Samhain Ritual Part 1 - Calling the Ancestors
To complete the first part of this ritual you will need:
- a cauldron or cast-iron cooking pot
- graveyard dirt (from the cemetery of an ancestor or from the grave of an ancestor if you can)
- purified water
- candles (mullein is best) and matches
- salt
- Herbs associated with the dead which are safe to burn (dried apple chips, bay leaves, wormwood, mugwort, myrrh, frankincense)
- Any pictures or messages that you would like to send to your ancestors
If you are performing the ritual at the graveside of one of your ancestors, first clear the grave and headstone of any debris. Place candles on the headstone and around the grave (if you are doing the ritual at home, place the candles in a circle).Sitting in front of your ancestor’s grave (or inside your circle). In a cauldron or cast iron pot, place a layer of salt and then a small mound of graveyard or grave dirt in the pot. Pour a little of the purified water onto the dirt in the pot so that it is damp. Make a small hole in the center of the mound and place your chosen herbs and incense associated with the dead which are safe to burn (dried apple chips, bay leaves, wormwood, mugwort, myrrh, frankincense etc.)Light the herbs on fire – they should settle into a light smoulder.Say Formal Message – “We have come here on this night when the veil between this world and the next is at its thinnest, to honour those who have come before. We offer thanks for the teachings and lessons bestowed upon us and we pray that they have found comfort and rest in the realms of the dead.”“Open wide, I pray thee, the gates through which all must pass. Let my dear ones who have gone before, return this night to make merry with me. And when my time comes as it must to all living things, I ask that Death, the giver of peace and rest, allow me to enter thine realms, for I will come gladly and unafraid; for I know that when rested and refreshed among my loved ones, I will be reborn again. I ask that once I rise anew, let it be in the same place and at the same time as my beloved ones, and may I know and love them once more.”Stand and turning anti-clockwise, face west (as the sun sets) “The west is the land of the dead, to which many of my loved ones have gone for rest and renewal. On this night, I hold communion with them; as I hold the image of these loved ones in my heart and mind, I send welcome to those who have crossed over.”“Beloved ones, in this time, when the veil is at its thinnest, I welcome you to spend a day with your descendants. I ask that you remain at peace, and grace us with your presence.”“I call upon thee, name of ancestor you are calling. Relation to your person. When they died (day/month/year).” (Repeat as necessary) “I wish you well and ask that you watch over me. Please do not judge my actions for my time is not yours and our lives are very different. Do not despair for this is the path I have chosen.”Burn offerings for ancestors (photos of family, poems, food and drink) and talk to ancestors (informal). If you’re calling relatives who have passed on that you knew in life, converse with them as you did while they were alive. However if you did not actually meet this ancestor in life then you should introduce yourself. This conversation should be relatively informal (you are related after all however it’s best to be polite and respectful at all times.)
