At sunset tonight, the transition point between two luminaries exchanging the baton, and a Celtic day will come to a close. It’s the eve of a Celtic/Pagan festival marker. Known by many names - those domicile in the N.H will be celebrating Walpurgis Night, Beltaine’s Eve or as it’s more commonly known the Eve of May Day. To S.H folk it’s Celtic New Year’s Eve or Samhain’s Eve.
Both domiciles mark two of the major festivals or Witches Sabbaths; the beginning of Summer and the beginning of the opposing season of Winter.
The Celtic/Pagan Wheel of the year is a festival marker, denoting a combination of; the sun’s path on the ecliptic, agricultural cues, religious or pagan veneration as well as seasonal transitions. But we must beat to our circadian rhythm, and honour the upcoming season of domicile that unfolds before us.
Samhain and Beltaine are intrinsically linked due to polarity; standing opposite on the Earth/Pagan/Celtic Wheel of the Year. Quarter and Cross Quarter days are represented on the Wheel. The eightfold year is divided into the Equinoxes and Solstices pairs and the remaining four cross quarter are Old Fire festivals that falling midway, marking the beginning of seasons. The Wheel rotates with Samhain (pronounced SOW-in) marking the end and beginning of the Celtic New Year - the third and final Harvest has delivered and the seeds of the winter crops are sown, laying dormant until Imbolc, when they begin to stir and shown signs of life. By Beltaine the plants are on show and fertility of crops is extremely important. Then at Lughnasad, the harvest begins and all the crops should be in by Samhain, when the cycle begins once again.
SAMHAIN + BELTAINE CROSSOVER
It’s at this particular time of year, regardless of where I’m living, that I feel the deepest pull between Hemispheres - the polarity between yin and yang. It’s the halfway point between Spring and Summer.
Samhain is traditionally associated with celebrating the ‘End of Summer’, the onset of the Winter sun and the deep yin part of natures cycle are acknowledged. While the opposing seasonal marker of Beltaine, celebrates the return of the Springs solar rays, celebrating the onset of Summers Yang sun with early sunrises, warmer earth and the fertile days of Spring on the cusp of summer.
At Samhain the veils are palpably thin and I feel the compelling draw to honour the sacred Celtic Wheel of the Year. Personally, October 31st is indelibly linked to Samhain and Hallows Eve but as I now live in a warmer S. Hemisphere climate I must honour the opposing festival marker of Beltaine, as it’s the season before me. Which can be challenging; given the commercial nuances of Halloween are universally celebrated and on the last day of October (a warm month in Sydney), the ubiquitous pumpkins carvings and ghoulish dress ups are feverishly celebrated. Yet; most fail to take the time to realise the sacred meaning.
WITCHES SABBATH
That said Wicca folk will know an equally important night, prior to May day (Beltane), that draws an ethereal link between Samhain and Beltaine. April 30th is known as ‘Witches Sabbath’ 'Hexennachtor or ‘Walpurgis Night’ - a 17th century traditional gathering of Wicca folk. But the German Christian church counteracted this by venerating Saint Walpurga on this night, to repel evil magic! Due to the Saint, hailed for battling ‘pests, rabies and whooping cough - and witchcraft’. To this day a relic in the form of ‘Oil of Saint Walpurga’ (Walburgis oleum) is used to repel witchcraft. In fact it not oil, but water. Since the water is in contact with the relics of the Saint, the practice of using the ‘oil’ as a remedy is a widely known. Harvesting vials of the ethereal oil is a tradition on this day.
HOW TO HONOUR BELTAINE
Beltaine (Irish spelling) - 'Bel' meaning bright or shining and ‘tene' meaning fire or High Spring. It’s a time when the vibrant life force energies burst forth - full of potent potential. 'Bel' aka fire is also part of the Beltaine rituals. Traditionally hearth fires were quenched and reignited again with embers from the Beltaine bonfire.
Fertility is abundant during Spring. The air is latent with fecund intentions and stories of the May Queen and King falling in love are common folklore. As is consummation of their union resulting in the swollen belly of the May Queen.
Beltaine is also about Hawthorn and fairy trees. Known as the tree of sexuality and fertility, laced with white flowers it’s traditionally used to decorate a Maypole. The sacred herb is used to ward off evil spirits when planted close to homes. And in the Celtic Zodiac system the Hawthorn tree governs from Apr 26 - May 23. (Read more about Hawthorn and Beltaine here) . An old rhyme speaks of it’s powers in reference to Lightning.
RITUALS + GATEWAYS
Drawing upon rituals and customs that pay homage to a seasonal festival can quell former inner rhythms that now beat to another Hemisphere. Both these Celtic markers are magical portals or gateways, opening with the veils thinning as we edge toward nightfall. Samhain and Beltaine are two ‘eves of spirit’ - marking Death and Rebirth. Liminal time rules and the thin veil between our worlds are lifted. Ancestors past and those departed are closer, council is available and communication is unhindered. Coincidentally 1st May 2019, falls on a Wednesday, and the planetary ruler is Mercury - the God of communication.
