We remember Halloween for pumpkins and candy. Follow its roots back and you reach the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain. At the end of October, when the harvest was in and the dark winter was coming, people closed one year and prepared for the next.
The night the veil grows thin
At Samhain the boundary between this world and the next was believed to grow thin. People honoured their ancestors, lit bonfires and told fortunes for the coming year. Love divinations with apples and nuts were passed down for a long time. Halloween masks and jack-o'-lanterns carry on that wish to get safely through the night.
Cards that fit the season
- Death: not a scary card but a card of endings and beginnings, much like Samhain closing the year.
- The Moon: night, intuition and what cannot be seen. Its message is to check the facts even when you feel uneasy.
- The Hermit: an old figure walking alone with a lantern. A time to look inward before winter.
- Judgement: a card for looking back and starting again.
Three questions for looking back on your year
On Halloween night, draw three cards and ask:
- What can I let go of from this year?
- What have I protected this year?
- What seed should I carry into winter?
Rather than settling on answers, write down what the pictures bring to mind.
Halloween at the Goblin Office
The Goblin Office has 24 Halloween-only goblins that appear until October 31. Find the goblin that matches your name and birthday. The Pumpkin King is legendary, so he does not show up easily.