Standing on the Threshold: A Samhain Ritual for the Dead

Standing on the Threshold: A Samhain Ritual for the Dead By Michelle Belanger


As the pagan New Year, Samhain is a celebration of thresholds. It is a time of endings and beginnings, an expression of the dynamic balance between the old and the new. Samhain is also a festival of the dead. It is believed that during this pivotal time of the year, the wall between the worlds of spirit and matter grows thin, and the souls of the dead may return to walk among the living. Many of these spirits were welcomed into the homes of their former families during this day of the year. In tradition, an extra place was set at the family table for each member of the household who had passed on, and equal portions of the meal were set at each place. In this way, the family shared a ritual meal with their departed loved ones to show them that they were remembered and still loved. Spirits who returned to their homes to find their families had forgotten about them often grew angry, hurt, and restless. In their anger, they turned to destructive acts, seeking out other houses where they could enter and take what they could. It was to ward such dispossessed spirits away that jack o' lanterns were placed on the thresholds of houses.


The following Samhain ritual is constructed in the spirit of that old practice. The ritual is designed to contact a particular spirit or spirits and call them to you across the veil. Once the spirits are sensed to be in attendance, a short ritual meal is shared between the celebrants, and a portion of this is offered to the spirits. The purpose of the ritual is to honor the dead while also celebrating life. The ritual can be used either by a solitary practitioner or by a circle. It is also appropriate not only for Samhain but also for any funeral service. If you are using the ritual as a funeral service, the spirit you will be focusing on will of course be that of the departed. The rituals has necromantic overtones, but do not be put off by them.


Necromancy, the practice of summoning spirits of the dead so that the living can converse with them, has long been considered a "black art." This is primarily because of the lack of volition involved in such summoning. Necromancy is concerned with gaining information from the dead, and it is a practice that is unethical in regards to the dead. Often, the necromancer is just using the spirits of the dead to increase his own knowledge of secret or hidden things. The dead are disturbed so the necromancer can ask them petty questions about buried treasure or occult information. In most necromantic operations, the dead are raped of their secrets, forced to attend the necromancer in his circle and commanded to answer all of his questions. No such coercion is involved in the following ritual.


The spirits of the dead are invited into your sacred space, and a place is made for them at the altar. The spirits should not be feared; they are guests, and they should be honored as one would honor old friends and family. In this way, though the energies being focused upon have a certain current of darkness to them, the overall ritual is very positive. It teaches us the balance of the wheel of the seasons: life begets death, which in turn begets new life.

First, you will need a mirror to place over or on your altar. Any size mirror will do, from a hand-mirror to something ornate you can hang on the wall. For practicality' s sake, it is best to use whatever is on hand. The mirror should be covered with a veil. Black lace works best, though a dark red or purple lace is allowable. In the Jewish funerary practices, all of the mirrors in a house are covered up for a set period of time while the family mourns the passing of a loved one. Ostensibly this is to discourage vanity in such a somber time, but mirrors have often been linked with spirits and reflections of the dead, and it is more likely that this practice has its roots in folklore. It is a common folk myth that if you stand before a mirror, especially when in a darkened room, and say the name of a dead person three times, their reflection will appear alongside yours in the mirror. The reflection is linked in the mythic imagination with the soul. Just look at all of the myths of vampires who cast no reflection is believed that being neither living nor dead, they have no soul which would reflect in a mirror. The mirror, then, reflects more than just the physical world. It captures something of the spirit-realm as well. Many of our common fairytales suggest Spirits can become trapped in mirrors . Thus, the covering up of mirrors in a house where someone has passed away may be a precaution against that loved one's soul becoming accidentally trapped in a mirror. In a more sinister sense, it may also protect the living from be revisited by the deceased, as ghosts can often appear in a mirror when they give no other indication of being present in a room.


