Introducing our new Samhain book for your metaphysical books collection, The Samhain Companion!

Samhain (pronounced *sow-in*) is one of the great fire festivals of the Celtic year, marking the transition from the light half of the year to the dark. Traditionally observed on October 31 through November 1, it is the midpoint between the autumn equinox and the winter solstice, a liminal time when the veil between the worlds is said to grow thin. For ancient peoples, Samhain was both an ending and a beginning: the final harvest was gathered, livestock were brought in from summer pastures, and communities prepared to settle into the long winter months ahead. It was a time of both celebration and solemnity, honoring the cyclical nature of life, death, and renewal.

Today, Samhain is recognized as a spiritual forerunner of Halloween, but it retains a deep sacred meaning for many who follow earth-based traditions. It is often honored as the Celtic New Year, a time to release what no longer serves, set intentions for the coming season, and pay respect to ancestors. The thinning of the veil makes this festival especially associated with divination, ancestral communion, and honoring those who have passed on. Fires, feasts, and rituals remind us of the warmth and light we carry through the darkest season. In this way, Samhain is not only about endings, but also about the seeds of new beginnings planted in the fertile darkness.

This companion features modern celebrations, meditations, journal prompts, coloring pages, spells, and information on Samhain rituals and lore to guide you through this final harvest season. Its pages are for you to write, color, and make notes on as you perform rituals and celebrate the season.

Inside you'll find:

Introduction to Samhain
Lore about the goddess Cerridwen
Samhain associations (crystals, herbs, and symbols)
Opportunities to perform a ritual and work magic for Samhain
4 Samhain spells (ancestor altar, protection charm, releasing spell, and night energy spell)
3 meditations (embracing the darkness, embracing transformation, and honoring the ancestors)
4 coloring pages
12 journal prompts

Best wishes for your Samhain, and happy new year!

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Excerpt from *The Samhain Companion*: Protection Charm

This simple spell creates a protective charm you can carry on your keychain or tuck in your car to shield you during travel. Samhain, when the veil is thin and ancestral energies are close, is a powerful time to call on guidance, ward off harm, and bless your journeys ahead. This charm uses natural materials and intention to anchor protective energy into a small, portable object. It is best performed at night.

You will need:

White candle
Stick of incense
A small pouch, locket, charm, or keychain (can be handmade or meaningful to you) to become your protection charm
Amethyst for protection
Rosemary for protection
Chamomile for luck
Black or white salt for protection

Use your preferred method for preparing for spellwork. Or: Take a few deep breaths and center yourself. When your energy is calm, continue to concentrate on your breathing, feeling your power rise. Light a white candle. Light a stick of incense of your choice and slowly draw a circle around yourself and your working space.

Use the smoke of the incense to cleanse your protection charm. Lay it in front of you and carefully circle it with the crystal, herbs, and salt. Visualize protective energy forming a ball around the charm inside the circle. See it vibrating with soft, strong energy. When the energy begins to subside, your charm is charged. Circle it with incense one more time.

Say aloud:

I am protected. Thank you.

When you are ready, thank the universe for assisting you. Spin slowly in the opposite direction of the incense and blow out the candle. Put the charm in your car or bag, on your keychain, or somewhere else it can travel with you. When you see it, remember to travel safely.

Introduction to Samhain

Want to explore more about Samhain? Here’s more on the final of three harvest holidays (along with Lammas and Mabon) on the Wheel of the Year.

About Samhain: Samhain (pronounced sow-in) is the ancient Celtic festival that marks the end of the harvest season and the beginning of winter. Traditionally celebrated from October 31 to November 1, it represents a powerful turning point in the Wheel of the Year. The days grow shorter, the nights stretch longer, and nature itself is entering a season of rest. For many who observe earth-based traditions today, Samhain is a reminder to slow down, reflect on the past year, and prepare inwardly for the months of darkness ahead. It is often considered the spiritual new year, a threshold between endings and beginnings.

One of the most meaningful aspects of Samhain is honoring our ancestors and loved ones who have passed on. This is a time when the veil between the worlds is said to be at its thinnest, making it easier to feel connected to those in the spirit realm. Many people create ancestor altars with photos, candles, or offerings of food and drink to remember and celebrate their lineage. Others hold quiet rituals of remembrance, speak the names of their beloved dead, or simply light a candle in gratitude. These practices remind us that we are part of a larger story, rooted in the lives of those who came before us.

Samhain is also a perfect opportunity for personal reflection and spiritual growth. Because it coincides with the turning of the year, many use this time to release old habits, emotions, or situations that no longer serve them, and to set intentions for the months to come. Divination practices such as tarot, runes, or scrying are especially popular during Samhain, as people seek insight into the future while standing at this liminal doorway between seasons. Whether through ritual, journaling, feasting, or simply spending time in nature, Samhain invites us to embrace the mystery of transition, to honor both life and death, and to carry forward wisdom into the dark season with intention.

Samhain journal prompts: Samhain is a powerful time for journaling because it naturally invites reflection, release, and renewal. As the Wheel of the Year turns toward winter, the darker nights encourage us to slow down and look inward, making it an ideal season for deep self-exploration. Journaling during Samhain can help you honor what you are ready to let go of, whether that’s habits, fears, or outdated patterns, while also creating space for new intentions to take root in the year ahead. It’s also a meaningful way to connect with your ancestors or loved ones who have passed—writing down memories, lessons, or even letters to them can be both healing and grounding. In this liminal time between endings and beginnings, journaling becomes a tool for clarity, transformation, and carrying wisdom into the darker months with purpose.

