As the streets of Boston hum with Halloween energy, it’s easy to get caught up in the rush — parties, the ever raising bar for the ‘coolest’ costume, and decoration wars with your neighbors. Whether you’re planning a trip out to Salem for the Halloween festivities, hitting parties in Downtown, or taking the kids trick-or-treating around your neighborhood, this season doesn’t have to be just about spectacle.
Samhain, the ancient Celtic festival marking the end of the harvest and the start of the darker half of the year, offers a moment to slow down, reflect, and set intentions — even in the midst of city life. Here in Boston, a city with deep Celtic roots and a vibrant Irish and Scottish community that continues to celebrate its heritage, this weekend is the perfect time to pause, honor the turning of the season, and connect with ancestors. These rituals are not only expressions of spiritual or religious affiliations, but, amidst the fall frenzy, allow you to embrace the rhythms of life and death, tapping into the enduring traditions that link the city’s past to the present.
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What is Samhain?
Samhain, rising from ancient Celtic traditions that mark the end of the harvest and the start of the dark half of the year, is celebrated around October 31st and November 1st. Traditionally, it was a time of reflection, divination, and honoring ancestors, when the boundary between the living and the dead was believed to be thinnest, allowing spirits to visit the world of the living.
The golden glow of candles was believed to draw wandering spirits back to their family hearths. In their flickering light, the living honor their ancestors, opening heart and home to those who came before. Each flame became a bridge between worlds — a symbol of unity across time. Today, Samhain is still observed by many around the world, as many continue to light candles, hold rituals, honor ancestors and reflect on the cycles of life and death in line with the festival’s themes of remembrance and transformation. So why not light a candle, connect with your ancestors, and welcome the dark half of the year with warmth, reflection, and a little flickering magic?
Release Ritual🕯️🌙
This is a moment to seek protection and guidance as you let go of what no longer serves you. What would you like to release and set free during this season?
What you will need:
- One black candle (for banishing/letting go)
- One white or orange candle (for renewal)
- Paper and pen
- A fire-safe dish or cauldron
- Optional: incense, crystals, or symbols of ancestors
Steps:
Arrange your candles in a cozy space. Take a moment to center and welcome your ancestors, perhaps whispering a greeting such as; “Come close, ancestors. I honor your presence.” On paper, list what you wish to release. Light the black candle, state, “I release what no longer serves me,” and safely burn the paper in a dish, letting the smoke carry it away. Next, light the white or orange candle, declare, “I welcome guidance, growth, and the blessings of the season,” and feel warmth fill the space. Sit quietly with gratitude, thank your ancestors, and safely extinguish the candles, embracing the energy of release and renewal.
✨ Tips for Extra Magic:
- Play soft, mystical music to raise energy.
- Repeat this ritual at the start of November or during the new moon for extra power.
- Keep a small token or crystal nearby as a reminder of what you’ve released.
Ancestral Light Ritual🕯️🌙
At this time, when it is believed that the boundary between the living and dead is at its thinnest, honor and connect with your ancestors, inviting their wisdom and presences into your home during Samhain.
What you will need:
- One white or gold candle (to represent ancestral light)
- Optional: photos, heirlooms, or small keepsakes of loved ones who have passed
- Optional: incense, crystals, or seasonal items (pumpkins, autumn leaves)
Steps:
Find a quiet space and prepare your altar with a candle, photos, or symbols of your ancestors. Sit, breathe, and set your intention: “I open my heart and home to those who came before me. May your presence guide, protect, and inspire me.” Light the candle, speaking your loved ones’ names to honor them. Spend time in quiet meditation, imagining their guidance and noting any insights in a journal. Conclude by thanking your ancestors, safely extinguishing the candle, and optionally leaving a small offering (food, drink, or a symbolic item) as a token of remembrance.
✨ Tips for Extra Magic:
- Keep the candle on a small altar throughout the season as a reminder of ancestral presence.
- Invite family members to join, sharing stories and memories to strengthen the connection.
Divination Candle Ritual🕯️🌙
Take the opportunity to seek guidance or messages from ancestors and the unseen during the thin veil of Samhain.
