Samhain Archives - Energetic Tarot

A Halloween ritual for new beginnings

Oct 27, 2020 | Soul Purpose

It’s finally here, Halloween or Samhain if you celebrate the pagan holidays. We’ve talked a bit about what Samhain is and how we can use it to give ourselves a fresh start, but now we’re taking action and cracking on with a ritual to help us do just that.

Halloween is one of the most powerful nights of the year, because the veil to the spirit world is the thinnest, meaning we can call upon the energy and wisdom of those that came before. It’s also a time that is filled with gratitude and thankfulness and if there’s one thing the universe loves, it’s being thanked for everything it’s already given you.

Gratitude and reflection are going to be our main drivers as we go through this simple Halloween ritual for beginners. We’ll be making sure to put out that positive grateful energy, so that we can attract it back to us later in the next cycle.

Let’s have a look at what we’ll need:

1x Black Candle – To absorb negativity
1x White Candle – To promote positivity
Smokey Quartz Point – To ground you
Heat Proof Bowl
Paper
Pen
Mirror – For amplifying your energy
Dried Sage – For cleansing and purifying

How to perform your Halloween ritual

Position yourself in front of a mirror, ideally, one that you can see your full face in. Place the two candles in front of the mirror and light them, positioning the smokey quartz point between them, pointing towards you.
If you can sit in front of the mirror great, if you need to stand, that’s ok too. Concentrate on the flames of the candles in the mirror’s reflection and focus on your breathing. Breathe in for 5, hold for 4 and breathe out for another count of 5.
Once you feel ready and relaxed, take your paper and write down everything you are grateful for receiving or achieving this year. You can do this using separate strips for each point if you want to, this can make them easier to burn.
Use the candle to set fire to the paper within the heatproof bowl and focus as the smoke rises into the air. Watching the smoke, repeat the following affirmations:
- I thank the universe for everything it has gifted me this year and I’m grateful for what has been, what is and what is yet to come. I now banish the negativity holding me back and embrace the positivity pulling me forward.
I like to keep saying my affirmations, either out loud or in my head as I then slip into a 10-minute meditation. Playing meditation playlists really helps me to get in the zone. To get the most out of the ritual, maintain that contact with the reflections of the candle flames in the mirror as you meditate.
Once you’re done with your meditation, take the ashes of your paper and mix in some dried sage. You can then transfer this mixture and your smokey quartz crystal to a pouch or jar that you can carry around with you or keep nearby, as a good luck charm. You can also bury the mixture in the ground, showing that this cycle is over and you’re ready to start a new one.

What is Samhain and how can it help you to start fresh?

Oct 5, 2020 | Soul Purpose

It’s officially October and that means one thing, Samhain/Halloween is on its way! But what is Samhain and how can you use it for something more productive than lighting your pumpkin and eating your weight in chocolate?

Before Samhain became the commercialised holiday of Halloween (I won’t lie, I love both equally) it was a pagan sabat that was used to celebrate the end of a wheel cycle. Samhain is the very last celebration in the wheel of the year, with a brand new cycle starting on Yule. With this in mind, Samhain was seen as a pagan new year, a time where we look back and reflect on what has been and start planning for what will be.

So how can we use Samhain to help us move forward with purpose, balance and courage?

Celebrating the end of a cycle

If I had to relate Samhain to any of the tarot cards, it would be the Death card. Which also ties into the spooky, death laden aesthetic we’ve come to know and love around Halloween, ironic? I think not!

Just like the Death card tells us to do, we have to now accept and welcome the end of this yearly cycle. We have to choose what we want to move into and decide how we want to bid farewell to this chapter in our life. Even if there are things we want to continue into this next wheel cycle, there will be things that are better left in the past and this time of year is when we get to dig those things out and be rid of them for good.

Starting fresh

To get the most from Samhain, we have to figure out what things we have carried with us this year that have held us back, kept us down or stopped us completely. What thought processes have been plaguing you? What self-limiting beliefs have made this year less productive?

The best way to get to the heart of what you need to leave behind is to spend some time with your journal. And to help you dig deep and really think about what you’ve got weighing you down, here are a few journal prompts you can use to ask the important questions.

