There are a number of different timing methods for Samhain in the pagan sphere, but most neopagans agree that it’s somewhere around the turn of October/November in the Northern hemisphere, and it’s inarguably the whole month of November in the modern Irish language (and November-Eve is then Oíche Shamhna). For me, Samhain Season, the time when the Otherworlds are closer to our world, feels like a tide. The tide reaches its peak between October 31st and November 7th, but builds up for most of October and lingers for most of November, with twin small peaks on the dark moons of those two months. I also associate Samhain Season with the first frost, which in my immediate area is usually that same period, from October 30th to November 7th. This year my child was unfortunately ill for most of that time, so our Halloween and Samhain plans were adjusted and made smaller. Still, the night I felt most drawn to do my usual Ancestors divination after my child went to sleep ended up being the night of the first hard frost, which I took as a good omen and a blessing. And tonight, the 7th, is the first time my mind has been clear enough to commune with Na Morigna since the dark moon a few days ago, which also feels like a small affirmation, an acknowledgement of my human frailty, of the difficulty of being a disabled parent caring for a sick child.
I was not sure what to expect from Na Morrigna, for both Samhain and the Dark Moon, but when I approached them I saw the sky reflected in their large cauldron, and I came back from there with three questions:
Which resources are you abundant in, and which do you need more of, to continue our work together?
Where is your magic not working, and what mundane actions can you take to supplement it?
What illusions are holding you back, and what secret fears need to be laid bare and conquered?
They are questions meant for deep reflection, and I can hardly think of a better way to begin this dark half of the year. I’ll be journaling my answers, and if the questions speak to you, I suggest you do the same.
Post image is a stock photo provided by squarespace, in black and white, of black birds in the uppermost branches of trees, with a grey sky above.