The season of Samhain

Yesterday was Anzac Day here in Australia, and for me, that day always marks the beginning of my Samhain season.

While Anzac Day is a national day of remembrance, it also holds a personal weight. I have ancestors who served in both World War I and World War II, and this time of year naturally becomes the beginning of my Samhain practices with that same sense of respect, gratitude, and quiet reflection.

​Over the next week, I’ll start putting together my ancestral altar. Nothing fancy, just meaningful. I gather the things that belonged to my ancestors, photos that I’ve obtained from family and through research, the little trinkets I have that somehow carry their energy. Creating this altar always feels like reconnecting with them in a simple, steady way.

I’ll also be on the hunt for a few good pumpkins. I like choosing them myself, finding the ones that feel “right” for carving on Samhain evening. The insides will become my first pumpkin soup of the season, a small tradition I look forward to every year. There’s something comforting about that first bowl of soup, especially when it’s tied to a ritual.

Another part of my Samhain season is visiting the resting places of my grandparents. They were cremated, and their plaques sit within beautiful garden cemeteries not far from where I live. These visits aren’t heavy or sad for me. They’re grounding and quiet full of memories and comfort. A moment to pause and acknowledge the people who shaped my family line. If time (and petrol prices) allow, I’m hoping to travel a little further this year to visit an ancestor’s resting place I’ve never seen before. I’ve been collecting a list of cemeteries where my ancestors are laid to rest, and I’d love to visit them and take gravestone rubbings for an Ancestral Memory Book I’m slowly creating.

This really is one of my favourite times of year. The weather shifts, the air cools, and everything feels a little softer. The days invite reflection. The nights feel deeper. Samhain, for me, isn’t spooky or dramatic. It’s deep, steady, mysterious and thoughtful. It’s a season where I feel more connected to my roots, my family, and the stories that came before mine.

Blessed Samhain. May this time bring you warmth, clarity, and a sense of connection to those who walked before you.

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