108. The Thinning Veil: Samhain, Halloween, and Wiccan Practices Unveiled

Hi, we're Cinthia Varkevisser and Michelle Walters, co-hosts of Mind Power Meets Mystic. Our weekly show is here to expand your mind to what's possible, to uplift your spirits, to move forward with confidence and joy, and to create a space for your collaboration with the invisible. Welcome to Mind Power Meets Mystic.

Welcome listeners, you are here for an episode of Mind Power Meets Mystic. I am Michelle Walters, I am the “Mind Power” part of our show title. Our show mystic, Cinthia Varkevisser, is often doing other stuff, and today she won’t be here, but she'll be back probably next week. I am joined today by Eloise Hill. Eloise has been on our show before, at least once, and she is a local healer. She's a medical intuitive, she's an author like me, and she's one of the show's dear friends.

We invited Eloise to be on our show today because Eloise is a practitioner of Samhain, which is the upcoming pagan holiday at the end of October. And I don't know much about it, but it sounds pretty cool. So I thought it would be fun to talk to Eloise to learn a little bit more about Samhain—where it comes from, what it's all about, and what we need to know about it. So, Eloise, tell us about Samhain.

Hello, hello. Thank you for having me on your show. I'm delighted to be here once again. So, I am Wiccan, and as a result, I do celebrate all of the sabbats of the Wheel of the Year. We'll talk about that in a minute. Samhain is right at the top. It is the one that has survived all attempts to stomp it out by the Catholic Church, and in some form, it still remains in the practices that we do at Halloween.

I'm going to just get started with a couple of bullet points here and talk about a few things. If that's okay, Michelle, if that works?

Michelle: Yes, please.

Eloise: So, many cultures celebrate this season, which is generally considered to be the last of the harvest seasons. Samhain arises from a Celtic practice that began about 12,000 years ago, or was at least already being practiced 12,000 years ago. The Celtic year is delineated between light and dark, and it's also divided into eight sabbats, each one of the sabbats are observances of some part of the changing season. They also mark the beginning, the end, and the midpoints of the year. And this is depicted on a turning wheel called the Wheel of the Year.

The Wheel of the Year not only shows the placements for these sabbats, but it also indicates the cyclical changes we all go through—birth, maturation, decline, death, and if you believe in it, rebirth. And I do, so we'll just take it from that premise.

There are lesser and greater sabbats. Four of them are astrologically based and center around equinoxes and solstices. The other four, which are generally considered to be the greater sabbats, are fire festivals, and they’re agriculturally based. As I said, this particular one, Samhain, is one of the greater ones, and it has managed to continue to be popular outside of the realm of Wiccan practitioners or Neo-pagan faiths, and is practiced now, largely in the form of Halloween—consciously or unconsciously.

Any questions about that before I plow forward?

Michelle: Yeah, well, as I'm thinking about that, you know, one of the things that I think is so interesting about this particular festival or time of the year is, when I think about it, I think about it both as being sort of Celtic or pagan, but then I also think about it in the context of Día de los Muertos, from a Latino culture, right? And so, I think that's one of the things I find so interesting about this holiday—it really seems to span a lot of different cultures globally. What are your thoughts or comments about that?

Eloise: Well, there is a real attachment to the season. I'll talk a little bit more about the history of the Celtic version of this, but absolutely, the idea of the third harvest season is present in many cultures. In Wicca, there are three harvests, but in almost all cultures, there were at least two gatherings from gardens, two agricultural gatherings that were celebrated. This is the final one. This is the last one.

The Day of the Dead correlates to the Catholic Church’s All Saints Day, and we’ll talk more about All Saints Day in a minute. But yes, absolutely. This is also considered to be the Celtic New Year, and that is also true in the Jewish faith. So right there, there are cross-connections, and the reasons for those are rooted in the fact that we, as human beings, are connected to nature. We cannot be severed from that connection, whether we choose to be or not. And we’re connected to traditions, and those traditions bind us as cultures and as human beings—to nature and to one another.

