It Must Be the Season of the Witch`; Reclaiming the Real Halloween and the Ancient Magic of Samhain
Before we dressed up as witches, with pointy hats and warts on our noses and knocked doors for sweeties (although we all love this too!), there was the true cyclical, seasonal reality of Samhain (pronounced Sow-in).
Long before Halloween became a night of costumes and candy, this was the ancient Celtic New Year — a sacred turning point between autumn and winter, life and death, light and dark. The final harvest was gathered, the fires were lit high on the hills, and communities came together to honour both what had been and what was ending.
Samhain marks the moment when the veil between worlds grows thin. It’s not just one night — it’s a portal window, stretching from October 31st to November 2nd, echoing across cultures as All Hallows’ Eve, All Saints’ Day, and the Day of the Dead.
This is a time when we stand between worlds — the living and the dead, the seen and unseen, the outer and inner realms. A time for remembering: the ancestors who walked before us, the wisdom we carry in our bones, and the parts of ourselves we are ready to release.
Our ancestors didn’t fear this descent into darkness.
They honoured it.
They understood that death feeds life, that endings are sacred beginnings, and that in the stillness of the dark, the soul finally hears what the noise of summer drowned out.
It Must Be the Season of the Witch
Because this is the time when women throughout history would have gathered around the hearth, brewed their medicines, whispered their prayers, and listened to the land.
The word witch once meant wise woman.
She was the healer, the herbalist, the midwife, the one who knew the language of plants and the rhythm of the moon. She lived in tune with the cycles of nature — life, death, rebirth — and her power came from that connection.
When we light candles, journal by moonlight, or feel drawn to the forest floor at this time of year — it isn’t random.
It’s memory.
Somewhere deep inside, we remember how to live in rhythm with the turning of the Earth.
And maybe that’s why Samhain still calls to us.
Because the witch in us — the intuitive, cyclical, remembering woman — knows this is her season.
Are You a Witch Too?
Not the broomstick kind, but the kind who listens.
The kind who honours endings and beginnings alike.
The kind who believes that tending to the unseen is an act of love.
You might be a witch if you:
Feel the seasons not just as weather, but as emotion.
Sense when energy shifts in a room.
Know when something is ready to die, and you don’t resist it.
Light candles for rituals or comfort, not ambience.
Find yourself whispering gratitude to the land, the trees, the ancestors.
Being a witch isn’t about spells or symbols — well, actually it is, but these days people like to call it manifestation and visualisation!
At its heart, it’s about remembering connection.
Connection to Earth, to intuition, to the invisible threads that weave us all together.
And Samhain is the witch’s New Year — the sacred reset.
A time to shed, to listen, to begin again.
How to Honour the Thinning of the Veil
You don’t need elaborate rituals or cauldrons (though if you have one, by all means use it).
You only need presence, intention, and a willingness to remember.
Here are some simple ways to mark this threshold:
1. Create an Ancestor Altar
Place photos, heirlooms, candles, or offerings of bread, apples, or wine. Whisper their names aloud. Thank them for walking before you.
2. Feast of Remembrance
Cook something hearty — pumpkin soup, apple crumble, roasted roots — and share it with loved ones. Leave a small plate or cup aside as an offering to the unseen.
3. Fire Ritual of Release
Write down what you are ready to let go of — stories, fears, habits — and burn or bury the paper. Let the Earth transform it for you.
4. Candle Meditation
Sit in silence with a single flame. Gaze softly and listen. Ask what wisdom this dark season holds for you.
5. Walk in Nature
Step outside and notice how beauty and decay coexist. Feel how endings feed new life. Let nature show you how to surrender gracefully.
The Foods of Samhain
This is the season of earthy nourishment — pumpkins, beets, apples, oats, dark berries, nuts, and warming spices.
Bake soul cakes, make mulled cider, or roast vegetables slowly. Cook with intention — every stir a prayer, every bite an offering.
In many cultures, food is the bridge between worlds — an act of remembrance that keeps love alive. When you prepare your meal this week, whisper a quiet thank you to those who came before you.
The Power of the Dark
Samhain is not about fear — it’s about reverence.
It teaches us to find beauty in endings, to trust the descent, and to know that stillness is not emptiness, but the soil of creation.
This is the time to rest your roots.
To stop striving and start listening.
To let your inner wise woman — your witch — take her rightful place at the hearth of your life.
Because the witch is not evil.
She is the one who remembers.
She is the woman who dares to listen to her own knowing, even when the world tells her not to.
And this — this is her season.
A Final Reflection
So, as you light your candle this Halloween, take a breath.
Honour the child who loves to dress up and the ancestor who watches over you.
Honour what is ending and what is beginning.
Whisper to the night:
“I release what has been.
I honour what remains.
I welcome what is to come.”
Because it must be the season of the witch —
and perhaps, it’s time to remember that she’s always been you.
Scroll back through our blogs and you will find more about my reclaiming the witch within, and even last years Samhain Blog with more rituals to offer. Along with our next podcast edition dropping today on Around The Kitchen Table!
