halloween is by far my favorite holiday. i really think its the most fun. and since i am a huge horror movie fan, its extra fun for me. i also love the this time of year- autumn. this is a special page dedicated to halloween. "all hallows eve". known to celtic cultures as samhain. its celebrated as another commerical holiday here in the us. heavily marketed, but extremely fun.

 

(scott cunningham's guide for the solitary practitioner)

samhain

At Samhain (October 31), the Craft say farewell to the
God. This is a temporary farewell. He isn't wrapped in
eternal darkness, but readies to be reborn of the Goddess
at Yule.
Samhain, also known as November Eve, Feast of the
Dead, Feast of Apples, Hallows, All Hallows and Hallowe'en,
once marked the time of sacrifice. In some places this was
the time when animals were slaughtered to ensure food
throughout the depths of Winter. The God - identified with
the animals - fell as well to ensure our continuing
existence.
Samhain is a time of reflection, of looking back over
the last year, of coming to terms with the one phenomenon
of life over which we have no control - death.
The Craft feel that on this night the separation
between the physical and spiritual realities is thin.
Witches remember their ancestors and all those who have
gone before.
After Samhain, Witches celebrate Yule, and so the
Wheel of the Year is complete.

Place upon the altar apples, pomegranetes, pumpkins,
squashes and other late autumn fruits. Autumn flowers such
as marigolds and chrysanthemums are fine too. Write on a
piece of paper an aspect of your life which you may wish to
be free of; anger, a baneful habit, misplaced feelings,
desease. The cauldron or some simular tool must be present
before the altar as well, on a trivet or some other
heat-proof surface (if the legs aren't long enough). A
small, flat dish marked with an eight-spoked wheel symbol
should also be there. [This is just what it sounds like.
On a flat plate or dish, paint a large circle. Put a dot
in the center of this circle and paint eight spokes
radiating out from the dot to the larger circle. Thus, you
have a wheel symbol - a symbol of the Sabbats, a symbol of
timelessness.]
Prior to ritual, sit quietly and think of friends and
loved ones who have passed away. Do not dispair. Know
that they have gone on to greater things. Keep firmly in
mind that the physical isn't the absolute reality, and
souls never die.
Arrange the altar, light the candles and censer, and
cast the Circle of Stones.
Recite the Blessing Chant.
Invoke the Goddess and God.
Lift one of the pomegranates and, with your
freshly-washed Boline, pierce the skin of the fruit.
Remove several seeds and place them on the wheel-marked
dish.
Raise your wand, face the altar and say:

On this night of Samhain I mark Your passing,
O Sun King,
through the sunset into the Land of the
Young.
I mark also the passing of all who have gone
before,
and all who will go after.
O Gracious Goddess,
Eternal Mother,
You who gives birth to the fallen,
teach me to know that in the time of the
greatest darkness there is the greatest light.

Taste the pomegranate seeds; burst them with your
teeth and savour their sharp, bittersweet flavour. Look
down as the eight-spoked symbol on the plate; the Wheel of
the Year, the Cycle of the Seasons, the End and Beginning
of all Creation.
Light a fire within the cauldron (a candle is fine).
Sit before it, holding the piece of paper, gazing at its
flames. Say:

Wise One of the Waning Moon,
Goddess of the Starry Night,
I create this fire within Your cauldron to
transform that which is plaguing me.
May the energies be reversed:
From the darkness, light!
From bane, good!
From death, birth!

Light the paper in the cauldron's flames and drop it
inside. As it burns, know that your ill diminishes,
lessens and finally leaves you as it is consumed within the
universal fires. [The cauldron, seen as the Goddess.]
If you wish, you may attempt scrying or some other
form of divination, for this is a perfect time to look into
the past or future. Try to recall past lives too, if you
will. But leave the dead in peace. Honour them with your
memories but do not call them to you. [Many Pagans do
attempt to communicate with their deceased ancestors and
friends at this time, but it seems to me that if we accept
the doctrine of reincarnation, this is a rather strange
practise. Perhaps the personalities that we knew still
exist, but if the soul is currently incarnate in another
body, communication would be difficult, to say the least.
Thus, it seems best to remember them with peace and love -
but do not call them up.] Realease any pain and sense of
loss you may feel into the cauldron's flames.
Works of magick, if necessary, may follow.
Celebrate the Simple Feast.
The circle is released.

