Samhain
History & Meaning
The Celtic new year and final harvest — the point most distinct to Samhain specifically (as opposed to secular Halloween) is honoring ancestors and marking endings before the dark half of the year begins. See the full Halloween section for the complete layered history, since Samhain and Halloween share the same root.
Correspondences
Colors: black, orange, deep red. Herbs: mugwort, sage, rosemary, chrysanthemum. Foods: pumpkin, apples, root vegetables, pomegranate. Crystals: obsidian, jet, smoky quartz.
The Ancestor Remembrance spell (see the Halloween section) is Samhain's central practice — a candle, a photo, a few honest words.
Roasted root vegetable medley: carrots, parsnips, beets, and potatoes tossed in olive oil and rosemary, roasted at 400°F/200°C until tender — a literal “harvesting the last of the earth” dish.
- Ronald Hutton, The Stations of the Sun: A History of the Ritual Year in Britain (Oxford University Press, 1996)