Fall Reflection: from Samhain to the Winter Solstice

The days are passing so quickly – or am I just busier than usual? Halloween just come and gone, I barely had time to think whether I should throw a party and it was too late. Perhaps for the Solstice, then.

Halloween is starting to be celebrated here in Norway, and the population is divided about it. Some see it as a commercialised, un-Norwegian imposition on the local tradition, which is carol-singing on New year’s eve, dressing up, begging treats and not really singing all that much. Others are jumping at the chance of another party, having fun and looking their absolute worst.

Personally, I love Halloween, or should I say Samhain – for the fun, carnivalesque and rebellious festival that it is, for the remembrance of the dead, for exploring the thin veil between this life and the other, for celebrating the changing seasons, for giving thanks for a plentiful harvest and for letting those gorgeous autumnal russet, golden colours fill my being. Halloween marks a time of year that functions as a sacral chakra refuelling point for me.

This week I’ve got more time to contemplate and reflect, drawing on particular lunar energies with it being a New Moon right now.

The moon affects people in different ways, but I always find myself open and sensitive, tapping in to deep intuitions and unconsciousness. The time between Samhain and the Winter Solstice is usually filled with introspection, with interpreting what’s happened before and glimpsing what is to come.

For me, these weeks mark that time of year when I am the most aware of what lies beyond this world, when I feel the strongest connection with the Goddess. I am resting in her lap.

This softly dark time is like a gestation period, helping me to understand and to feel and to live more fully in the months to come. From this introspection and deep affinity with the universe, I will soon emerge in a higher state. Samhain thus marks the incubation period for my annual re-birth.

So what does Halloween mean to you? How do you spend this time of year? Is spiritual and emotional growth and development something that you’ve got space for in you life?

Luckily for me, the evenings are dark and long here in Norway and that’s the perfect reminder for me to sit and be still. In this womb-like darkness I find a warm and nurturing peace that’s quite different to the invigorating, bright energy of the summer months. I love all the seasons for their particular qualities.

I know that for many people the next couple of months are truly manic, what with seasonal commitments, holidays and festivities to plan and organise.

I hope you’ll find time in the middle of all this though, to sit still with a cup of tea, or hot chocolate, or even a glass of wine. Finding a moment to be at rest and to be mindful is the best restorative tonic there is. I wish you a good rest in the Goddess’ lap.

Finding the community of Cycle Harmony has made a huge difference to me. I am delighted to be writing to you from the Red Tent  and hope to share thoughts and experiences you recognise, or find useful to ponder upon. I look forward to working with you all in exploring what it is to be women, and hope to hear from you. ~ Vild

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