A Samhain ritual for starting a new chapter

If you didn’t already know, Samhain 2020 is a very special one as it takes place on a blue moon, meaning it falls on the second full moon in one single month. It’s filled with a powerful energy that shines a bright light on the darkest parts of ourselves, so it’s the perfect time to uncover all that negativity that has made a home within your mind.

This Samhain/ Halloween you can do a ritual for yourself, to help you figure out what you need to leave behind in this year cycle and how you can make more positive and productive steps forward into a new chapter.

*Remember, we aren’t repressing these negativities, we are uncovering them so we can work through them and resolve them in a healthy way!

Samhain Ritual For a New Chapter

Let’s start a new chapter with purpose and courage…

What you’ll need:

1x White candle or 1x Samhain ritual candle
1x Snowflake Obsidian – for hope, banishing negativity and attracting positivity
1x Sodalite crystal – for intuition, inner wisdom and spiritual awareness
Sandalwood incense or sandalwood fragrance oil
Heatproof dish or bowl *water if you can’t burn materials
Paper & pen

The ritual

*In this ritual, we will be burning paper, but if you can’t burn things for whatever reason, don’t worry you can still do the ritual, but instead of burning, submerge it in water and then dispose of it.

Step 1: First things first, we need to get into the right mindset so do 10-minutes of meditation, focusing on the breath and allowing all sounds and distractions to melt away. Light your candles and incense/ burn your oil, get comfy and allow your body to let go of all the stress of the day.

Step 2: Next, we’re going to grab those journal prompts and work through them. If you’ve done them in advance, awesome! We’re going to use our answers to figure out what we want to let go of during this ritual.

Step 3: Look at the answers to the questions around what has stopped you from achieving your goals, what bad habits you want to let go of and what you wish you’d done less of. Take those answers and re-word them into statements.

For example, one of mine would be: “I let go of my habit of criticising my work ethic when my energy is low“ or “I let go of my belief that I am not capable of achieving my biggest goals in life“ etc.

I want you to write these on a slip of paper and fold it up.

Step 4: Next we want to counter this negativity with some positive affirmations. Just like we did with our negative statements, we want to do the same for our positive statements, using the answers from the journal prompts around what you wish you’d done more of and what good habits you want to adopt in this new cycle.

For example: “I meditate for 10-minutes every morning“ or “I have a good balance between working hard and taking care of my wellbeing“

Word these affirmations as though you already do them.

Step 5: Now we’ve got our negativities all wrapped up in our paper prisons and our positive affirmations waiting to be affirmed, we then want to light the negativities paper on fire using either a lighter or the flame from your candle and drop it in the bowl or dish. Please be careful when doing this! I don’t want any burned fingers or for you to burn your house down. If you can’t burn the paper, cover it in water and let it sit while you do step 6.

*Quick tip: Printer paper can be a menace to burn, so if you can get your hands on some natural paper or paper made from plant materials, it’ll burn much faster and easier.

Step 6: Whilst you watch your negativities be destroyed and disappear in a puff of smoke, hold your crystals in your left hand and read your affirmations out loud. Repeat all the affirmations three times in total. *the left hand is the hand of receiving and we want to receive the hope and intuition our crystals offer us.

Step 7: Once you’re all done with your affirmations, blow out your candles and take the remnants of your negativity paper and dispose of it. If you want to really go the extra mile, bury the ashes in the garden. You can then put your crystals and your positive affirmations in a small bag and carry it around as a good luck talisman, or sleep with it under your pillow to affirm your desires even further.

Don’t forget, you can grab all my exclusive Samhain products over on my shop!

A Beginners Guide to the Wheel of the Year

Jul 14, 2020 | Blog

One of the most frequently asked questions I get asked when showing off my Book of Shadows, is how do you start one and my answer is always the same…

With the Wheel of the Year!

The Wheel of the Year details the different pagan Sabbats that are linked with the years changing seasons. These are holidays and celebrations that focus on what each season gifts to us and it is predominantly centred around food and sustenance.

Back in the day, before clocks, months, weeks and days, this was the original calendar. Ancient cultures would use the seasons in order to survive and thrive, mostly because there wasn’t any other way!

