Samhain – The Cycle Begins (Again)

Technically, the Wheel of the Year, being circular, has no beginning and no end. However, most pagans celebrate Samhain as the beginning of the new year:

Samhain is one of the eight annual festivals, often referred to as ‘Sabbats’, observed as part of the Wiccan Wheel of the Year …

It is generally observed on October 31 in the Northern Hemisphere, starting at sundown. Samhain is [the] time to celebrate the lives of those who have passed on, and it often involves paying respect to ancestors, family members, elders of the faith, friends, pets and other loved ones who have died.

Samhain (pronounced “SOW-win) is also called the last harvest and is the time to connect to each other and to those who came before us. The veil is thin between our world and the place where the spirits of our ancestors and loved ones dwell. It can be a time to ask for their advice for a particularly thorny problem or to just feel their closeness and enjoy the memories of their time on earth.

Connect to those who are with us in this world and those who are with us only in spirit.

Blessed Samhain and Happy New Year to my pagan and non-pagan friends alike.

Samhain, 2003 Lisa Thiel

Samhain, Samhain, let the ritual begin,
We call upon our sacred ancestors to come in
Samhain, Samhain, we call upon our kin,
We call upon our dear departed loved ones to come in
The Veil between the worlds is thin
Our hearts reach cross the sea of time
To bring our loved ones in
Samhain, Samhain we honor all our kin
We honor those who’ve gone before
As the Great Wheel turns again
Samhain, Samhain we call upon our kin
We call upon our Sacred Ancestors to come in
Samhain, Samhain we call them to come in
We call upon our dear departed loved ones to come in