SAMHAIN- November 7.2015
Although last month may have seemed more fitting for this article, October 31st is not accurate date of Samhain if celebrated from the perspective of the astronomical occurrences that in ancient days marked the Great Wheel of the Year. The astrological date always in November, usually somewhere between the 5-8th. This year, it will occur on November 7th. So, with these intentions in mind, I share with you the mystery of Samhain’s parting of the Veils…..
The Hounds nip at my heels
Pushing me precariously forwards
As I move through the dark
Veil of Samhain Night.
I breathe deeply feeling the
Pain of sharp teeth and hot
Breath as grateful reprieve
Comes as winged feet take flight
Soaring and carrying me upward.
Time pulls at my back drawing me
Down into a descent of shadow and light
I breathe deeply and feel the strain of
Forward momentum gaining speed
And clarity shatters the fetters of illusion.
Thoughts gather and commune in
My mind each measured by scale of
Will and intent as the breath of death
And decay swirls around me.
The Hounds nip at my heels
Still running at fevered pace
My breath coming in shortened
Gasps and heart that beats
Like syncopated drumming.
The Hounds nip at my heels
Coming closer still until
I offer up my dues and surrender
To the renewal of rebirth
Returning to manifest life
With Hounds laying
Obediently at my feet.
Samhain and its counterpart, Beltane, are the time of access to the wisdom of the natural world and the Ancestors. The energy that is called forth at Beltane and communion with the nature spirits and the Fae stands as the point of inception and quickening of what will move, expand and grow in its form and scope towards the next opportunity. When it comes half wheel cycle to Samhain this energy of communication with and greater access to what lay beyond our physical realms has matured and deepened as we call to the Ancestors to offer up their wisdom. It is this wisdom that will carry us through the darkening of the months, the turning within and the introspection that holds within its womb the spark of Light that will be birthed at the Winter Solstice.
As we enter into the Dark Half of the year, the winter months and the Sabbats that are held within that space we bring with us the expectations of this growth. We have finished harvesting what had been nurtured from the time of the previous Winter Solstice forward and we hold expectation that the ripe fruits we have carefully selected from this harvest will sustain us through this time of fallow fields, frost and cold. We approach the opening of the veils with great expectations of coming face to face with what visions and mysteries are rooted in our core state of being and align ourselves with the energies of the Dark Goddess and the wisdom of the Crone. It is Her wisdom that takes us into the realms of the Ancestors and the blessings they wish to bestow.
How have you honored your ancestors? What will you call to yourself of the darkness that lay within you?