The mirror, because of its link with spirits and the spirit-realm, will become a scrying tool. It will not be used so much for divination as are the mirrors on most traditional Wiccan or neo-Pagan altars, but it will be used as a method of contacting the dead. Two candles, set in holders, which you find pleasing, should flank the mirror on either side. Traditionally, candles represent the element of fire. For the purpose of this ritual, black candles are best, though red or dark purple will also do. Incense represents the element of air. You can use incense with myrrh in it, as this is a traditional incense of death, or you may burn incense with mugwort in it, as this is often used to aid in the summoning of spirits. A traditional Samhain incense will do as well. For your representation of the element of earth, you should have some cemetery dirt or some dirt mixed with ash from a funeral pyre. Cemetery dirt is the easier of these two to obtain; simply go down to your favorite cemetery, locate a freshly dug grave, and gather some earth into a bowl or a bag. If there is a particular grave, which has special significance for you, take the earth from there. You don't need very much, a couple of handfuls will do. Your representation of water should have a bit of salt added to it to represent both tears and blood. On one hand, your element of water represents the tears of mourning shed by the living for the departed. More potently, however, it represents blood, which is the life of all things. This you can keep in a chalice or bowl, whichever suits your tastes best. Take care that you do not add too much salt to the water, especially if you are planning on keeping it in a metal vessel, as the salt will cause the metal to corrode rapidly. Finally, in the center of your altar you should place something, which represents the presence of death. A skull, real or ceramic will do, or simply some dried-out fall leaves. As always, it is the symbol, which is important.

Before you call a particular spirit, you should have his name or a nickname that he was called. It would also be helpful to have an object that is tied to him, which you can focus on. This may be a photograph, an item that was important to him, an old letter he wrote, or an article of clothing. This supposes, of course, that the spirit is someone whose personal effects you have available to you. In the case of the long dead, or whose personal items you cannot gain access to, the most effective approach is to use their name and then select some item of object that represents what the person means to you. This item need not have any direct connection to the person in question, so long as you can use it as a focus to summon their presence in your mind. The items that represent the dead should be placed on the altar. Make certain there is room near these items to place plates of food and cups of wine. If your altar is too small for this, you may want to set up a small table in the middle of the circle for this purpose.


You will be setting a place for each spirit invited and offering them food to share with the participants in the ritual, so if each participant plans on calling a different spirit, you're going to need ample room. Finally, you want to prepare some food ahead of time. A lavish meal is not required. Simple cakes and wine will do. Make certain that you have enough for everyone who is going to participate in the ritual, including portions for the spirit or spirits you will honor.


Now you are ready to begin the Samhain ritual. First, cast your circle as you would for any other ritual. After setting up the Watchtowers and reciting the Charge, state your intent:

"We are gathered tonight In this season of endings and beginnings, When the wall between the worlds grows thin, To honor our dead and our living Through a meal shared between friends In this, our sacred space. This is the night of Samhain, The night when the old year dies. The shades of the dead walk among us, Reminding us what lies ahead Yet with winter comes the promise of springtime, And that which has died is reborn. Tonight we stand on the threshold, We stand as the Wheel turns, We celebrate death as we celebrate life And the mystery that is the two: Death begets life and old begets new, And thus is the world renewed."


If you are using this ritual as a funeral service, the opening should be altered slightly:

"We are gathered tonight On the threshold of endings and beginnings, To honor our dead and our living Through a meal shared between friends In this, our sacred space. We gather in honor of [name], Our friend who has passed on before us. We gather to celebrate her life and her death And the promise that she will be reborn. Tonight we stand on the threshold, We stand as the Wheel turns round us. We celebrate death as we celebrate life And the mystery that is the two: Death begets life and old begets new, And thus is the world renewed."


Approach the altar with the intent of opening your awareness up to the spirits. Focus upon the spirit you wish to contact, summoning his image in your mind and saying his name to yourself silently. If you do not know exactly what the person looked like in life, summon all that you know and associate with him instead.


Everyone who is participating in the ritual should be encouraged to meditate upon the spirit or spirits you are calling. Each should focus on the person's name, his image, and what he meant to them in life. Dipping your fingers into the vessel of water on your altar, anoint your forehead, lips, and heart. As you anoint yourself you may wish to say the following or whisper it to yourself


" I anoint my forehead That I may gain awareness of the dead I anoint my mouth That I may converse with the dead I anoint my heart That I may understand the dead"


If you are working in a group, carry the vessel of water to each participant and allow them to anoint themselves in the same fashion. When you touch your forehead with the water, you are symbolically opening your mind up to the presence of the dead. You are attuning both your physical and psychic senses to the subtle realm that lies just outside of your ordinary reality.
When you touch your lips, you are symbolically enabling yourself to speak with the dead. This gesture not only opens up your own mouth that the dead may better hear what you have to say to them, but also opens your ears that you may be receptive to their messages as well. Finally, when you touch your heart, you are symbolically opening your very soul to the dead. You are welcoming them emotionally and spiritually into your life and opening yourself up to whatever lessons they may be able to teach you. As you anoint your heart, think of sharing experiences with the dead, their sorrows, joys, and pains. Now, take some quiet time to call the spirits to you. Think about what you want from them, how you wish to share and come to understand their experiences beyond life. Speak out loud and call the spirits to you:

