Samhain Descent

Celtic New Year - A Promise of Eternal Life

Embracing the darkness of Samhain - Celtic Wheel Series (8-min read)

The Celtic Wheel turns to Samhain today, 7th November 2023, as dusk descends, marking the end of the old and beginning of a new year or cycle, since, as the ancients understood, all things begin in the dark. The veil lifts at this time so that shadows, which haunt us and at the same time, hold the key to our learning, growth, healing and integration, become more visible.

If we have courage to sit with darkness, guests in the halls of our psychic house may well offer us a gift that we were not aware of needing and in fact, might be a little frightened of. However, if we can stay long enough to receive the gift from this Quest, this descent into the underworld of our mind, then the reward will be mighty, as we begin to grow back towards the light.

This is the promise of the Celtic Wheel: Descent into darkness, marked by the first turn of The Wheel, is followed by a return to light after Winter Solstice in December, the second turn of The Wheel. Light never fails to return. It is, quite literally, as dependable as the sun in the sky. This cycle of birth - death - rebirth, the necessity of which, was so well understood by the ancients and which we might do well to remember in our modern existence, is represented by the triskele. It is the eternal cycle, ensuring that nothing dies which is not reborn, albeit transformed.

The symbol of this transformation is the alchemical Samhain fire. If we are willing to submit to a descent into darkness, lit only by the fire of Samhain, then we may burn away that which is no longer necessary, transforming it into psychic gold in the form of wisdom.

The task then for each of us at this time, should we choose to accept it, is to go deep, look inwards, embrace the shadows, come to know them again as parts of who we are. Though we may not wish to face them in this way, it is important to understand that they can only truly rest in peace once they have been seen and acknowledged, accepted as part of our psychic landscape, so that they can be transformed in the alchemy of the Samhain fire, from ghosts that haunted us, into fully integrated parts of our psyche.

Releasing this psychic burden into the fire for transformation and renewal also creates space for new growth. Samhain is therefore an opportune time to plant seeds for that which we would like to manifest in our lives during the coming year.

Many of us harbour shame, sometimes barely in our awareness, other times, painfully present. The shame we carry may not even be our own, nor may it be related to a specific event that we can name. Renowned shame-researcher, author and speaker, Brené Brown characterises shame thus:

I define shame as the intensely painful feeling or experience of believing that we are flawed and therefore unworthy of love and belonging—something we’ve experienced, done, or failed to do makes us unworthy of connection.

For me, this translates as ‘not enough’, which is an echo of a deep-seated fear that I am somehow unlovable. Although not a conscious fear, its shadow stalks me, catches me unaware and makes itself known throughout my life in unpredictable, sometimes unhealthy ways.

My task then, is to sit with this fear, to accept it as part of who I am without trying to change or alter it in any way. Perhaps some day, this guest may depart in the same way that it arrived - without my conscious awareness. Equally, it may decide to stay but perhaps, if I offer my attention and loving intention towards it, I may not be kept awake at night by its howls for recognition.

The dark time offers us this powerful gift in the form of an opportunity to become still and present to, for and with oneself. Through accepting this gift, we may also come to recognise our in-dwelling spirit, which sits at the hearth (heart) of our home. In this way, we become enlightened as to our true nature, so that we may return to the light at Winter Solstice, carrying with us, the Light of Christ. This is surely, the promise of everlasting life through the eternal cycle of birth, death and re-birth, exemplified by the triskele.

Which shadows might you reconcile with this Samhain-time, allowing them to come home like prodigal children, so that your house is full of life again and not haunted by flickers of ghosts?

The following poems are woven around the themes above. You may choose to read or listen (audio versions at the end of this post). Either way, I hope you enjoy them.

May we be blessed as we descend into our own personal journey with the dark ♥

Samhain Descent

And I had forgotten 
what it was to be broken open
told once more that I must dive
in murky waters of soul
search for a hope of transformation
the holy grail of change
where all that is born must yet die
to be birthed anew again.

It feels like death each time we meet
this unrelenting Quest
driving spirit through the fire
a test of faith to forge my life
in the crucible of desire.

This lonesome guest who stalks my home 
each time the lamps are dimmed
illuminating shadows 
to walk its halls unbidden
I know its footsteps well by now
pretend though I might not
for surely I have let it go
the seeping stain of rot
that bleeds my strength 
and leaves me spent
so much already lost.

Then I must sit with you awhile 
and let the dark grow thick
around my bones, my weary heart
so oft by shadows tricked
into fear of what is there
if I stop and come to stillness

for only then can I hear your voice
the gift you came to bring
that softly in the darkness
must truly show its meaning.

The gift that I return to you
is a listening ear and heart
unlocking riches buried deep
as the wisdom you impart
to give me back a piece of soul
split off so long ago
when effervescent youth, simply did not know
that all of it is precious
and in darkness, seeds best sown.

© Áine Fortune 2023

Shame to Glory

Shame that stalks is what breaks apart
into splintered pieces 
before remembering who we are
beyond the veil of forgetting
this temporary state that seems too long
in a place feeling cold and deathly.

If I could sit with you a while
the broken child, who wants to be accepted
search your eyes for a long-lost thread
I dropped and then neglected
to weave until the weave was done
instead, this long repentance.

My tapestry may not be pretty
nor even close to dreams
of how I thought my life might look
stories gleaned from story-books
of a princess-perfect crown

but it is mine - this much is true
no other hand could weave it through
no other heart could leave its mark
in just the way that I have.

Wear it then with pride and awe
re-member each stitch that somehow got lost
on this long and wondrous journey
back to self, the longest trek
returning unto Glory.

© Áine Fortune 2023

I Am Enough

Wake up in the morning
don't know who I am
then the download begins
and suddenly - wham!

Well, what do you know? 
Here I am for the world to see my egoic glory
but don't blame me - I need my story
to present out there
to make me feel safe
know that someone cares 
if I live or die or make a mess
but when all's said and done
I must confess, I'm a bit confused
and if I'm honest, stressed.

Can I keep this up? 
Will they see through the veil
my thin disguise for a web of shame
oh, God help me now
can I ever go back
to the place of peace
where none of this crap really matters much?

But it's always the same - we do or die
until we're enlightened
until we spy the true prize
the Holy Grail that ends it all
back to the start 
before the fall from Grace.

And if love is enough to feed this soul
why do I stare through the gaping hole of loss?
over and over I weep and rail
at a world gone mad, completely insane
when under it all, I know the truth:

This pain is a lie, a drama
a spoof I play on myself to pass the time
as if I needed any more proof 
that this is illusion, no more than a test
a simple disguise, reality in jest.

Oh,+ wake me up to rest in your bliss
to see the Quest for what it is 
to live every moment
to be who I am
to know the reason why before I ran from you
to stand my ground in the light of your love
and with every touch, know the truth - 

I am enough.

© Áine Fortune 2016