Every year, when Samhain rolls around, my urge to create, craft, and communicate with the spirits becomes almost too much to bear. So what do I do? I give in to the urge, of course! I cast Samhain spells for purification and prosperity. Also offering Samhain blessings to my witchy family members and friends. And I engage in Samhain divination that allows me to easily communicate with my ancestors, gods, and elementals. Come with me, and you’ll be prepared to make your own POTENT magick this Samhain too.
First, What is Samhain?
Samhain, pronounced Sow-en, is an ancient Celtic harvest festival that occurs annually beginning the night of October 31st through November 1st. The name of this holiday, Samhain, actually means “Summer’s End” and was also once considered the new year to the ancient Celts. It was a time when the last crops were harvested and Winter preparations began. In addition, they believed spirits of the dead and the fairy folk wandered the earth on this night. The “veil” between the living and the dead was at its thinnest, making visitations from the spirit world commonplace.
Today, modern pagans celebrate Samhain by honoring their ancestors, feasting with other pagans, friends and family members, lighting bonfires, and more. Since Halloween is the modern holiday with its roots in Samhain, many pagans will also throw Halloween parties, go trick-or-treating, and engage in Halloween activities. They may even cast Samhain spells and divine for messages from the gods and ancestors. If you’d like to learn more about the history and traditions of Samhain, please review our guide section.
Samhain was considered the end of Summer in older Celtic times. Which also meant it was the end of the old year and new one was starting. Our Celtic ancestors believed performing ritual and casting Samhain spells for purification and prosperity was appropriate for this time of year. It was tradition to symbolically purify their cattle by walking them between two great bonfires on Samhain Eve.
People would also walk between the fires, or (more dangerously), jump over a smaller bonfire. The fire was believed to purge the soul and the physical body of negative spirits and bad luck. So that everyone and every animal was purified and healthy for a new year. You don’t have to jump a fire (and please don’t hurt yourself), so here’s our Samhain spell instead:
Bonfire Release Spell for Purification
This is a simple Samhain spell that utilizes the traditional sabbat bonfire. If you have a firepit or fireplace, this spell for purification is a powerful symbol to the universe. You tell the universe and the gods that you are finished with a toxic habit or person in your life, and release it in the flames.
Here’s what you’ll need for this Samhain Spell:
Paper
Pen
Source of fire (bonfire, fireplace, candleflame)
Gather your materials and sit by the fire. Take a few minutes to just listen to the fire crackling. Gaze into the flames and connect with this powerful element. Next begin to think about what habit or person you are releasing this Samhain. Think about why you’re purifying your life from this thing or person. Then write the habit or person down on the piece of paper. Fold it away from you 3 times. Hold it in your hands and allow all of the negative thoughts and energies inside of you to “drain” out of you and into the paper. Then throw it in the fire and say, “after this Samhain, never again. Never again. I release _________ from my life by the power of the Samhain fire. So mote it be.”
A PUMPKIN Spell for Prosperity
One of my favorite Samhain spells for prosperity utilizes an inherent symbol of the season – a pumpkin. And a little paint. Go to the pumpkin patch (or local store) and select a pumpkin. Or let the pumpkin choose you. Bring it home and paint prosperity symbols on it – money signs, runes for prosperity (Fehu, for example), or harvest glyphs (whatever means prosperity to you). Then place by your front door to invite prosperous vibes into your home this Samhain season.
DRESS for the Job: A Costume Spell to Increase Your Personal Power
You’ve heard people say dress for the job you want, not the job you have? This Samhain spell is FUN and no one will even know you’re casting a spell. In this spell, you’ll be wearing your magick. The first step is to decide on your intention. For example, let’s say I want to increase my witchy abilities and personal power. Then I put together a costume in which exudes witchy power and ability: i.e. a witch, sorceress, fairy queen, goddess, etc. Another example, if you’d like to draw prosperity or fertility to you, dress as an earth goddess or the Green Man/Woman.
Yes, you can buy a costume for this spell but I feel the more effort you put into creating it yourself, the better the outcome of the spell. For example, I might go to the thrift store and find a black dress. I bring it home and alter it just a bit by cutting the sleeves into strips at the end. Then I find a witch’s hat at my local craft store and add cobwebs, feathers and charms. Add accessories like my own personal amulets, ripped fishnets, and my favorite pair of black boots. The entire time I’m piecing my costume together, I’m visualizing or saying out loud my intentions. Then when I wear my costume on Samhain, I’m telling the gods who I aspire to be in the coming year.
