexes and conducting psychic readings. So, if you’re interested in gazing through this night’s thin supernatural veil, it looks as though stars and tradition are in your favor.

Whatever Halloween enjoyment you choose this Samhain, be it distributing modern-day soul-cakes among guising children, lighting a candle for poor Jack’s lantern, or reflecting quietly on your personal harvest and hopes for the year ahead, we hope you enjoy the evening and its rich history. Happy Halloween!

| 10/31/07 | Beliefs