a samhain tarot spread*

During the Iron Age, the Celts occupied what is now Ireland, Scotland, the UK, and parts of Northern Europe. Celtic traditions continue till today. Samhain is one of the 8 major celebrations on the Celtic calendar. In modern Irish Samhain means ‘summer’s end’. We are entering the ‘dark’ side of the year in the Northern Hemisphere. Samhain is considered a time when ‘the veil’ is thin and the ‘doorways’ to the otherworld are open. Accordingly, it is an auspicious time for internal self reflection, unflinching personal investigation, and all forms of divination. It is celebrated as the start of a new year. And a time of venerating our ancestors and allowing ourselves to consciously connect with them. Halloween is the modern western version of Samhain. ‘Practice’ of the holiday is usually done solely on a symbolic surface level. The deeper meaning usually remains hidden beneath the candy, costumes, and horror films. Though it is clearly revealed in the natural world.

*The questions posed in the spread can also be used as prompts for personal exploration and free writing and do not need to be used with a Tarot deck.