This information would be passed down from generation to generation, so that people knew when it was time to plant new crops, harvest or store food for winter. These seasons would also be a guide for planning what to hunt and fish for, as certain animals would be more active at different times of the year.

Modern pagans will still use the Wheel of the Year and celebrate each Sabbat and all it brings, even though we no longer rely on it to survive. It’s a way for us to give thanks and show gratitude for everything that the natural world provides for us.

To help you with your own Book of Shadows or just your general research, let’s take a look at each Sabbat and break it down.

The perfect way to celebrate each sabbat is by taking time to work on yourself. Why not pair one of my workbooks or workshops with the next turn of the wheel?

shop all workbooks and workshops here

Yule

Yule runs from the 21st – 23rd December in the northern hemisphere and the 20th – 23rd June in the southern hemisphere and is the celebration of the Winter Solstice, the shortest day and longest night of the year. Yule is also the very first Sabbat in a new wheel cycle.

This Sabbat is the foundation for the Christian holiday of Christmas and it can be seen in many of your traditional Christmas decorations. For example the idea of bringing nature inside the home, such as with Christmas trees, Yule Logs (which are still called Yule Logs to this day!), wreaths and garlands.

During this Sabbat, we celebrate that the Winter Solstice marks the return of the sun to the earth. From this day forward we’ll see the days grow longer and warmer and nature slowly start to wake up and provide abundance. It is a festival of light, so lighting lots of candles, or decorating your tree and home with lights is a common practice.

Colours: Red, Green and Gold

Plants & Herbs: Pine, Fir, Cinnamon, Cloves, Nutmeg and Oak Leaves. Basically, anything that is in season during this time.

Incense for Yule: Cedar, Frankincense, Cinnamon and Pine

Crystals: Bloodstone, Emerald, Citrine and Clear Quartz

Food & Drink: Mulled Wine, Hot Cider, Seasonal Soups and Nuts

Imbolc

Imbolc (Pronounced Im-Bol-c) is the sign that the cold, harsh days of winter are nearly over and that spring is just ahead of us. It takes place on the 1st February in the northern hemisphere and the 1st August in the southern hemisphere.

Nature is starting to wake up and prepare to push its way to the surface once again. The days are lighter and the world is giving the earth what it needs in order to thrive, more rain and more sun.

Imbolc is known in Celtic traditions as Brigid’s day, due to its association with the Celtic goddess Brigid. It was said that by leaving Brigid offerings, that she would bless harvests with abundance and provide good healthy crops. She is a fertility goddess and so is very important during springtime.

Due to its association with spring, Imbolc is a time for cleansing and sowing new seeds. Whether this is literally or figuratively. If you are looking for a new beginning, the right time to start or grow your family or you’re just in need of a fresh start, then Imbolc is the ideal time.

Colours: Pink, White and Light Green

Plants & Herbs: Blackberry, Chamomile, Cinnamon, Snowdrops and Witch Hazel

Incense for Imbolc: Vanilla, Lily, Jasmine and Chamomile

Crystals: Amethyst, Turquoise, Citrine and Bloodstone

Food & Drink: Sunflower and Pumpkin Seeds, Seeded Breads, Oats and Poppy Seed Cakes (my personal favourite is a lemon drizzle poppy seed cake!)

Ostara

Ostara is the Spring Equinox, the first time since the previous equinox, where the days and nights are equal in length. Ostara takes place on the 21st March in the northern hemisphere and the 21st September in the southern hemisphere.

From this point on, we will start to see more daylight in our days, helping to lift our mood and enrich our earth. It is the main fertility festival within the Wheel of the Year and marks a time of intense abundance, balance, harmony and new life. A lot of the ways we celebrate the Christian holiday of Easter, mirrors the ways the fertility goddess Ostara was once worshipped.

Decorating eggs with colourful patterns, the symbolism of the rabbit or a hare and also baby chicks and other baby animals are all great ways to celebrate Ostara.

