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Significance of the Wicca Sabbat – Samhain
Sabbat – Samhain is a deeply important Wicca or Pagan holiday to those who practice one of the many magical traditions known as Witchcraft.
Samhain: – The Witches New Year
Date: October 31st (Greater Sabbat/Cross Quarter)
Important Elements: The End of the Year, The Death of the Sun God
Related Holiday(s): Halloween (Oct 31st), All Hallow’s Eve (Oct 31st-Nov 6th),
Colors: Gold, Black, Harvest Colors
Symbols: All symbols of death, sickle, scythes, photos of loved ones who’ve passed on.
Related Deities: All deities associated with death
What Is the Wicca Sabbat Samhain?
It represents the end of the cyclic year, being the last spoke on the Wicca Wheel of the Year.
It represents the final harvest and the gathering of the last of the fruits before winters long dark sets in. The Sun God has risen through his sexual maturity at Litha and has gone into the safe wisdom of old age by Mabon.
The Pagan holiday of Samhain celebrates his death at the end of the year. He has impregnated the Lunar Goddess with himself, much as Osiris does every year with Isis, and will travel through to the land of the dead, to be reborn in Yule.
Altar and Home Decorations For Samhain:
Decorating of the altar is one of the most common ways of recognizing the various times of year, both Esbats and Sabbats. During this time of year, dark cloth is typically used to adorn the altar. Black handled sickles, breads and fruits from the harvest, gatherings of dried corn husks all can be placed upon the altar as representations of this time of year.
Images of the past and beloved dead, representations of habits that we would see passed on, and statuettes or symbols of favored deities of death also can be added to the altar to indicate the time. (Also read about pentacle symbol meanings).
Straw men were a traditional part of this Wicca holiday as well, representing the dying King of Winter. It is common to make this figurine during the ceremony, and then inviting him to watch over your home during these seasons. It is best made with the last gleanings of your garden, and then to bury it at Yule to return these gifts to the soil.
Divination For Samhain:
One can do a special 13-card Tarot Reading for the year ahead, with a card at the center representing the subject, and a circle of 12 cards around the center card. Going clockwise from the top each three cards represent a quarter of the year, with each card representing an individual month.
A scrying mirror is traditionally a reflective black mirror with engravings of silver runes representing energies that enhance psychic ability. It reflects deities relevant to seeing the future.
A candle or other light source is placed above it to create a flickering reflective surface, or it is left unlit, allowing for images to rise from within the darkness of the mirror. (What Is Candle Magic?).
Just about any form of divination can be done at this time, runes, bone castings, scrying in just about any form, tea readings. All in all, this is merely an excellent time to peer into the future and call on our ancestors for guidance.
See Also:
Wicca Wheel Of The Year
Yule
Imbolc
Ostara
Beltane
Litha
Lammas
Mabon
Samhain