 

samhain lore

It is traditional on Samhain night to leave a plate of
food outside the home for the souls of the dead. A candle
placed in the window guides them to the Lands of Eternal
Summer, and burying apples in the hard-packed earth "feeds"
the passed ones on their journey.
For food, beets, turnips, apples, corn, nuts,
gingerbread, cider, mulled wines and pumpkin dishes are
appropriate, as are meat dishes (once again, if you're not
vegetarian. If so, tofu seems ritually correct).

 

wiccan info from wicca.com ;

Samhain Lore (October 31st)

Samhain, (pronounced SOW-in, SAH-vin, or SAM-hayne) means "End of Summer", and is the third and final Harvest. The dark winter half of the year commences on this Sabbat.

It is generally celebrated on October 31st, but some traditions prefer November 1st. It is one of the two "spirit-nights" each year, the other being Beltane. It is a magical interval when the mundane laws of time and space are temporarily suspended, and the Thin Veil between the worlds is lifted. Communicating with ancestors and departed loved ones is easy at this time, for they journey through this world on their way to the Summerlands. It is a time to study the Dark Mysteries and honor the Dark Mother and the Dark Father, symbolized by the Crone and her aged Consort.

Originally the "Feast of the Dead" was celebrated in Celtic countries by leaving food offerings on altars and doorsteps for the "wandering dead". Today a lot of practitioners still carry out that tradition. Single candles were lit and left in a window to help guide the spirits of ancestors and loved ones home. Extra chairs were set to the table and around the hearth for the unseen guest. Apples were buried along roadsides and paths for spirits who were lost or had no descendants to provide for them. Turnips were hollowed out and carved to look like protective spirits, for this was a night of magic and chaos. The Wee Folke became very active, pulling pranks on unsuspecting humans. Traveling after dark was was not advised. People dressed in white (like ghosts), wore disguises made of straw, or dressed as the opposite gender in order to fool the Nature spirits.

This was the time that the cattle and other livestock were slaughtered for eating in the ensuing winter months. Any crops still in the field on Samhain were considered taboo, and left as offerings to the Nature spirits. Bonfires were built, (originally called bone-fires, for after feasting, the bones were thrown in the fire as offerings for healthy and plentiful livestock in the New Year) and stones were marked with peoples names. Then they were thrown into the fire, to be retrieved in the morning. The condition of the retrieved stone foretold of that person's fortune in the coming year. Hearth fires were also lit from the village bonfire to ensure unity, and the ashes were spread over the harvested fields to protect and bless the land.

Various other names for this Greater Sabbat are Third Harvest, Samana, Day of the Dead, Old Hallowmas (Scottish/Celtic), Vigil of Saman, Shadowfest (Strega), and Samhuinn. Also known as All Hallow's Eve, (that day actually falls on November 7th), and Martinmas (that is celebrated November 11th), Samhain is now generally considered the Witch's New Year.

Symbolism of Samhain:
Third Harvest, the Dark Mysteries, Rebirth through Death.

Symbols of Samhain:
Gourds, Apples, Black Cats, Jack-O-Lanterns, Besoms.

Herbs of Samhain:
Mugwort, Allspice, Broom, Catnip, Deadly Nightshade, Mandrake, Oak leaves, Sage and Straw.

Foods of Samhain:
Turnips, Apples, Gourds, Nuts, Mulled Wines, Beef, Pork, Poultry.

Incense of Samhain:
Heliotrope, Mint, Nutmeg.

Colors of Samhain:
Black, Orange, White, Silver, Gold.

Stones of Samhain:
All Black Stones, preferably jet or obsidian.