So, Samhain actually means “summer’s end,” and it’s situated between the autumn equinox, which is called Mabon, and Yule. It is, as I mentioned, the third harvest season on the Wheel of the Year, and it marks the beginning of the Celtic New Year. It’s associated with the time when the goddess, who throughout the year has gone through various stages of maturation, has now reached the Crone stage. She’s the witch you now see pictured at Halloween—the unattractive one. But in the Celtic faith, that was a revered figure. She’s reached her Crone-hood, and her consort has also matured during the course of the year, and he has now died.

So, at Samhain, he dies, and then for the next six weeks, she mourns him. Then at Yule, the winter solstice, he is born again. So, you can also see that connection to the Christian faith—there’s a tie-in.

Michelle: Yeah, very interesting.

Eloise: Yeah, and so, she is actually often depicted stirring her cauldron, which has made its way into modern symbolism. It is both a deviation and a distortion of the Celtic belief, because again, she’s usually depicted as something old and ugly. But in truth, she was revered in the Celtic faith. Her cauldron represents the cauldron of life—it symbolizes life, death, rebirth, and reincarnation. And as she stirs it, she is stirring her consort back to life again. It’s powerful imagery.

This imagery was also important for European witches, and I suppose American ones too, who practiced. There were very few items you could have in your home that wouldn’t identify you as a witch, but the cauldron was safe because it was used in the kitchen. It was a symbol of importance, and a power symbol for those of us who practice.

At Samhain, the veil between the living and the dead is said to be at its thinnest. This concept has survived through time and is still believed today. It’s said that this is the time when we can communicate with our loved ones and ancestors more easily—not that you couldn’t do this any day of the week if you know how to open to that experience, but this is considered the easiest time to do so. It’s also a time to celebrate them, to remember them, and to call upon them for guidance.

Any questions about that before I start switching into the connection between Samhain and our modern-day practices?

Michelle: Well, it does raise a personal question for me. My last partner died on Halloween—is that meaningful in any way?

Eloise: Well, I’m sure it’s deeply meaningful for you, yes?

Michelle: Yes, it makes it easy to remember.

Eloise: But in your case, that makes it an especially magnificent time to honor him, to celebrate what you shared together, and to be in communication with him if you choose to. It’s a very powerful time for that.

Michelle: Yeah, because the veil is particularly thin, and there’s an additional energetic connection.

Eloise: Exactly. We are speaking energetically, so that’s amazing. Thank you for sharing that.

Michelle: Thank you. So, tell me the next part.

Eloise: Now I’ll explain the Celtic connection and how it morphed into what many people do today. The Celts believed the thinning of the veil allowed for communication with their loved ones, but they also believed it allowed for the crossing over of wicked fairies, ghosts, and spirits who did not have their best interests at heart. So after gathering the remains of their third harvest, they would celebrate but also burn fires, sacrifice livestock, light jack-o'-lanterns, and wear disguises to ward off any evil intent from those who might slip through the veil.

At this time, the custom of bobbing for apples became popular because the apple symbolizes reincarnation. The Celts and Wiccans believe in reincarnation. It was also a time to play pranks and practice divination, and the pranks were designed to keep ill intent at bay.

y were largely successful. In: 1609

Any questions about any of that?

Michelle: No, but I love it. And I find it fascinating how the Catholics leaned on Saturnalia when they decided to celebrate Christmas, and how these overlapping practices have created an interesting fabric in our belief systems and celebrations.

Eloise: Yes, and with the exception of May Day, which some people still celebrate to some extent, this one—Samhain—has held fast the longest. It speaks to our fascination with the afterlife and the understanding that we don’t live in physical form forever. We have souls, we have loved ones who have passed, and it allows us to connect to that.

Eloise: It also gives us an opportunity to just be somebody else for that day, if we choose.

Michelle: Yeah, I was going to say, I think part of the appeal is that, you know, this is the season of fire—who doesn’t love a nice bonfire on a cold night? And to me, Halloween, more so than many of the other holidays of the year, is about kids, playing pranks, and celebrating that playful, good-versus-bad energy.

Eloise: And getting to eat candy unabated! That's at the top of my list.

