The Samhain Ritual is a ritual performed on Samhain to summon ancestral spirits.
Supplies for a basic ritual
- 1 yellow candle
- 1 red candle
- 1 blue candle
- 1 green candle
- 1 purple candle
- Lighter or matches
- Lighting strip (matches)
Additional supplies
- Sweetgrass (for clearing negative energy)
- Sage (to cleanse and purify the area)
- Goblet
- Knife
Have those present for the ritual take their places in the circle. Figure out which direction is north, south, east and west and place the candles in their proper place. The green candle goes in the northern most part of the circle, the red candle goes in the southern most part of the circle, the yellow candle goes in the eastern most part of the circle and the blue candle goes in the western most part of the circle. Summon the elements- first air, then fire, water, earth and spirit.
Burn sage to cleanse and purify the area. Then hold the sweetgrass over the purple candle, so that it lights quickly. Let it burn for a little while, then blow it out. The High Priestess then waves it gently around them, filling the air with tendrils of smoke, and begins the ritual. If sweetgrass is not used only after burning sage to purify and cleanse the area, it might attract any energy, specifically negative energy.
"On this Samhain night, hear my ancient call all you spirits of our ancestors. On this Samhain night, let my voice carry with this smoke to the Otherworld where bright spirits play in the sweet grass mists of memory. On this Samhain night I do not call the spirits of our human ancestors. No, I let them sleep; I have no need of them in life or in death. On this Samhain night I call magical ancestors - mystical ancestors - those who were once human, and who, in death, are more than human." The smoke then swirls and changes, beginning to take on forms. They are indistinct, more like the outlines of bodies then the actual bodies themselves. As the High Priestess continues to wave the sweetgrass, the spirits grow more substantial.
The High Priestess then puts down the still-smoking sweetgrass and picks up the goblet. "I greet you, ancestral spirits, and ask that you accept our offering of wine and blood so that you may remember what it is to last life. I greet you, ancestral spirits, and within the protection of my circle I--" The High Priestess then lifts the goblet.
To drive away any negative spirits, first summon the elements. First, summon air. "Air! I summon you to this circle!" Then summon fire, water, earth and spirit. "Wind, fire, water, earth and spirit! I command in Nyx's name that you close this circle, pulling back to it the dead who have been allowed to escape. Now!" Heat then surges from their body and shoots from their outstretched hands. There is then a rush of salt-scented wind that is burning hot, a shining green mist whooshed to the spirits. The magical wind then caught the smoky shapes and tore them from their victims and with a deafening roar, it sucked them back to the boundary of the circle. "With the power of the elements I command you: Go!" The negative spirits then dissolves into the ground. The High Priestess then thanks each of the elements and releases them. First, air, fire, water, earth and spirit.