Cerridwen, the Welsh goddess of the cauldron, is deeply tied to themes of transformation, wisdom, and the cycles of life and death—all of which resonate strongly with Samhain. In myth, Cerridwen brews a magical potion in her cauldron to grant her son wisdom and inspiration, a process that takes a full year and a day. This image of the cauldron bubbling with change mirrors the liminal energy of Samhain, when the veil between worlds is thin and the past, present, and future mingle. Just as Cerridwen’s cauldron transforms its contents, Samhain invites us to transform ourselves by releasing what no longer serves and embracing the deeper wisdom that arises from endings.

Her presence at this time of year also underscores Samhain’s connection to death and rebirth. Cerridwen’s cauldron is not just a vessel of inspiration, but also a womb of renewal, reminding us that endings are never final—they are part of an ongoing cycle. Samhain is a time when we honor our ancestors, sit with the mysteries of mortality, and yet also plant the seeds of what we wish to grow in the year ahead. By meditating on Cerridwen during this season, we can draw strength from her lessons of patience, transformation, and trust in the unseen processes of change.

How to celebrate Samhain: Samhain is a holiday of remembrance, reflection, and renewal, so celebrations often center around honoring ancestors and connecting with the unseen world. A simple way to do this is by creating an ancestor altar with photos, mementos, or offerings of food and drink. Lighting candles, especially in windows, is a traditional act meant to guide spirits home and remind us of the warmth of those who came before us. You might also take time to share stories of loved ones who have passed, cook their favorite meals, or write them letters as a way of keeping their memory alive. These acts of remembrance can be both comforting and grounding, tying us to the great cycle of life that Samhain represents.

At the same time, Samhain is also about looking ahead, making it a powerful moment for intention-setting and personal transformation. Many people use this season to release old habits, fears, or burdens, either by writing them down and burning the paper in a fire or by burying them in the earth. Divination practices such as tarot, runes, or scrying are traditional at Samhain, as the thin veil between worlds is believed to allow for clearer insight and guidance. You might also celebrate with seasonal foods—pumpkin, apples, root vegetables, and hearty stews—or gather with friends for a bonfire, sharing warmth, stories, and gratitude as the darker half of the year begins.

Samhain Associations: Samhain is rich with symbols and associations that capture its themes of endings, beginnings, and the mystery of the unseen. Traditional colors include black for death and endings, orange for harvest and fire, and white for spirit and protection. Seasonal foods like apples, pumpkins, gourds, nuts, and root vegetables embody the final harvest, while herbs such as mugwort, sage, and rosemary are tied to protection and divination. Animals like crows, owls, bats, and cats are linked to the spirit world and the thinning of the veil, while symbols like cauldrons, bonfires, and the wheel of the year emphasize transformation and the eternal cycle of life and death. Together, these associations create a tapestry of meaning that makes Samhain both grounding and deeply mystical.

Samhain meditation: Samhain is an especially powerful time for meditation because the veil between worlds is said to be at its thinnest, making it easier to access wisdom, guidance, and insight from both your ancestors and your inner self. The stillness of meditation mirrors the seasonal pause between the end of the harvest and the long winter ahead, offering a moment to rest, reflect, and prepare for the darker months. Meditating at Samhain can help you process the endings in your life, release what no longer serves you, and open your spirit to renewal. Whether you focus on ancestral connection, personal transformation, or simply grounding yourself in the quiet energy of the season, meditation allows you to fully attune to the mystery and depth that Samhain carries.

Other Wheel of the Year Books

Whether you're an experienced witch or new to following spells, we have something for you all year round!

The Yule Companion

The Yule Companion: Yule, the winter solstice, is an ancient festival that celebrates the longest night and the rebirth of the sun. It is a time of hope, rest, and renewal as we honor the return of light and the promise of growth. Traditions include lighting candles, feasting, and spending time with loved ones in warmth and reflection.

The Imbolc Companion

The Imbolc Companion: Imbolc, celebrated around February 1st, honors the first signs of spring and the stirring of life beneath the frozen earth. It is a time of inspiration, purification, protection spells, and setting intentions for the year ahead. Often associated with the goddess Brigid, Imbolc invites creativity, renewal, and the gentle awakening of hope.

The Ostara Companion

The Ostara Companion: Our third instalment is about Ostara, the spring equinox, which celebrates the balance between light and dark and the bursting forth of new life. This sabbat is a joyful celebration that honors fertility, growth, and renewal as flowers bloom and days grow longer. It's a time for planting seeds—both literal and metaphorical—and embracing fresh beginnings.

The Beltane Companion

The Beltane Companion: Beltane, celebrated on May 1st, is a fire festival of fertility, passion, and union. It marks the peak of spring and the coming of summer, a time of creative energy and joyful celebration. Traditions include dancing around the maypole, lighting bonfires, and honoring love, vitality, and the sacred marriage of the divine feminine and masculine. It's one of the most well known Celtic holidays, and a really fun one!

The Litha Companion

The Litha Companion: Litha, or the summer solstice, is the longest day of the year and a celebration of light, abundance, and the power of the sun. It's another of the most well known Celtic holidays. It is a time of joy, manifestation, and honoring the fullness of life. This ancient festival is celebrated with outdoor rituals, feasts, and gratitude for nature’s peak vitality and energy.

The Lammas Companion

The Lammas Companion: Lammas, also known as Lughnasadh, is the first of the three harvest festivals on the Wheel of the Year, celebrating the grain harvest and the waning of summer. It’s a time to give thanks for abundance, honor hard work, and begin the gradual turn inward as the days grow shorter.

The Mabon Companion

The Mabon Companion: Mabon marks the autumnal equinox, a turning point when day and night are in perfect balance and the harvest reaches its peak. It is a time to give thanks for abundance, reflect on personal growth, and prepare for the darker months ahead. Celebrations often include feasting, seasonal rituals, and connecting with nature’s rhythms.

Samhain Book: The Samhain Companion