Samhain Blessings for Your Friends and Family
For me, one of the best things about Samhain is being with my family and honoring my ancestors in the process. But, unfortunately, not all of my family lives near me. Some are hundreds of miles away. So, in these cases, I always try to send them a card or a note saying that I miss them and giving them Samhain blessings. Feel free to use my Samhain poems provided here as your own:
“Carve the pumpkin, light the candles, invite the ancestors in. May you be blessed with love and peace this Samhain.”
“Summer has come to an end. The ancestors knock on the door, May they bring Prosperity and Health to you and yours ever more.”
“May the old year die away peacefully. May your new year bring peace and prosperity. Samhain is the end and also an open door. To a loving, serene life anew, now and forever more.”
“It’s nearly Samhain and the ancestors have pierced the veil. Listen to the hounds bark and beware the banshee’s wail. May All Hallows’ Eve bring blessings to your door. And may you stay in the ancestors’ favor ‘ere more.“
Samhain Divination: Speaking to the Ancestors
Traditionally, witches have divined on Samhain for centuries. Samhain is the night when the dead return to visit the living. Communicating with our ancestors, ghosts, and even the elementals becomes easier than ever because the “veil” between this world and theirs is at its thinnest. My one big reminder if you decide to divine on Samhain: don’t forget to cleanse your space AND shield yourself. Otherwise, some of the spirits you speak to may not want to leave and could wreak havoc on Samhain.
Mirror Scrying
Mirror scrying is a practice that’s as old as time. Scrying on Samhain isn’t a new concept either. We literally have Victorian Halloween greeting cards showing young women scrying their future in the mirror. I doubt the Victorian era came up with the idea. When the first human peered into a pond and realized he could see his reflection staring back at him, witches realized they could use the water to divine messages from the spirit world. Obsidian mirrors were some of the first mirrors, so if you have an obsidian mirror or even just a black scrying mirror, that is perfect for this Samhain ritual.
Here’s what you’ll need: a mirror, a dark, quiet room, a bell and a few candles. A warning though: sometimes the mirror shows us things that might be unexpected. Sometimes if we stare at ourselves long enough in the mirror, our image may morph and take on an entirely different persona. Be aware that sometimes mirrors lie. Sometimes mirrors are even haunted and are a portal to another realm. My advice is to cleanse the mirror beforehand and ward with an amulet or a drawn symbol over the mirror before scrying.
Once you have everything prepared and you’re ready to scry on Samhain, it’s best to turn the lights low and light a few candles. Have a bell nearby, as well. Start by gazing softly at your reflection in the mirror. Then allow your gaze to shift towards the candlelight reflecting in the mirror. At this point, if you have a specific person, spirit or intention you’re scrying for, speak it or visualize it. Your answer will come. You may see it in the mirror physically or you may see it in your mind’s eye. Be sure to thank the spirits present and release them when you’re done. Ring the bell as a sign every spirit must leave and cleanse your space.
Who’s Your Future Husband? Apple Peel Initials
Another old school form of Samhain divination involves an apple, a pairing knife, and your desire to find out who your next partner or lover will be. Young girls in the Victorian era would play this as a Halloween parlor game, but it is essentially an old form of divination dating back centuries. The apple in and of itself is a powerful fruit connected to the spirit world. And it’s no wonder it’s also a symbol of the Samhain season.
To divine your future partner’s identity, take your pairing knife and gently, slowly peel the skin off your apple. Try to make the peel stay as one whole piece, if possible. Then toss the peel over your shoulder. The peel will curl up or lay in the shape of a letter. This letter is the initial of your next partner or lover’s name. You may already even know them.
Samhain Divination Tradition: Colcannon with Charms
Colcannon is a traditional Irish dish made and served on Samhain. To sum it up, it’s mashed potatoes with cabbage and sometimes leeks or bacon mixed in. With a hefty serving of butter. As a Samhain form of divination, some Irish families add charms to the Colcannon. These charms, when found by the person eating the dish, foretell that person’s future. A thimble means the person will be single in old age, a ring means a future wedding is near, and a coin means a prosperous year. You can add any charms you’d like, but just warn the people eating the colcannon so they A. don’t chip a tooth if they bite down and B. don’t choke on a coin!