"Here on the sacred threshold, Where spirit and flesh unite, I call to you, [Name] I ask that you join us this night. You who were (brother /friend /father / etc.,) You our companion in life, Join us once again in our circle, Come as a companion in death. "


Now focus your attention on the veiled mirror and gaze at your reflection. Try to fix your eyes on the mirror without blinking. Do not simply look at your face in the mirror. Try to look beyond it. Gaze not so much at the surface of the glass as at a point beyond it or deep within it. As you gaze into the mirror, meditate upon the spirit or spirits being called as before. You may wish to say the person's name over and over again, like a chant or a mantra. Use the mirror as if it were a window or a portal and call through it, into the realm of spirits. Send your mind out as well, calling for the person you wish to contact. You will know when you have made contact with the spirit through subtle manifestations. Spirits may make their presence known in the flickering of a flame, in the shape of a shadow, in a subtle shifting in the mirror. Watch the mirror carefully for this is the easiest way for a spirit to appear to you: he may manifest in the lines of your own reflection, altering your face to match his remembered appearance.


You must be vigilant in your perceptions for this is not like Hollywood with all the overt special effects. If you are expecting scenes out of Poltergeist or Ghostbusters to take place in your having room, you will be sorely disappointed. The spiritual realm is a subtle realm of existence. It crosses over into tangible reality, at least, the tangible reality we are accustomed to, only rarely.
A slight breeze in a room when no windows are open may be enough to indicate the presence of a spirit, or a slight change in temperature.


A flickering of the lights, a scent, a sound, very distant and barely perceptible to the ear, all of these things may be the only indications you have that a spirit is near.
Images may suddenly and unbidden flit through your mind.


You may get an impression of a face and perhaps images, like memories. These impressions can feel very dream-like, almost imaginary.


It is easy to assume that they are the products of an active imagination combined with your ardent yearning to make contact with a spirit, but take note of them anyway. Sometimes they may be nothing more than imagination, but sometimes they can be the result of a subtle communication, which occurred between the spirit and you on a psychic and almost unconscious level.


When you are certain of the presence of the spirit, bring out the cakes and wine. Serve portions to each participant in the ritual. Then, setting a place for each spirit called (this can be done directly on the altar or someplace within the circle), set out a portion for the dead. Before anyone partakes of the food, the leading priest or priestess should lead everyone in the following prayer:


"We celebrate this meal with the dead in honor of the cycle of life and death. We ask the spirits of our departed to join us here on the threshold between worlds, so they may share with us their knowledge of both living and dying. Help us to understand and accept the cycle of death and rebirth. Help us to appreciate the liberation that comes from letting go. Help us to accept those changes in our lives that are little deaths, those events that tear away the old and out-worn, paving the way for regeneration and rebirth. Give us the courage to make changes when they are needed so we do not fall prey to the stasis that is the real death."


After this prayer, every participant should make some kind of resolution to try and let go of something that is hurting him in his or her life. The focus of this ritual is the lesson of death. Death teaches us the need for change in our lives. Nothing lasts forever, either good or bad, and when things have outgrown their usefulness, it becomes time to let them go. The celebrants should be given a few moments to reflect on those things in their lives that need changing, then they should each take turns declaring what those things are and describing how they plan on changing them.
If you are using the ritual as a funerary rite, instead of resolutions, each participant should say a few words about what the departed meant to them. Focus on lessons the departed taught you, how he or she enriched your lives. Explain why he or she will be missed, but express understanding that she had to move on. After the resolutions and such have been made, everyone should partake of the meal. This should not be done in silence but in celebration.


Do not ignore the spirits you have invited in your circle. Talk with them as well. Address them by name. Let them know that they are missed, but that you understand why they had to leave and move on. After the meal is finished, gather whatever is left up. Place the leftover food and wine on the altar as an offering to the dead. Finally, thank the spirits for participating and bid them on their way.


"Thank you, [name], for sharing this meal with us this night. Thank you for teaching us the wisdom of letting go. Know that we love you and miss you in our lives, But we understand the necessity of death."


Now that our ritual is coming to a close, So we do not fall prey to the stasis that is the real death. After this prayer, every participant should make some kind of resolution to try and let go of something that is hurting him in his or her life. The focus of this ritual is the lesson of death. Death teaches us the need for change in our lives. Nothing lasts forever, either good or bad, and when things have outgrown their usefulness, it becomes time to let them go. The celebrants should be given a few moments to reflect on those things in their lives that need changing, then they should each take turns declaring what those things are and describing how they plan on changing them.