The evening of the 30th of April is the traditional night that people in the southern hemisphere celebrate Samhain, an ancient Gaelic festival marking the end of the harvest season and the beginning of the darker half of the year. This date mirrors the date Samhain is observed in the northern hemisphere – the 31st of October. It is roughly halfway between autumn equinox and the winter solstice. Nowadays it is Celtic neopagans and wiccans such as myself who celebrate this festival as a spiritual holiday with a focus on honouring, remembering and celebrating the lives of close friends, family and pets who have died.

Unlike others who follow the tradition of celebrating on April 30th (from sundown) to sunrise of the 1st of May, I choose to follow the current astronomical calendar and celebrate Samhain exactly halfway between Autumn Equinox and Winter Solstice. For this year, that means that the precise moment will be 12:49pm on the 5th of May. To add extra confusion to the mix, some people celebrate on the nearest full moon night to this which would be on Thurday the 7th May (with the full moon at its biggest at 10:45pm), so I am still debating if I celebrate on the 5th or the 7th or both.

For the sake of needing to make a decision, I will celebrate and reflect with friends on the Tuesday evening, and then celebrate in a more personal way, by myself, on Thursday under the light of the full moon.

Let’s loop back to some of the more fundamental concepts of time-keeping as a person who celebrates pagan festivals such as these. Firstly there are the 4 lesser Sabbats, the most important markers of time in a year. These include the two Solstices (Summer and Winter), and the two equinoxes (Autumn and Spring), which together divide the year into four equal portions of time. Next are the 4 greater Sabbats, which cut the year into 8 slices of time. These greater Sabbats take place on days of high energy and indicate the beginning of each season. They include Imbolc (which signifies the start of spring), Beltane (the start of summer), Lammas (the start of autumn, also known as the first harvest) and lastly, Samhain, which stands to mark the beginning of winter.

Of all these, Samhain debatably takes place at one of the most auspicious times, when we believe the veil between this world and the world of the dead is thinnest, and provides us with an opportunity to commune with, and show our appreciation for those who have passed on.

This year, this occasion strikes closer than usual to my heart. The first thing that comes to mind is the international grief and loss of thousands of people to COVID-19 this year. So many have lost their lives and many have also lost their jobs. In addition to that is a more personal loss. Roughly a month ago a close friend of mine passed at age 39 from a heart attack. So much life stolen from him in a single moment. I will be thinking of him very much over the coming days. I have no doubt that this time of reflection and meditation will be a powerful time for myself and any other who choose to partake in it. By reflecting on death, celebrating the lives of those who have passed and supporting one another in times of grief, we become stronger and more emotionally prepared to face the challenges that we may encounter in the future.

I shall end with a simple request to all those who have been engaged enough in this article to read this far. Support those around you, be kind and be patient towards people you care about, or those who care about you (if they should be different people). Take care of yourself, and others.

An Ye Harm None, Do What Ye Will.

The Wiccan Rede.