Michelle: Yes! So, I’m going to remind all of our listeners that you are listening to Mind Power Meets Mystic with me, Michelle Walters. My co-host, Cinthia Varkevisser, is off today. I am talking to Eloise Hill about Wiccan practices and Samhain. I also want to remind everyone that we are still running our contest. Cinthia and I have a new offering—it’s a one-hour Zoom call with our guest. The first 30 minutes is a reading with Cinthia, and the second 30 minutes is a hypnosis session with me. You can win one or purchase one. All you have to do is look in the show notes for today’s episode, leave us a review, submit it through the form, and you’ll be entered to win. We would love to see if you want to be our winner, and if you have a good experience, possibly join us on the podcast later to talk about it!

So, we’re going to come back now to talking with Eloise about Samhain, and Eloise, I was wondering if you could share with our listeners maybe three ways that they can celebrate the holiday in a way that’s more fitting with the ancient traditions? I mean, we all know about jack-o’-lanterns and candy, but making it a little bit more spiritual—what are your thoughts?

Eloise: There are umpteen ways people can practice this time of year as we move into the darker part of the year. For those of us who practice Wicca, or even those who practice self-awareness, this is the time of year to really begin to slow down, turn inward, and reflect. So, I strongly suggest meditation. If you've fallen out of the habit—spring and summer get busy—this is an excellent time to fall back into it.

Michelle: Fall back into it—yes! Fall back into meditation.

Eloise: Exactly. Give yourself permission to reassess. How did the last season go? What goals did I meet? What do I need to release? Three of the big themes for this time of the year—the darker half of the year—are to slow down, relax, turn inward, and do some self-exploration, in whatever form feels comfortable for you. Meditation is an easy way to do that, whether it’s a guided meditation or one you customize for yourself.

The second thing that comes to mind for me, because it’s one of the tools I’ve used for my own self-exploration, and also use frequently when I’m doing readings for people during sessions, is if there’s a particular tarot deck or oracle deck that you’re attached to, this is a great time to get it out and do a layout. I’ll offer you a suggestion here for a six-card layout you can do at Samhain. It’s really simple.

Six cards:

What do I embrace now?

What do I need to let go of?

Where in life have I shown up as being brave? (We need to remember to give ourselves a pat on the back sometimes.)

What fears could I get better at negotiating?

What do I love to celebrate about this time of year? (What’s meaningful to me about it?)

What aspect of my life is it best for me to be reflecting on at this time?

Michelle: I love it. I love it! You do lots of tarot readings, and I really thank you, and our listeners thank you, for giving us such a great tip. Oh, and as a preview, I think from talking to Eloise before we turned on the record button, Eloise has a special invocation to share with all of us now.

Eloise: Yes, I do. This is called a Samhain Blessing for the Ancestors:

"To those whose feet are stilled, and those who are no longer with us,

We say to you: our love was with you here, and goes with you now

To that place where you rest and take delight.

May your feet walk along the coffin path,

To that place where all is fresh and green,

Where lovers, friends, and ancestors wait with open arms to greet you.

Go in peace, and with our blessings,

Or remain well-received with us, the living, in life and hearth and love.

Be rested among your own this eve, this one night of Samhain.

With countless turns of the wheel, we miss you.

Be near us this eve, we pray,

And we will meet again once more when the wheel turns for us.

Pray be there to greet us in that place,

We will walk the coffin path together.

By the while, with kin and hearth,

Until that time, be near us, our kinsmen,

Our guardians, our ancestors, our beloved dead."

Michelle: That’s incredibly beautiful. Thank you for sharing that.

Eloise: You are welcome. If anybody would like a copy of it, feel free to reach out to Michelle or to me.

Michelle: We’ll make sure to get your contact info in the show notes. Thank you so much, Eloise, for being on our show today. What do you have coming up that you’d like to share with our listeners?

Eloise: Well, I do a Wicca 101 course that involves four hour-long classes. You can either take the entire course or just specific classes. Currently, for my Samhain special, I’m offering each class for $35—that’s a $10 discount from the usual price. Or, you can take the entire course, which is four classes—learning the basics of the craft, the sabbats, effective rituals, and candle magic. I’m offering that until November 1st for $100, which is about a $40 savings.

Michelle: Wonderful. Make sure I get the links for that, and I’ll put them in our show notes so that our listeners can reach out to you and book directly. Sounds like a wonderful class. Thank you so much, Eloise, for being on our show today, and happy Samhain!

Eloise: And blessed Samhain to you as well, you and yours.

Michelle: Thank you!