What you will need:
- One white, purple, or blue candle (to enhance intuition and spiritual connection)
- Optional: a journal or notebook to record impressions
- Optional: crystals, incense, or small seasonal symbols to focus energy
Steps:
Find a quiet, dimly lit space and place your candle, optional crystals, or focus items on an altar. Sit comfortably, center yourself with a few breaths to invite a sense of curiosity, openness, and playfulness, and whisper your intention: “I welcome guidance and wisdom from the unseen, ancestors, and my own intuition.” Light your candle and focus on the flame, letting your gaze soften, then visualize the flickering light as a bridge to insight, a shimmering thread connecting your mind to the subtle energies around you. Pose a clear, simple question, such as, “What do I need to know in this season?”, “What guidance do my ancestors wish to share?”, “What should I release or embrace in the coming months?”
Observe the flame’s movement, any shadows, or patterns, paying close attention to the thoughts and feelings that arise, recording these impressions in a journal. To close, thank the guides and any ancestor who joined you, and safely extinguish the candle, allowing the received wisdom to settle within you. Optionally, carry a small token from the ritual with you as a reminder of the insight received.
✨ Tips for Extra Magic:
- Pair it with tarot, runes, or pendulum work for deeper divination.
- Keep a divination journal dedicated to Samhain insights and reflections—it’s a growing record of wisdom.
Circle of Seasons Ritual🕯️🌙
Paying homage to nature is another tradition on Samhain. At this time, acknowledge the turning of the seasons, and attune yourself to the cycles of life, death, and renewal.
What you’ll need:
- Four candles (optional colors: green for earth, red/orange for fire, blue for water, yellow for air)
- Seasonal items: autumn leaves, acorns, pinecones, or harvested fruits
- Optional: incense, small bowl of water, or a crystal representing earth or the elements
Steps:
Find a quiet corner to set your sacred space, arranging candles and natural items in a circular or altar layout which you imagine as a miniature reflection of the natural world and honors the elements. Sit comfortably to center and ground yourself, feeling your connection to Earth, Air, Fire, and Water, and whisper the intention, “I honor the cycles of nature, the wisdom of the earth, and the turning of the year.” Light the candles, dedicating a flame to each element and imagining that elemental energy filling your space:
💚🌍 Green / Earth — stability, growth, abundance
❤️🔥 Red/Orange / Fire — transformation, passion, energy
💙🌊 Blue / Water — intuition, emotion, flow
💛🌬️ Yellow / Air — clarity, inspiration, thought
Next, offer thanks and intentions by holding a natural item and stating, “I honor this season’s gifts, the harvest past and the darkness to come. May I walk in harmony with the earth and its cycles,” then place the item back on your altar or in a natural spot outside as an offering. Meditate and listen quietly, observing the flames and reflecting on what the turning of the season teaches you — about growth, release, and renewal — feel the ebb and flow of life mirrored in the flicker of the candles. Finally, close the ritual by thanking the elements and safely extinguishing the candles, trusting the energy of nature continues to guide you.
✨ Tips for Extra Magic:
- Perform outdoors if possible, to feel wind, soil, or leaves around you. Maybe take a break in Boston Common to reflect.
- Combine with journaling or sketching seasonal elements to deepen reflection.
- Repeat during each quarter or season to track personal growth in harmony with nature.
The Samhain Dumb Supper🕯️🌙
Invite the presence of your ancestors and loved ones to your table by acknowledging the thin veil of Samhain.
What you will need:
- An intentionally prepared meal, possibly a recipe of your ancestors, to serve yourself and any participants
- An extra plate, cup, and place setting for the departed
- Optional: candles, photos, heirlooms, or keepsakes of ancestors
- Optional: seasonal decorations like pumpkins, leaves, or autumn fruits
Steps:
Prepare your table as usual, but include an extra place setting and candle to represent the honored spirit. Surround the setting with seasonal items to mark the turning of the year. Light the candles, letting their glow serve as a gentle beacon to guide the departed home, and feel their presence in the light’s warmth. Share the meal quietly and mindfully, eating in silence to honor the meal as an offering of presence rather than words. After eating, reflect and honor their memory, lessons, and love, leaving a small drink, bite of food, or symbolic offering at the extra place. To close the ritual, thank your ancestors for joining and for their guidance, then safely extinguish the candles, trusting their light remains in your heart and home. Optionally, keep a small token, photo, or memento on your altar as a reminder of the connection.
Other ways to reflect this Samhain
And if you’re looking for another way to slow down and embrace the season, Boston’s Candlelight concerts offer the perfect complement to Samhain’s themes. Surrounded by flickering flames and the warmth of soft light, you can let the music carry you into reflection, remembrance, and connection—whether honoring loved ones, contemplating the year past, or simply pausing to breathe in the beauty of the moment. Just as lighting a candle can invite presence and intention, these concerts offer a space of calm, wonder, and seasonal magic.