Colours: Predominantly Pastel Shades of Pink, Green, Yellow and also White

Plants & Herbs: Narcissus, Daffodils, Honeysuckle, Lilies and Lemon Balm

Incense for Ostara: Rose, Strawberry, Sandalwood, Jasmine, Violet and Narcissus

Crystals: Clear Quartz, Rose Quartz, Agate, Amazonite and Jasper

Food & Drink: Eggs, Kale, Spinach, Lettuce, Seeds and Light Breads

Beltane

Beltane takes place on the 1st May in the northern hemisphere and the 1st November in the southern hemisphere, it is also known as May Day and marks the midway point between spring and summer.

The days are heating up and the earth is extremely fertile, with baby animals and new plants now growing steadily and strongly. This is another fertility festival and one that is widely known, especially in European countries. To celebrate Beltane, you would traditionally light bonfires and dance around a May Pole, a phallic-looking pole that symbolises the earth being fertilized and bringing new life.

In pagan traditions, Beltane is when the Sun (God) arrives in full force to fertilize the earth. The Green Man is another symbol that makes an appearance during Beltane and he symbolises a new cycle of growth and rebirth.

Colours: Red, Blue, Green and Yellow

Plants & Herbs: Daffodil, Hawthorne, Dandelion, Meadowsweet, Paprika, Primrose, Oak and Rose

Incense for Beltane: Rose, Frankincense, Ylang-Ylang, Peach and Vanilla

Crystals: Emerald, Sunstone, Beryl, Malachite and Rose Quartz

Food & Drink: Wine, Sweet Breads, Elderflower, Oats and Cakes

Litha

Litha is the Summer Solstice and takes place on the 20th- 24th of June in the northern hemisphere and 20th – 24th December in the southern hemisphere. This is the start of summer and the beginning of much warmer, sunnier days. This is when the earth is at its peak, filled with life and happiness, all powered by the nurturing energy of the sun.

Litha can also be known as Midsummer, especially in Nordic and Slavic traditions. It is the longest day of the year and a chance for us all to bask in the powerful energy of the sun. It is a celebration of positivity and all the food, crystals and activities aim to reflect this.

Colours: Red, Gold, Yellow and Orange

Plants & Herbs: Daffodil, Dandelion, Sunflowers, Lavender, Rose, Sage and Rosemary

Incense for Litha: Rose, Lavender, Musk, Orange, Lemon and Sage

Crystals: Sunstone, Citrine, Calcite, Yellow Topaz and Emerald

Food & Drink: Apple Cider, Ice Cream, Squash, Carrots and Honey

Lughnasadh

A tricky one to say, Lughnasad can also be known as Lammas if you find it tricky to get your tongue around. You pronounce Lughnasad as Loo-Na-Sah, I like to think about it as if someone with a very strong Manchester accent is trying to say lunacy.

Lughnasadh takes place on the 1st August in the northern hemisphere and the 1st February in the southern hemisphere. It is the first harvest celebration of the year, when we start to prepare for the end of summer and the coming of the colder harsher days of autumn/winter.

The sun is starting to wane and this is his last hurrah, he’s trying to go out with a bang by squeezing out what is left of his energy as a gift to the earth below. It’s at this time we can start to wind down and look back on all the hard work we’ve been doing over the last few months.

Colours: Green, Gold, Light Brown and Yellow

Plants & Herbs: Grains, Heather, Basil, Blackthorne, Clover and Ivy

Incense for Lughnasad: Sandalwood, Mint, Rose and Frankincense

Crystals: Citrine, Golden Topaz, Amber, Tiger’s Eye and Peridot

Food & Drink: Breads, Oats, Honey, Corn and Apples

Mabon

Mabon is the time of the Autumn Equinox and is celebrated during the 21-24th September in the northern hemisphere and the 21-24 March in the southern hemisphere. It is the time when, once again, the days and nights are in perfect balance, before we start to notice less and less daylight in our days.

Mabon is often known as a pagan thanksgiving, as it is a time when we can look back over all the things the earth has given us and what it has provided for the long winter months ahead. This is a great time to start harvesting the last of your homegrown fruit, veg and herbs.

