Spotlight on Witchcraft II: A Samhain Sabbat

Samhain (pronounced so-wen) is generally considered to be the Pagan New Year, celebrated by witches (Wiccans) in the Northern hemisphere. (Since the celebrations are tied to nature, Samhain is celebrated at a different time of the year in the Southern hemisphere). 


Samhain is associated with harvesting and thus the time when plants stop their growth. Often called the festival of the dead, it is the time when witches believe that the veil between the living and the dead is the thinnest. 


I had the fortune of spending Samhain with witches in Salem. Based on my amateur estimate there were about 200 in attendance of the Samhain Sabbat at Gallows Hill Park. 


Most were wearing black cloaks, some were wearing costumes that would be more associated with Halloween rather than Samhain. 


(That's to be expected, some witches believe that you should dress as something you wish to emulate in the new year for Samhain. So if you want to perceive yourself as more powerful you can dress up as Thor.)


I met up with a group of witches in front of Nu Aeon, a magical supply shop, and from there we walked to Gallows Hill Park where 19 people accused of being witches had been hanged in 1692 (or at least one of our guesses where this happened).

Celtic Knot

During this walk, volunteers were asked to carry banners, such as a naked Artemis, Celtic Knot, and the wheel of Hecate.

At the beginning of the walk, I heard shouts of Jesus! Jesus! directed at us. 



The walk was approximately 1.6 miles and through virtually every residential area there were people were recording our walk with their cell phones. 

Wheel of Hecate

When my group arrived, there were already some people there doing ritual preparations. Some were drumming and some were drawing a magic circle with what I suspect to be sea salt. 


It was chilly, but not too cold. The trees in the park were starting to turn different shades of orange, red, and yellow. It looked like autumn; it looked like harvest time. 



People already in the circle left the circle to come greet us so that we could form the circle with everyone. I saw people walking slowly through an arch adorned with fall colored plants similar to one that might be used for an outdoor fall wedding. 


As I got closer there were gatekeepers in black robes, many hiding behind mirrors. They were tasked with asking questions prior to our entrance into the circle. 


One woman sprinkled water on me with a feather and asked me what I was going to leave behind (remember its the Pagan New Year). I answered doubts. 


Next there was a pair of women with mirrors, one of which asked me who I was and how I served humanity. I answered that I was a writer and I served humanity by being fair to those I write about.


These were deep questions and with an estimated 100 people behind me waiting to be let through, it was more pressure than I expected. But, I did manage my answers relatively quickly and was allowed to enter. 



Finally after being asked to gaze into a mirror I was allowed through the threshold and enter the circle. 



It took some time for everyone to go through this ritual, so I stood there observing for some time before anything happened. 


During this time priests wearing colorful robes greeted everyone in the circle. One of them was passing  around Dandelion seeds to remember my ancestors. (Remember the veil between the living and the dead is the thinnest on this day). 


Once everyone was in the circle we did what was called a spiral dance. (Well most of us walked). But as we did so we interwove with other parts of the circle while chanting/singing:

We are a circle

Within a circle

With no beginning

And never ending 

After this, it took us some time to reform the circle. Also, at the request of the leaders we formed two circles. 


After this rearrangement was done we asked the Guardians of the North, East, South, and West to protect the circle separately and in a singsong chant. 


Then we asked protection from the Horned God and the Triple Goddess (remember Wiccans have a duotheistic theological system)


While we had the protection of the circle we were asked to recall our ancestors and feel their presence with us. When allowed I like to at least attempt to immerse myself in the experience. So I brought to my mind my grandfather. 


And I did remember.  I do not think this is magic, if by magic you mean supernatural; but rather a psychological effect. I remembered how he would give me high fives. 


I remembered him watching Westerns usually with John Wayne. He complained that at the beginning of a movie the good guy couldn't shoot, couldn't fight, and had 4 shots in his 6 shooter, but at the end of the movie he was deadly accurate, fought well, and had 10 shots in his 6 shooter. 


Then we were asked to say out loud what we wanted for the future. I did not respond to this, but many others did. Some of the answers were: peace, love, harmony, religious tolerance, and the like. 


After this someone returned wine, bead, and milk to the earth as a sacrifice and then offered a dumb supper (a supper offered in silence) to our ancestors. 


This was a minimalistic dumb supper, in that we were only tasked with staying quiet for a few moments. Unlike more elaborate dumb suppers. 


At the end we asked the Guardians, the Horned God, and the Goddess to go in peace. And it was remarked by one of the leaders who went by the name Gypsy that they were blessed to live in a place where they could practice their magic openly. 



Then the leaders praised the police escort for accompanying us on our way back to Salem. 


They passed out pentacle cookies and we lit candles to further honor our ancestors on our walk back. The lit candles were placed at a grave site in further remembrance at the end of our walk back.


(I will give analysis and recap of Wicca in my final post.)