Some Samhain and Halloween Traditions and Lore

With October 31st looming, I thought I'd share a few random tidbits on its traditions. I'll use Halloween and Samhain interchangeably here; for details on where these names come from, have a look at my October 3rd blog post covering the history of Samhain/Halloween. Now go ahead and impress your friends with some lore:

• It's been said that the traditional orange and black associated with Halloween come from the colors of bonfire flames against the black sky.

• Some herbs associated with Samhain: mugwort, as a divination aid (used in incense, a sachet, or a bundle during Tarot reading, scrying, pendulum work, seances, tea leaf reading, crystal balls, and so on); mullein seeds, for abundance; rosemary, to honor the dead (very strongly linked to Halloween).

• This is a popular time of year for petition magic. Do it right on Halloween if you can. Write what you desire on a small piece of paper. Light a candle, preferably black, though orange, white, silver or gold work well this time of year, too. Concentrate on what you want or need, and burn the paper. This practice stems from the old Celtic Needfire, which is just what it sounds like: a bonfire is created during a time of need (common for Celts at the New Year), and an effigy representing that need is burned.

• Stones associated with Halloween: obsidian; clear quartz; amber; ruby; diamonds; carnelian.

• A "mute supper" is an old Samhain tradition to honor the dead. This supper is eaten in silence, by candlelight, typically on a table with a black cloth. Chairs are left empty for the deceased, or simply one chair, and a black candle is lit and placed at each vacant setting. A silent opening prayer is performed. Why all the silence? It was thought that the spirits were more likely to come in the quiet. Guests should come with a hand-written note for their ancestor(s) or other departed, which is placed under that spirit's plate prior to dining. After the meal is the silent closing prayer, and the guests leave the room quietly, returning shortly to discuss their impressions. At this point, it's tradition for each guest to participate in some form of divination, either in pairs or as a group.

• Traditional Samhain foods, often part of the mute supper, are: meat of any kind with rosemary seasoning; all sorts of nuts; anything that includes pumpkin, turnip, squash, or apples; potatoes; roasted seeds of pumpkin, turnip, and sunflower.

• Samhain saying in reference to the Wheel of the Year: "The Wheel turns, the veil thins."
• Legend goes that if you hear footsteps behind you on Halloween, don't turn around...it could be a spirit following you around!