From sunset tonight until sunset tomorrow (April 30th and May 1st) in the Southern Hemisphere, many Neo-Pagans are celebrating Samhain. This Sabbat is nearly halfway between the autumn equinox and winder solstice.
Along with Beltane (we in the Northern Hemisphere are celebrating Beltane beginning at sunset tonight and concluding at sunset tomorrow), Lughnasadh and Imbolc, Samhain is one of the greater Sabbats described in the Wheel of the Year.
This is the time to celebrate the lives of those who have passed beyond the veil. Samhain often involves paying respects to ancestors, family members, pets, friends and other loved ones.
In some rituals, the spirits of the dead are invited to attend the festivities. While we celebrate Beltane as a festival of fertility and light, Samhain is a festival of darkness. The veil between this world and the afterlife is at its thinnest point of the year, and so it is easier to communicate with those who have departed this world.
Rituals that surround Samhain include bonfires, dancing, healing, giving thanks and honoring our dead. Make some time to help to guide the dead home by opening a western-facing window or door and placing a candle by the opening. Set aside some food for your ancestors and protective spirits. And tonight, place some food and drink outside for the faeries, witches and others who roam the Earth.
Fuente:The Smart Witch 's facebook page