Letter 7: Full Lunar Eclipse (Blood Moon) in Taurus, Samhain, Mental Clarity, Connecting to Ancestors Ritual

As the days grow shorter and the veil between worlds thins, we find ourselves in a season of profound significance. In this edition, we'll explore the rich history of Samhain, a Celtic festival that honors the cycles of life and death, as well as the celestial event of a full moon eclipse, offering us a chance to harness its transformative energy. We'll also delve into the ancient traditions of connecting with our ancestors and the wisdom they impart, while seeking inner stillness and mental clarity amid the whirlwind of modern life. Join me this week as we embrace this magical time of year and unravel the mysteries that lie within.

"At Samhain, we embrace the darkness, for it is in the shadows that we find the wisdom of our ancestors and the secrets of the Otherworld." – Unknown

Before I get into it all, let’s talk about something that is launching us right into the holidays. The Full Moon lunar eclipse in Taurus. A full moon marks the height of a lunar cycle, where everything we have been wishing and manifesting is either showing up or is starting to take form in other ways. The eclipse will take place on October 28th. An eclipse always warrants more potent moon energies, and is a great time for working with spells and manifestations if you are aware of how to harness such chaotic energy. In my opinion this eclipse will be an amazing time to do any shadow work! It will be very eye opening, especially as the moon, that represents emotions and the psyche, will also be working on its shadow. 

This eclipse will make us rethink our own self image, how we care for ourselves and how we relate to the people around us. Scorpio and Taurus have been trading lunar eclipses now since 2021, and their main goals and energies have been about showing us our inner world and then relating it to our external worlds. How do you take time out for self care? Have you had much alone time lately to really organize your thoughts? Do you need more shadow work or more time in the real world? These are all questions that can be answered by getting familiar with your sun and moon and rising signs and then relating them to the Taurus eclipse to see how you will be specifically affected. This eclipse definitely gears us up for the Celtic new year, bringing up ideas and topics about ourselves and our inner and outer worlds and deciding what it is that needs to be released or worked on more.

I want to speak about a brief history of Samhain. Where it began, how our ancestors used to celebrate, what it means, and how we can celebrate it now. Samhain, pronounced ‘Saw-win’, was a holiday first observed by Celtic Pagans. It is the eve of the Celtic new year, as November 1st marks the first day of the new year. It signals the beginning of winter, which is associated with death and the dying of crops. It was a heavily known belief that during this time, the veil between our world and the otherworlds was the thinnest. Making it a delicate and promising time to practice any crafts or spells that would protect us during the colder months and help us to make offerings to ancestors to keep watch over us and bless us in the new year. 

This holiday and the holiday Dia de los Muertos, or day of the dead, are both celebrated during this time. We are honoring the people in our lives and the people that are the reason for our lives that we have not forgotten them and that we are grateful to those who have passed before us. During this time I think it is also important to honor your OWN past or past lives, and show gratitude to yourself for all you have conquered and been through until now. I will speak more later on about why it is important to honor our ancestors and ways that we can bring offerings to them. 

Samhain is one of eight major sabbats on the wiccan wheel of the year. It is a day that equally divides our year from the lightest to the darkest, and is also a time to allow spirits to pass through our realm, spirits that can be utilized to help us create a magickal life for ourselves. We currently celebrate Samhain closely related to the way our ancestors would’ve, we carve pumpkins to line our property to keep away negative spirits, we indulge ourselves with treats and baked goods, many still create altars to their passed loved ones and other unknown ancestors, and the list goes on. It truly is a remarkable holiday for taking count of everything you have created and grown throughout the year and everything that is ready to leave behind before the new year begins. Delightfully mixed with Scorpio season, it is a perfect time to dive into your inner worlds and truly see what habits and relationships you wish to release, and also a perfect time to practice divination since any intuitive gifts will be heightened from October 31st through November 2nd. I feel it is important to note here that if you are practicing communicating with spirits, to do so respectfully and make sure you are taking other protective measures, and educating yourself before you begin. 

During the year, there have been many cosmic events and shifts in energy. Many things that have occurred that may make it hard for you to really go within and see yourself through your shadow. It may have forced you to take too many uncomfortable looks at yourself that left you feeling overwhelmed and not sure where to go next. You may have had to confront relationship issues, career changes, family matters, or all of the above this year, which can be highly overstimulating and a perfect storm to create burn out and become apathetic to any emotions. Which is why I want to speak about mental clarity and its importance in creating your magickal life, practicing spells, and being susceptible to what you learn during shadow work!

There are many ways to make space for mental clarity. Brain fog and overwhelm are created by overstimulation to daily events and stress. If you notice you are beginning to lose focus easily and are feeling foggy or like life isn’t real, then it is important that you incorporate cleansing into your daily or weekly routine, depending on how frequently you think you need it. Getting home, or dedicating a specific day to cleansing your space, your energy and resetting yourself for a new day or a new week can make a huge difference in your ability to stay focused and mentally clear. Using sage, palo santo, moon water, crystals, meditation, or prayer, and setting the intention that you are letting go and releasing everything that you have collected throughout the day or the week and imagining yourself giving the energy back either to its source or releasing it to the universe. Simple visualizations and short meditations are way more useful than you might think! 

Other ways to keep your mind clear or bring clarity back to your life can include, taking supplements and minerals to keep your mind functioning, purposeful movement like yoga or other exercise to keep your blood and lymphs circulating, eating a clean diet that is free of sugars and dairy which cause inflammation in our bodies and can weaken our circulation and brain functions, and of course meditation. I will include a short guided meditation for mental clarity at the end of this section. Whatever it is you choose to practice, make it a priority! Self-care and keeping your body maintained is what you deserve!

Spoken Meditation for a Clear Mind: Clarity, "clearing the fog" Visualization

Thank you for taking the time for yourself to learn and grow your witchy practice and your education about our inner world. I appreciate the space you offer me to write and externalize the information I have gathered during my journey and share it with you. 

Before we reach the end of this week's newsletter, I want to share with you my favorite way to connect to ancestors through a short ritual.

Connecting to Your Ancestors Ritual 

There are many ways to honor your lineage and your ancestors, and dedicating a space to them or performing a ritual to honor them doesn’t have to be something only done on Samhain! 

• To start this ritual dedicate a safe space to you. Outdoors, your altar, your hearth, anywhere that feels safe to you and you can be alone, undisturbed and quiet. Make sure you dedicate this space to ancestral work by placing pictures or using symbols. 

• Bring something to this space that either holds great meaning to you or represents your life, (you can use a picture of yourself, incense, herbs, or any other objects that hold meaning to you or someone in specific), or if you are honoring your ancestors as a whole, think about their history, where they come from, and traditions they might have used to help you find an item to offer. You can also use bread, foods, drinks or crystals.

• Place the item in the safe space, light incense or a candle. You can use black, red, green or yellow, or white colored candles. 

• Take time to thank your ancestors, and if you have time, use it to meditate in this space.

Other ways to connect with and honor ancestors include, visiting a burial site, nature walking, gratitude prayers, dedicating a permanent space to ancestors, and continued connection throughout the year. If you have another ritual that you use or something that works really well for you please share with me! I’d love to learn more. 

 

That brings us to the end of this week’s newsletter! Thank you all again so much for learning along and holding space. I hope this information stays with you and that you gained something new or useful from it!