Samhuinn -The darkest hour

Samhuinn, what’s it all about, what does it mean, and what will it mean for us moving forward? We have rituals and ceremonies, in their basic form kids get to dress up and go trick or treating.

This year following the breadcrumbs of deepening self-discovery I find myself acknowledging my druid heritage, it’s been an interesting journey of twists and turns. That started with being called to return to shamanism. Then hearing the call back to the motherland and returning to Somerset England. For some time, it felt fragmented as I pulled in all the pieces of my spiritual puzzle. Shamanism, druidism, Scotland, Glastonbury, Atlantis, and Christ consciousness. Like far-reaching roots, without being able to see the main body of the tree, has at times created imposture syndrome. But when I take a breath, centre my energy, and feel from my heart, I know it to be my truth.

Druid Samhuinn

This will be the first year that I will celebrate Samhuinn drawing upon my druid ancestral knowledge. I still have much to learn, immerse and align myself to. Astrologically I find it interesting that Samhuinn marks the completion and start of the Celtic/Druid year in the sign of Scorpio. Who’s very core deals with death and rebirth, that continuum of transformation. The new year commences at a time when the natural world plunges into its darkest hour, another correlation with Scorpio. Who is no stranger to deep, dark, shadow work. And yet I’m reminded of the lotus flower whose greatest growth takes place in the dark, murky, muddy waters, where it gains strength before reaching up towards the light. Or the candle that shines brightest in the darkest room. 

The druids celebrate Samhuinn traditionally over three days, when I first learnt this, I was immediately hit with the vision of the Christian trilogy, Father, son, and holy Ghost.  With druidism pre-dating Christianity, I journeyed to explore its meaning and was shown a more simplistic yet aligned version of the first. The three days and nights represent and are symbolic of heaven on earth, with humanity. What’s interesting is even today these three days are still celebrated by Christianity having been turned into All Hallows commonly referred to as Hallowe’en on October 31st, All Saints on November 1st and All Souls on November 2nd. Proof to me that the roman empire aka todays well established Christianity held this druid tradition in reverence. And had some understanding of its importance in maintaining balance.

Activities of celebration

For the druids, it was a time to let off steam, celebrate and party, play practical jokes on each other, and go crazy. A rejoicing and a show of gratitude for the year that had past and making joyous memories for the hard months to come.

It served as a time of deep learning and understanding. For survival purposes communities had strict structures. Everyone having a designated place and role. But the druids understood that this had the potential of clipping creative wings and could be perceived as hierarchal.  Samhuinn served as a grounded reminder of the oneness and interconnectedness. Amidst the chaos, where nothing was as it should be, each tribe member got to experience a physical reminder of their value and worth, reminded of balance and equality. It’s exceptionally clever and shows a depth of psychological understanding that we could learn from today.

It was also a time to seek and gain guidance for the preparation of the coming year from the ancestors. To invoke the energies of pasted loved ones, to hold council and draw upon their wisdom. So, they could advantageously prepare for the coming year.

Dropping of the veil

Globally under differing names, it’s believed that the veil between the living and the dead lowers. Samhuinn and Diwali are just two examples both occurring during similar times. Samhuinn is commonly associated with the celts. But Newgrange shows us that the ceremony of this festival has been practised for at least 4500 – 5000 years. And Celtic history on British soil dates back only 2500 years. Druids have a long history but because everything was taught by the passing of knowledge verbally it’s difficult to fix dates.

Side note… I want to emphasise; I do not consider Celtic and Druid to be one and the same. Many celts were and are Druids but I consider the two to be separate.

We know that the druid calendar and the Neolithic’s who built Newgrange, and Stonehenge. Aligned their monuments to the major solar events. With the solar year being further divided to mark the halfway points between the major solar events giving the cross-quarter days of Imbolc, Beltane, Lughnasadh and Samhuinn.

It’s easy to understand how the calendar and monuments came into being, simple observation and attuning to the land but that still doesn’t answer the question of why these specific dates are indicative of a dropping of the veil.

My heart talks

Having grown up with stories, legends, and fables in the west country, living in these magical lands. It’s easy to run away with the romanticism. I do try to apply logic and look for scientific explanations. But I can’t deny I allow my heart to lead the way. My questioning of why these dates, led me down a path of introspection. Holding council, journeying, and channelling, as I couldn’t find any astrological reference or reason. Nor see any numerology patterning – that does mean there isn’t any, just that I currently cannot see it!

What I did get, was the fall of Atlantis… its darkest hour – quite literally! Did the belief of the dropping of the veil originate from a mass morning of its dead? And did that result in an annual remembrance? Is it possible that over the decades this remembrance service transformed into a time of reaching out to our ancestors? And in doing so collectively we raised the vibrations sufficiently that contact between the living and the dead was attained. Just as we do within mediumship and channelling today.

And it also hasn’t escaped my attention that our modern-day remembrance of all lives lost during WWI and WWII and thereafter. Is held on the first Sunday of November! Is it possible that on some DNA level we remember this to be a significant time in humanity’s history when the dead are honoured?

Into the Future

As I continue to walk my spiritual path and connect more deeply with my ancestral heritage, eight years on, I still have more questions than answers. Humbled by the complete awe of this planet’s splendour, magic, and mystical ways. In which it interweaves with the souls of humanity and the cosmos. I suspect that I will forever have more questions than answers. For it is a questioning heart that expands the soul, and that realization brings me great peace.

And peace was my word for 2022. Privileged am I to have reached a space where I no longer feel I have to seek, strive, or reach for… My role is to stay consciously aware, ask questions and await the whispers as they blow in from the winds.

Blessings to you all at this magical time.