Tonight we reach the Samhain doorway. Let’s talk a moment about time and calendars.
Most Samhain observances occurred on Halloween, or a convenient evening close to. Some choose their time by the lunar calendar. We gather as we can in the times in which we live.
In Western astrology, we look to the position of the Sun in the seasonal zodiac. The equinoxes and solstices fall at the start of each cardinal sign. We may not know the Celtic fire festivals are also tied to the zodiac, falling in the middle of the fixed signs.
In the Celtic calendar, these four times, 15° Aquarius, Taurus, Leo, and Scorpio, mark key turning points. They are doorways, liminal spaces. The manifest world shifts from season to season. Hidden worlds become easier to reach.
The Celts begin their calendar in the dark. A new day begins at dusk. A new year begins at Samhain, the doorway into the darkest part of the year.
This year, Samhain arrives the day before the Full Moon eclipse in Taurus. In the chart, the Sun is in position, conjunct Mercury, Venus, and the South Node.
Samhain amplifies the Full Moon eclipse, adding numinous power to the threshold.
Samhain is a time for connecting with ancestors. We honor those who came before, their struggles and triumphs, gifts and traumas. We set an extra place at the table where no living person sits. We ask their advice.
Samhain is a time for portents. Remember, this is the beginning of a new year. The questions we ask on January 1 are open now as well.
Samhain is a time for community. We recognize our interdependence, especially in hard times. No one survives alone.
Throughout eclipse season, we orient toward listening, watching, and asking good questions. The chaos eclipses generate make planning new actions tricky and uncertain.
The Sun reaches 15 Scorpio very early tomorrow (Monday). Tonight, after sunset, will be a powerful time for remembrance, connection, and listening.
The title image is an original Midjourney render.