High Day Essay: Fourth Cross-Quarter

The fourth cross-quarter High Day, commonly referred to in the neo-pagan community as Samhain, falls roughly midway between the autumnal equinox and the winter solstice.  Loosely based on pre-Christian Celtic festivals, most modern observances of Samhain emphasize the honoring of ancestors during this liminal time when the veil between the three realms is perceived to be lifted.  Many reconstructionist neo-pagans also view this as the pagan New Year, although their is little evidence for such a historical precedent.

Many of the more common practices of the modern secular celebration of Halloween do have historical bases in the recorded festivities of the ancient Celts, including those of Brittany, Scotland and Wales.  These include costumed performers traveling door-to-door in exchange for food, fortune-telling, communion with the departed and lanterns made from carved vegetables.

In non-Celtic traditions, such as the Slavic cultures, this time of year contains the festivals known as Dziady and Zaduszki.  Dziady (literally, "Grandfathers") is an ancient tradition which honors the ancestors and is performed several times a year (the exact number varies by region).  Dziady involves a solemn, evening ritual meal to which the ancestors are invited.  Related to Dziady is Zaduszki, which is the Slavicized Christian observance known as All Souls' Days.  Zaduszki traditions, such as beautifying graves, ritual meals and leaving household items out overnight for the deceased to use, are based upon ancient customs that pre-date the Christianization of the Slavs.

2012 Samhain Ritual Attendance

I attended the our local Grove's Samhain ritual on Saturday, October 27th.  This was the first ritual since the grove had graduated from proto-grove status, so spirits were festive.  As had been the situation for the past several rituals, the ritual was actually held on property owned by my family.  The ritual was written by the Grove Organizer and was in ADF Core Order.

The ritual focused on the Hellenic pantheon, and my participation included addressing Gaia at both appropriate points in the ritual.  For an offering to Gaia I sprinkled corn kernels from my husband's small plot of non-hybrid/non-GMO corn grown on-site.

I have to admit that I felt a bit out-of-sync with this ritual, as my personal leanings (that align with Proto-Indo-European Slavic traditions) associate a time of darkness/connection with ancestors more with the winter solstice.  However, during the personal offerings I spoke aloud three names of dearly departed, and presented an offering of tobacco.

While I did not so much personally feel the veil lifted during the ritual, it did get me thinking more about how I'd like to prepare and observe the similar customs in December.