Samhain Altar Ideas & Correspondences

Samhain Altar Ideas & Correspondences

Samhain is the Celtic festival that marks the end of the harvest season and the thinning of the veil between the living and the spirit world. It's a time to honor your ancestors, connect with the spirit world, and plan ahead for months of darkness.

Altar Ideas

Altar Cloth: Choose dark, earthy colors like black, deep purple, or dark green to set the foundation for your altar.

Candles: Black or orange candles represent the energies of Samhain. You can also include white or silver candles for purification and connection to the spirit realm.

Seasonal Fruits: Apples, pomegranates, and grapes are commonly associated with Samhain and can be offered as symbols of the harvest.

Fallen Leaves: Gather fallen leaves, especially those with vibrant autumn colors, to represent the changing seasons and the cycle of life and death.

Acorns and Nuts: These symbolize the potential for new beginnings and growth and can be placed on your altar to honor the harvest.

Pumpkins and Gourds: Decorate your altar with small pumpkins and gourds, which are quintessential symbols of autumn and Samhain.

Ancestral Photos: Include photographs of deceased loved ones to honor and connect with your ancestors.

Ancestral Mementos: Heirlooms, jewelry, or items that belonged to your ancestors can serve as a link to their energy and presence.

Divination Tools: Samhain has historically been a time for divination to predict the upcoming year. Tarot cards, runes, a crystal ball, pendulum, or scrying mirror can be placed on your altar for Samhain divination and communication with the spirit world.

Crystals and Gemstones: Obsidian, onyx, amethyst, or garnet.

Broom (Besom): Place a besom on or near your altar to symbolize the act of sweeping away negativity and making room for positive energy and transformation.

Incense and Smudging Materials: frankincense, myrrh, or sage.

Offering Dishes: Use special dishes or bowls to hold offerings for your ancestors or spirit guides, such as food, drink, or tokens of appreciation.

Seasonal Flowers: Add fresh or dried flowers that are in bloom during the fall, like marigolds, chrysanthemums, asters, or dried lavender.

Personal Letters or Messages: Write letters or messages to your deceased loved ones, expressing your thoughts and feelings. Place these on your altar as a form of communication.

Symbols of Death and Rebirth: Skulls, bones, or representations of the God and Goddess in their transition from one phase to another.

Bells or Wind Chimes: These can be rung to invite and communicate with spirits, serving as a way to signal your intentions and presence.

Samhain Correspondences

Colors: Black, Orange, Red

Deities: The Morrigan, Hecate, Persephone, Cernunnos

Herbs: Mugwort, Cinnamon, Rosemary, Tobacco, Pumpkin Seeds, Rue, Wormwood.

Foods and Offerings: Apples, nuts, pumpkins, mulled cider, pomegranates. A silent dumb supper may be held to celebrate the harvest and connect with departed loved ones.

Intentions: New beginnings, transformation, death and rebirth, reflection, ancestral connection, spiritual protection, divination.

Angel numbers & meanings. 🪽4️⃣4️⃣4️⃣

October Witch Tip #3

October is the month of the year when the energies urges us to continue declutter our lives – physically, emotionally, spiritually.

It’s also a great time to work with ancestral magic, divination and ambition magic.

October is the most magical time of the year, as we approach the pagan sabbat Samhain (October 31st).

Samhain is a day of powerful intuitive wisdom and an opportunity to connect with spirits and ancestors. It’s also the perfect time to align with our witchy sides, because October, Samhain, and Halloween is the season of the witch – the time when our magic and intuitive powers are easiest to access.

I thought that I would for this month share some tips on how you can practice during this month.

Tip #3 - Altars

👵🏽Ancestor Altar

Anything that is a belonging of your deceased loved one.

Photographs

Liquor/Beer (If they had alcohol problem then don’t offer them this)

White candles

Fresh flowers

Cigars/Cigarettes (If they were trying to quit, then don’t offer them this)

Watches

Jewelry

Incense

Crystals/Crystal skulls

Small plant

Food offerings

Ancestors money or money from their time

Written letters

Perfume

Mints/Candy

Statues/Deities/Religious items

Stuffed animals (this can work with children who have passed)

Pet Altar

Food bowl

Pet treat

Pet tags/Collar/Bandanas/Leashes

Pet ashes/Pet hair

Photographs

Toys

Blanket

Flowers

Candles

Bones

Energy Work Masterpost

Anyone who knows me will tell you that I am a stickler for energy work. In my personal experience, energy work is the single most important thing that a witch can practice. It brings so much to the table, both in practical everyday matters and in witchy stuff! Here is my complete masterpost of all of the posts from my energy work series:

Part 1: Grounding

Part 2: Centering

Part 3: Shielding

Part 4: The energy ball and programming energy

Part 5: Sending energy to objects

Part 6: Sending energy to people

Livi

Grimoire Organization 📖

A list of how my own personal Book of Shadows is organized ! 🌙

Section One {Introduction}

Index

A blessing

The Wiccan Rede

13 Goals of a Witch

History of Magic

Personal Correspondences

Section Two {Time & Space}

Lunar Calendar [removeable]

Moon Phases

Full Moons

Moon Glyphs

Zodiac Symbols & Correspondences

Zodiac Map 》inc. Celestial Bodies

Elements

Magical Times of the Day / Day of the Week

Witches Compass

Sabbats

Transitions between Sabbats

Section Three {Tools of the Craft}

A to Z of Crystals

Planetary / Zodiac Crystals

How to Charge & Cleanse Crystals

Spreads & Grids

Chakras & Auras

Sacred Geometry

Oils 》essential oils & their properties

Candle Magick 》colours, scents etc.

Himalayan Salt in Magic

Metals & their properties

Amulets & Protection Items

Section Four {Nature Magick}

Flower & Plant properties

Herbs 》dangerous herbs, herbal amulets, edible flowers, cooking brewing & drying, healing herbs, flower associations

Gardening 》herbal, flowers, moonlight, to attract bees, faeries etc.

Fruit & Vegetable Correspondences

Spirit Animals / Familiars

Animals & what they symbolize

Wolf Magick

Bird Associations 》feather magick, owl magick

Water in Magick

Section Five {Divination}

A to Z Types of Divination

Tarot 》summary of the deck, how to charge etc.

Runes

Tea Leaves

Palmistry

Pendulum

Spirit Guides

Symbols 》witches alphabet, sigils.

Numerology

Graphology

Superstitions

Ghost / Spirit Work

Section Six {Basics}

Basic Altar set up

Cleansing & Charging

Grounding & Centering 》circle casting.

Invocation & Evocation

Actions in Witchcraft

Recipes 》tea / coffee / hot chocolate magick, witches brew, healing salves, face / hair masks, body scrubs.

Protection associations 》herbs, stones, candles / incense, metals, symbols.

Relevant Spells

Section Seven {Myth}

Gods & Goddess

Faeries

Myths & Legends

Entities

Please note that this is a very basic overview of the index in my Book of Shadows. For each bullet point is at least one page of information in my BoS.

I am only about halfway through recording information into my BoS; so as time goes on and as I learn more about the craft / my path this order may change. Also, if you feel I have missed anything please let me know !

For more posts straight out of my grimoire search the tag #queenofbohemebos 🌻

🌙🔮🌙🔮🌙🔮🌙🔮🌙🔮🌙🔮🌙🔮🌙🔮🌙