Samhain 2024

~ Ashley

samhain 24 original

Winter

Darkness grows;
An ending, a beginning,
And renewal.

Today, we are midway between the autumn equinox and the winter solstice and in the Celtic tradition this time is seen as the start of winter.  Known as Samhain (pronounced sow-ein) it is the end and the beginning of the Celtic new year.  As the darkness grows it is believed we are reborn.

If you are a regular visitor to my blog you already know that in my writing I follow the cycle of seasons, echoing the ancient spiritual pathways.  Now that I’ve begun drawing again I hope to follow the same seasonal cycle.

From reading and study, the colours of this seasonal festival are black representing death, ending and the spiritual world, orange suggesting life within death, and purple for wisdom and insight.  Here in the northern hemisphere we feel the effects of the earth’s tilt away from the sun and I hope that my interpretation of this in my sketch echoes the phenomenon.

It is a time to remember ancestors, family and friends who have passed away but also a time to prepare for the winter to come.

Ashley

38 thoughts on “Samhain 2024”

    1. Since I don’t speak Gaelic I’ve had to use Google to translate. Here in Northern Ireland (UK) Gaelic and the Ulster-Scots languages have become politicised, which is a real shame.

      Auguri di Halloween in ritardo a te, caro Claudio! (Using Google)

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  3. Nice haiga…colorful image and beautiful hokku verse! Yes, it’s a cross-quarter day. A storm brought in some cooler, wetter weather for the beginning of winter! And the sun’s path is noticably further south, as we tilt away from the sun. In the old days we used to freeze or can our garden vegetables in our preparation for the dark, cold days ahead. But, today people depend on the grocery stores to have everything. I will post a haiga by noon Friday, Nov. 1st to celebrate this occasion. Happy Winter Carol and Ashbranch! Stay warm and dry!

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    1. Hi Edo-san, thank you. Yes, how times have changed, even in my own lifetime! My Flickr account has taken a back seat lately so I’ve some catching up to do. For now, I’ve just noted the winter solstice in my diary (Sat 21st Dec) so I’ve got some time to prepare! Happy winter to you and Marilyn. Hoping and praying that the floods have now receded and all on track again!

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  4. Happy Samhain, Ashley. Definitely darker early now and colder. I do try to escape it when I can. 😊🙏
    We have a bank holiday in Germany today to remember. Although I remember my passed away loved ones all the time. ❤️

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    1. Dear Ute, thank you. Wishing you a happy winter. The weather is still mild, too mild, as the cold is needed to kill off all those viruses. For now we have our “jabs” and if you’re like me, a multi-vitamin tablet, just in case! 🤗🌹🙋‍♂️

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    1. Andrea, I just wish I’d started learning about these things earlier in my life. It is only since I retired nearly 10 years ago that my view really began to change. So much to learn as I move into the winter of my own life! Thank you for your lovely comment. 🤗🌹🙋‍♂️

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    1. Dear Rosaliene, how wonderfully expressed! Winter really should wrap around us like a big thick blanket bringing inner warmth and comfort as we review the past year and look forward to the next one. 🤗🌹🙋‍♂️

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    1. Hi Josie, oh my, too warm and it is still very mild here, today around 13-14c and damp!

      (Josie, I lost your blog and then a month or so ago, a “like” came from what appeared to be your blog but when I clicked on it I was taken to something to do with gambling machines! I’ll try again via your gravatar above). (It worked and I’ve subscribed again). 🤗🌹🙋‍♂️

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  13. Thank you, Ashley. It perhaps comes as no surprise I prefer the true meaning of Samhain, as opposed to the trick or treating. The season seems to naturally invite introspection, and a remembrance of those who are no longer with us. I browse the old photographs, and light a candle.

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    1. Hi Michael, I agree about the T or T thing. We live in a quiet cul-de-sac and thankfully miss all of that. In earlier days, when we lived in the south east of England we were known to draw all the curtains and move to the back of the house! 😉

      With the darker nights, it is a wonderful time for remembrance. 🙏

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  14. It is a time to remember ancestors, family and friends who have passed away…

    Somebody in my neigbourhood made once a joke, a dark one, that it seems to him, that his fellows die like flies.

    August 2023 i lost 4 people of my class.

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  16. I think I must be a natural pagan, or it’s in the DNA, despite being completely non-religious. This is possibly my favourite time of year. I love your simple representation, darkness and back to light as the seasons come full circle.

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    1. Thank you, Ruth, for your lovely comments. I understand what you mean by natural pagan as we are evolved from the elements of the Cosmos. Although I have looked into paganism there are so many things ‘added’ by more modern minds. I let Mother Earth guide me. 🤗🌹🙏

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