30 October – Samhain Approaches
30th October 2025 by | Uncategorized
When the Veil Begins to Thin
At my desk this evening, as the last light drains from the sky and the wind murmurs through the old trees, I can feel the year turning. The hearth burns low, the air smells faintly of smoke and apples, and somewhere beyond the window the dark fields breathe a deeper hush. Tonight night brings Samhain — the ancient Celtic New Year — when the veil between this world and the next is said to thin until even the quietest whisper might be heard on the other side.
Long before the church bells of All Hallows rang, our ancestors marked this night with fire. Great hilltop bonfires shimmered against the mist, honouring those who had gone before and guarding the living from what might wander in the dark. It was a night of endings and beginnings, when cattle were brought home, harvests sealed, and candles placed in hollowed turnips to light the way for friendly spirits.
Though centuries have passed, the echo of those fires still flickers in the modern flame — in every candle placed in a window, in every story told by firelight. Samhain reminds us that death and life are woven together, and that remembrance is a kind of renewal.
Thanks for reading my post
Gemma