Colours: Brown, Gold, Yellow and Orange

Plants & Herbs: Sage, Rosemary, Chamomile and Marigold

Incense for Mabon: Sage, Pine, Cinnamon, Apple and Frankincense

Crystals: Citrine, Amber, Quartz, Sapphire and Lapis Lazuli

Food & Drink: Rye Bread, Apples, Wine, Potatoes, Nuts and Fresh Meat

Samhain

Samhain is probably the most well known of the Sabbats, as it ties in with Halloween, a time when the veil between the spirit world and the world of the living is at its thinnest. Samhain is celebrated on 31st October -1st November in the northern hemisphere and the 31st of April – 1st May in the southern hemisphere.

Samhain is another word that people struggle to pronounce, but it said as Sow-En or Sow-Een with the ‘ow’ pronounced the same as the ‘ow’ in owl or cow and the ‘hain’ bit is just ‘en’.

Samhain is basically a Witch’s new year, as it is the last Sabbat on the wheel and marks the end of the current cycle. It is traditionally a time where we celebrate and pay respects to those that have passed on. It is a time where you can reflect back on the cycle just gone, practice gratitude for all you’ve achieved or everything you currently have in your life.

Colours: Orange, Black, Gold, Purple and Silver

Plants & Herbs: Calendula, Rosemary, Garlic, Nutmeg and Sage

Incense for Mabon: Sage, Frankincense, Mint, Cinnamon and Myrrh

Crystals: Clear Quartz, Obsidian, Smokey Quartz, Bloodstone and Onyx

Food & Drink: Meat, Potatoes, Parsnips, Pumpkin, Apples, Spiced Wine and Cider

Welcome to Welloween – Wellbeing for the Month of October

Sep 29, 2019 | Blog

I’ve been posting a lot about the upcoming Welloween campaign and now it’s here! If you’ve not signed up yet, there is still time. You just have to be part of our Self Care Coven mailing list, which you can sign up for right here…

Now that’s out of the way and you’re all ready to go, let’s chat a bit more about what Welloween actually is!

What is Samhain?

Samhain, more commonly known as Halloween or All Hallows Eve, is the last Sabbat in the wheel of the year. The wheel of the year starts anew at Yule and so Samhain (pronounced sow-en) is kind of like a pagan’s new year. We use this time to say goodbye to the previous year and set our intentions for the year ahead. As this is also the time when the veil between the spirit world and the living is thinnest, many people ask for guidance from loved ones that have passed.

How will we be using Samhain in Welloween?

I wanted to take my normal Samhain ritual and make it accessible to everyone. I always notice a huge lift in my mood and energy levels after doing my Samhain ritual and I wanted to share that with others who may need it.

Throughout October, I’ll be emailing you to chat through some of the issues we’re going to be tackling. Your weekly email will give you a few tips and tricks for self-help and self-care, but also include a FREE workbook that you can use, in order to prepare for your releasing ritual on Samhain night.

What will the Samhain ritual be?

Nothing scary or too spooky I promise, we’re not going to be conjuring anything or any other typical Halloween activities (thanks for that image Hollywood!). All the inner work we will be doing in the run up to Halloween will help us to figure out something that is negatively impacting our lives. Our Samhain ritual will be focused on finally letting that go and setting positive intentions for the year ahead.

It will be beginner friendly, minimalist and easy to do in whatever place you feel most comfortable. I wont be getting you to be grab yourself anything more than a candle, maybe a crystal but that is optional and a pen and paper. We will be burning the paper though, so you may need to start planning how to not set your smoke alarms off.

What kinds of things are we working on throughout Welloween?

Our main aim is to identify something that is bringing us down, promoting a heavy or lethargic feeling in the body and mind or impacting our lives in a negative way. Everybody’s goal will be different, but here are a few things that might crop up:

Toxic relationships – with others or even yourself
Toxic behaviours
Self limiting beliefs – think imposter syndrome, lack of self-confidence
Past relationships – maybe an ex you can’t stop thinking about

If it makes you sad or brings you down, it’s time to let it go. We want to head into November and December feeling like a weight has been lifted and feeling ready to tackle another year.

If you’re taking part, I’d LOVE to hear from you and find out how you’re getting on. Plus, I’m always here to help you if you need a bit of guidance or there is something specific you’re having trouble working through.

Make sure you’re all signed up and use the hashtag #Welloween to connect with other members of the Self Care Coven!