When it’s dark, we become the Light.
Two celebrations today – Diwali & Halloween.
Both about the Light overcoming the darkness.
Both are summer’s end harvest festivals.
And so….
A beautiful text & story today.
Two parts – part 2 to read to the children especially.

Today,
Thursday, Jupiter’s day, October 31, 2024.
Our last day of October. Tomorrow is November 1st.

Today –
Halloween. Diwali – Hindu Festival of Light.
And our Reappearance Meditation day.
Tomorrow is new moon day – 9 degrees, 35 minutes Scorpio.
Happy Halloween everyone –

What is Halloween & How to Pronounce Samhain (So, wen).
Halloween (or Samhain- summer’s end) is far from an evil celebration. Its roots are deeply connected to honouring ancestors, embracing the natural cycles of the season, and warding off negativity. Samhain marks the transition from the light half of the year to the dark, symbolising the triumph of light over darkness, a theme reflected in other festivals around the world, such as Diwali and Día de los Muertos. Exploring these connections can reveal how cultures across the globe share stories of the human experience, especially surrounding themes of life, death, and renewal.

Samhain, pronounced (sow-wen), is the ancient Celtic festival marking the end of summer and the final harvest. The name itself means “summer’s end” and is the Irish word for the month of November, which traditionally marked the beginning of the Celtic New Year. It was celebrated not on a fixed date but based on the lunar cycle, often aligning with the cross-quarter days, when the year was divided into natural, seasonal sections. On the old Julian calendar, Samhain actually aligned more with 11th November, but when the calendar system was reformed, it shifted to 31st October, the date we now associate with Halloween. In fact some places in the UK, like a town called Killin in Scotland, observed Samhain on November 11th until World War One.

The church later adapted and rebranded Samhain into what became All Hallows’ Eve (or Halloween), followed by All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day. This strategy of integrating pagan festivals was commonly used to convert non-Christian communities, with similar changes seen in other holidays, like Christmas and Easter.

Traditionally, Samhain is the last of three harvest festivals. In ancient times, great community bonfires were lit, and people would take a flame from the communal fire back to their homes to light their hearths, welcoming warmth and good fortune for the year ahead. It was believed that on this night, the sun god symbolically died, as darkness overtook the light, only to be reborn on Yule, at the Winter Solstice, when the sun’s strength would return.

Samhain was also seen as the time when the veil between the physical and spiritual worlds was at its thinnest, allowing easier communication with ancestors and spirits. To honour their dead and protect against malicious spirits, the Celts would carve faces into turnips or potatoes—precursors to the pumpkin carving tradition of North American Halloween—and wear costumes to disguise themselves from unfriendly spirits. Doors were often left unlocked so that the spirits of loved ones could enter the home and join in the festivities, a far cry from the idea of Samhain being “evil.”

In North America, Halloween has evolved differently, blending Celtic traditions with other cultural customs from around the world as well as regionally eventually leading to it becoming a more secular holiday. The emphasis shifted towards community gatherings, costumes, trick-or-treating, and, eventually, a commercial celebration of spooky fun. But the core themes of connecting with the past, honouring the cycles of nature, and recognising the balance between light and dark still persist in its origins, both in Ireland and elsewhere.

***

“What’s ‘sam-hane’?” Rabbit asked, their ears twitching with curiosity.

“You mean ‘Sow-wen’?” Bear replied.

“I guess…?” Rabbit tilted their head. “It happens at Halloween.”

“Ah, yes,” Bear said with a knowing smile. “Halloween is the eve of Samhain, the night before something very special begins.”

Rabbit’s eyes widened. “What is Samhain?”

Bear leaned forward, as if sharing a secret. “Samhain is the ancient marking of the end of summer. In Irish, it means ‘November,’ the beginning of the dark half of the year. From Samhain until the Winter Solstice, the days grow shorter and darker. Then, when the Solstice comes, the light slowly begins to return, and the days grow longer and brighter again. But Samhain is more than just the turn of the seasons—it’s the time when the harvest ends and the world prepares for winter.”

“So everything’s getting ready to sleep?” Rabbit asked, glancing at the trees, their leaves turning gold and brown.

Bear nodded. “Yes, plants wither, trees lose their leaves, and animals like me settle down for a long rest. The Earth itself takes a breath, resting so that everything can bloom again in spring.”

Rabbit’s nose twitched. “That sounds kind of… sad.”

Bear shook their head gently. “It might feel that way, but it’s not. Samhain is not about loss—it’s about honouring the cycles of life. It’s the time to remember and celebrate all the good things that have come and gone, so they stay with us through the cold months.”

“How do we do that?” Rabbit asked.

“By gathering together,” Bear said. “We light great bonfires as the sun fades, and we tell stories—stories of those we’ve loved, the ancestors who came before us, and all the adventures we’ve had. The warmth of the fire, and the memories we share, keep the light alive within us.”

“What about when it’s time to go home?” Rabbit asked.

“We take the fire with us,” Bear explained. “A candle lit from the bonfire, carried back to light our hearths. We feed it with stories and memories while we cook the harvest to last through winter. And before long, as we share the warmth, the days grow longer again.”

Rabbit thought for a moment. “So, the light never really leaves us…”

“No,” Bear said softly. “When all appears dark, we become the light. That’s the magic of Samhain.”

The wind whispered through the trees, carrying the scent of fallen leaves and distant fires. Rabbit sat quietly beside Bear, feeling the truth of it settle in their heart. It wasn’t just about the changing seasons, it was about carrying the light of love, memory, and hope through the darkest times.

“When all appears dark,” Bear said again, their voice soft like the wind through the trees, “we become the light.”

And in that moment, Rabbit understood: Samhain wasn’t an ending—it was a beginning. The light didn’t fade; it transformed, becoming something they could carry with them, even in the longest, coldest nights.

©️Tara Shannon, 2023