Halloween: The Most Sacred of Pagan Holidays

October 28, 10:41 PMDetroit Paganism ExaminerMamouna One

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The origins of Halloween date back to pre-Christian times. In Italy, it was a harvest festival honoring Pomona, the Goddess of fruit, the ancient Celts called it Samhain, honoring the God of the Dead and later, Christians reclaimed it as All Hallows Day (All Saints Day) on November 1st. All Hallows Day honors Christian saints also called Hallows and E’en means evening, so today we call it Halloween.


For Pagans and Neo-Pagans, it is the most magickal holiday, since this is the time of year when the spirit world opens a door to our mundane world. Halloween is the perfect time to honor and even contact one’s ancestors or any spirit from the beyond.

To celebrate Halloween, I like to incorporate the harvest season with ancestral celebration. Here is a simple way to celebrate your ancestors:

Ancestral Altar:

1) White candles, one for each ancestor you want to honor (Beeswax or Honeycomb Beeswax)
2) A match
3) 1 Cornucopia
4) Fall fruits and vegetables (for the cornucopia)
5) Pictures of each ancestor (best to have them in frames)
6) A chalice filled with Red wine (this represents the blood of your ancestors)
7) A cleansing Incense (if you prefer, like sage, dragons blood or mint)
8) A censor to burn the incense

Position your photo frames in front of each candle at the head of the altar. The cornucopia should be placed in the center, with the chalice to the left or right side of the centerpiece. If burning incense, prepare the censor for burning. Burn the incense first to clear the air and cleanse the space. Light the candles and say the following:

“I light each candle to honor my (our) loved ones before me to embrace and comfort me in this sacred space on this darkest night.”

“Bless this family and guide my (our) souls through trials and tribulations and lead me (us) into the light.”

“I drink this blood (drink from the chalice) to honor my (our) loved ones before me. Let their blood run through my veins and cleanse my soul with their wisdom.”

“Bless this family and protect my (our) legacy that I (we) may be fruitful and prosper forever more, Amen.” (Replace the Amen with Blessed Be, if preferred).

It is perfectly fine to include additional thanks or even name each ancestor if you prefer. Let the candles burn from 6:00 PM to midnight. Extinguish the candles and repeat every night as desired.