Honoring Darkness, Seeking the Light
Today marks an unusually powerful confluence of global fall festival traditions.
Many of these celebrations (Halloween, Dia de los Muertos, Samhain) always fall on the same dates each year. However, those that are led by a lunar calendar (Diwali, Rosh Hashanah, Zhong Qiu Jie) fall on a different date each year, depending on the day of the new or full moon with which they’re associated.
This year, we have a new moon on November 1st. That means that along with the new moon in Scorpio, people around the world are celebrating Halloween, Samhain, Dia de los Muertos, All Saint’s Day, and Diwali, all within the same 24 hour period. (In the Southern Hemisphere, many are celebrating the corresponding spring festivals.)
Humanity has a long, rich history of turning toward spirituality, tradition, and community ritual when faced with the cyclic nature of life, and all of these holidays were born from this impulse. An impulse that comes from observing the cycle of the seasons. The cycle of growth and decay. The cycle of bounty and famine. The cycle of light and dark.
While specific folklore, traditions, and customs vary amongst the holidays, there are obvious common themes:
Honoring and communing with the dead and welcoming (or resisting!) the influence of otherworldly energy (spirits, fairies, and the like).
Offerings and/or prayers for prosperity, and for support through the challenges of winter.
The triumph of good over evil, and light over darkness.
These holidays traditionally served as rituals to strengthen both resolve AND community before moving into winter, a season that, for much of the planet, is the hardest to survive. They also offer a signpost to indicate the transition from the externally focused and active energy of summer to the quieter, slower paced, and more inward-focused influence of winter.
It’s an opportunity to bring our focus to the work that we’ve done so far this year, to offer gratitude for what we’ve harvested, to grieve for what we’ve lost, and to face any fears we may have about the season to come.
So whatever you’re celebrating this week, even if it’s just the start of a new month, I hope it brings you warmth, clarity, and whole lot of light.