MAY POLE
The May Poles’ very obvious phallic shape is also linked to fertility and the trailing ribbons topping the pole - normally eight, one for each of the seasonal markers on the Celtic Wheels representing the sun rays and sun God Bel. Half the young Maidens, dressed in white dresses with a crown of white may flowers (hawthorn flowers) danced clockwise - which is also the direction of the sun (deosil) and half counterclockwise, around the Maypole weaving the ribbons. It’s a dance of the Sun’s orbit around the earth. Young men sometimes joined in and dancing in the opposing direction.
The Morris dance is also a beautiful symbolism with eight male (Yang) and female (Yin) dancers intertwining in the figure of eight. Symbolising lovemaking the dancers clasp hands together - the union of hands, also in a figure of eight is called handfasting -'tying the knot’. Couples with a penchant for weddings, notably wed in Spring.
HOW TO HONOUR SAMHAIN
Fires are a major theme of Celestial markers - and the ritual of Bonfires in particular help me forge a link between these two festivals, Samhain and Beltaine. Fire is cleansing and used to ritually release. Traditionally sacred fires were lit at altars, where parts of an animal sacrifice were burnt as an offering to a deity. To this day, pyres are lit on dark night of Hallows Eve (minus the sacrifice), instead the hypnotic flicker of flames act as a channel to connect ancestors with the Other-World.
Samhain is literally a time to gather the firewood, harvest the last of the fruits, take stock and move our living activities inside where it’s warmer. Homes are thoroughly cleansed, swept clean and old brooms are discarded and replaced with new, marking the start of the New Year.
The hawthorn tree that’s so intrinsically linked to Beltaine is of course delivering its harvest of red berries in Samhain. In late Autumn the ‘haws’ are used to flavour wines, liqueurs and tonics. It’s not so well known that the tradition of carving autumnal fruits started in Ireland. The meaning behind the ghoulish carvings were symbolic totems to ward off evil spirits, as the veils were thin and malefic spirits could also step through. However, the abundant supply of turnips made it the produce of choice for Celts’, with Americans substituting them with pumpkins. It also speaks to the tradition of dressing up at Halloween, which was originally based on frightening supernatural or malefic beings.
FOLKLORE
In the Emerald Isle, should you hear footsteps behind you on Samhain/Halloween night then refrain from the temptation to look behind as if you do, you might be joining them soon. Another comes from my maternal grandmother, who always baked a tea brack at Halloween, the mixture contained a ring wrapped in greaseproof paper. All the young ladies of the household were given a slice and whomever got the ring was said to marry next.
And if a gentleman wishes to see his future wife then he should forage for 10 leaves of Ivy on the night of Halloween and after discarding one, he should sleep with the rest under his pillow and dream of his Love – The God Bacchus was the Ivy god.
FARMER’S ALMANAC
Like the Celts, the forefathers of Feng Shui, were legendary observers of seasons and nature cycles. Paying heed to fecund land signatures is a governing premise of the ancient art of Feng Shui. The Tong Shu (Chinese Farmers Almanac), is also a handy guide to identify the most auspicious days to work with fecund energies.
Sadly in today’s commercial farming practices the notion of certain fruits only available at a specific time of year, is becoming a distant memory. But seasonal fruit were used as significant offering to ancestors past as means of appeasing any unpaid debts and for the afterlife. Talisman magic also associates certain herbs like mugwort, oak leafs, sage, ivy and straw as sacred to Samhain, while Turnips, Apples, Nuts, Mulled Wine and various meats as foods of Samhain. Note pumpkins don’t feature, however the autumnal fruit in the form of a Gourd is very significant to the Chinese. The gourd form or double bottle gourd / calabash is often hung on the doors to ward off evil. It’s also used is Feng Shui, however I won’t get into that just now.
HARRY POTTER + HALLOWEEN
And finally I can’t help but reference Harry Potter when discussing Halloween. HP fans maybe surprised to learn that the squeaking Mandrake plant is far from fictitious and really does exist. It has strong links to witches, wizards and Samhain to boot. It’s genuinely ghoulish root features acted as the original Jack-o-lanterns to ward off the evil spirits.
A member of the nightshade family - the tuber potato has significant opiate properties. Which speaks to a witches ability to fly ‘high’ - referencing the more hallucinogenic facet than physical ability!
Talisman makers should also note it’s associated with the planet Saturn. Noting it’s not recommended to ingest or indeed direct skin contact, can transmit the alkaloids in the root which induce excitation and hallucinations, as well as sleepiness—and sometimes comas or death. In short they are highly poisonous, however traditionally they were uprooted, bathed and used by skilled herbalists for potion making on Hallow’s Eve.
Oh and did you know Saint Walburga (Walpurga) also inspired ‘Walburga Black’, one of the witches in the Harry Potter books!
Happy Samhain | Beltaine | Witches Sabbath | Saint Walpurga