Samhain Rituals: Honoring Ancestors and the Thin Veil
Around Samhain, you may have heard practitioners use the phrase, “It’s a time when the veil between the worlds is the thinnest.” But what does that actually mean?
The veil is a perceived boundary or barrier that separates the dimensions of time and space. There are multiple realms of existence, the one we are most accustomed to is the physical world we live in, but there are others, such as spiritual or metaphysical realms as well. Different cultures believe that this boundary thins during specific times of the year. Most often, the thinning of this boundary is during significant seasonal changes or high holy festivals, in this case, Samhain. Some cultures, pagans included, believe that the barrier between the living and dead weakens during the month of October. The weakened boundary allows for increased interactions with spiritual entities and for a type of bridge to form. Practitioners often use this bridge to communicate with their ancestors or other deities.
Think of the veil as a doorway or gateway that is a permeable barrier between the spiritual realm and the material world. On one side, there is your conscious waking life full of everyday existence and mundane encounters. Everything is familiar and orderly. In the physical realm, we are each separate, individual beings with finite lives. While on the other side of the veil, there is a current full of forces that propel life along. The spiritual world swirls and pushes with no beginning and no end. Everything is interconnected, at one, infinite, and eternal.
The veil is believed to thin at the end of October because the earth is preparing to turn inward. As winter approaches, the light lessens, making the days shorter. The growth and activity of spring and summer are receding, the harvest is waning, and a transition to the cold is beginning to take place. It is the time in the cycle when there is a momentary balance between life and death. And at this moment, a pause occurs where the chaos of the world quiets, and stillness is found. In this moment of ethereal serenity, the veil thins for a period of possible connection with the space between the worlds.
Samhain is a Gaelic festival that marks the end of the harvest season. People have celebrated Samhain since ancient times. Just as Beltane marks the livestock grazing in fresh-grown fields, Samhain marks the time when they are slaughtered to ensure enough food throughout the coming winter. As the darker half of the year departs and arrives, bonfires are lit to symbolize the sun. At Samhain, this fire mimics the sun holding back the darkness for just a little bit longer.
During the autumn celebration, the thinning of the veil means spirits can easily cross between the realms and into our physical world. The ancient Celts felt it was very important to appease these spirits, especially those of the Aos Sí (fairies) so that their cattle and livestock did not fall ill or perish during the harsh winter. To do this, they would leave out food and drink or occasionally sacrifice an animal. But it wasn’t just the Aos Sí that could travel between the realms. Souls of the departed could also pass through the thin veil as they returned to their homes seeking hospitality. Because of this, food and drink were often left on the table for them in anticipation of their visits.
While the ancient practices have changed over time, the veil still thins during this period, allowing for a deeper connection with the unseen world. For current practitioners, as the wheel of the year turns, the autumn months represent a time of transition and change. It is during this ideal time that the barrier becomes permeable, and contact with the dead, along with other spiritual entities, becomes possible.
Within our physical world, people have found places where the veil between the worlds is thin. In these thin places, one can sense a closeness with the spirit realm that is not felt in other spaces. For the ancient Celts, one of these places was the Druid Forest. It is in these places that we simultaneously feel uplifted and eerie. There are many locations all across the globe that are considered ‘thin’ as people have felt they are in a sacred space much closer to the spirit realm.
Rooted in Celtic and pagan traditions, Samhain is a time when many practitioners honor their ancestors. When the veil is the thinnest, it is an excellent opportunity to connect with your ancestors. There are many ways to honor your ancestors at Samhain. Most often, practitioners will take this time to express gratitude for their ancestors’ contributions, sacrifices, and wisdom. By acknowledging the work they did, we honor their place in the family line and in shaping the individuals we have become.
Sometimes practitioners want to do more than express gratitude to their ancestors. And during Samhain, it is possible to easily communicate with them because spirits can visit the living. Setting up an altar or participating in a ritual is another way to connect with and honor your ancestors. During a ritual, many practitioners will seek guidance or ask for advice from their ancestors. The thinned veil allows for this yearly communication, making it an ideal time to ask for blessings or protection as well.
When the veil is the thinnest, it allows for the border between the worlds to blur, blending the life of the living with the spirits of the dead and other ethereal entities. And while the curtain between the worlds has parted, it allows us the unique opportunity to honor and communicate with our ancestors. From them, we can see the path our family has taken, ask for guidance, and be showered with blessings and protection. Samhain is the best time to connect to our roots and find comfort in the journey of life, for the wheel of the year is always turning, and one day, we will be on the other side.