ENDINGS AND BEGINNINGS: CELEBRATING SAMHAIN
Samhain (pronounced S-owe-un) is a time when the 'doorways' to the Otherworld open, allowing supernatural beings and souls of the dead to come into our world; we like to think of it as a beautiful festival for the dead.
Samhain is an ancient Celtic festival marking the end of the harvest season and was traditionally celebrated on October 31st. In the middle ages, Christian missionaries replaced pagan festivals with Christian holidays. Enter: All Hallows’ Eve—eventually shortened to Halloween. You know it well we’re sure. As this day approaches, it’s natural to feel a mix of excitement and unease. In tarot, the Death card often brings about that same mix of emotions. People sometimes fear it signifies an actual end, or even literal death. During a recent Cacio e Pepe Reading, someone pulled the card and asked nervously, “Am I going to die?” This reaction is common, but in truth, the Death card is a powerful symbol of transformation, not a foreboding omen.
In Cacio e Pepe, our Death card, Papaya, symbolizes the ripeness of change, reminding us that transformation happens at life’s thresholds. We cannot avoid nature’s promise that change is always ripe and ready. Just as a papaya becomes sweetest right before its rotten, true transformation appears at life’s tender thresholds - the passing of a relationship, job, or season. These moments ask us to release what no longer serves us so that we can move forward. We can always look to nature to remind us of the incredible amount of beauty that only happens before, during and after death. If you pull the Death or Papaya card, remind yourself that leaves changing in autumn, supernova stars, monarch butterfly migrations and cherry blossom blooms all happen in preparation of or as a result of death. Death is quite literally surrounded in beaUTY. Most of us have all experienced something passing which at the time felt scary, and in the end served our higher good.
As we step into Samhain and Scorpio season, and as the veil thins, we’re invited to see beyond endings and into the promise of what lies ahead. This is a time of change and even miracles - a reminder that life has unseen helpers and hopeful transitions that support us during times of shift and uncertainty. Here’s to embracing the beauty in what we cannot yet see, in trusting the mystery, and in opening ourselves to what is next.
We invite you to embrace the unknown by lighting a candle, inviting in your unseen helpers, and pulling a card or two or three or so many. You have the power to choose to receive or decilne the message that comes. May each card offer a sense of calm as you step forward.
Create your sacred space this Samhain
