Samhain Yule Imbolc Ostara Beltane Litha Lammas Mabon
Samhain Deities
Death is rarely so apparent than it is at
Samhain. The skies have gone grey, the earth is brittle and cold, and the
fields have been picked of the last crops. Winter looms on the horizon, and as
the Wheel of the Year turns once more, the boundary between our world and the
spirit world becomes fragile and thin. In cultures all over the world, the
spirit of Death has been honoured at this time of the year; some of the deities
who represent death and the dying of the earth.
The Lord at
Samhain
The God is
awaiting rebirth.
The Sun God
The Sun has descended into the realm of the
Underworld; the forces of the underworld were in the ascendancy. The Lord of
the Underworld, unfettered from the control of the sun, now walks the earth and
with him travels all those other creatures from the abode of the dead. Ghosts,
fairies and a host of other non-descript creatures go with him.
The Holly King & the Oak King
Many people consider Samhain the Oak King’s
death. However, many celebrate it as his death and rebirth. It is not a
rebirth. He is dead until the Winter Solstice! This is a time for darkness to
reign. The days get shorter and the nights grow longer. This is a time for us
to withdraw and hide in solitude. This is why the ‘holiday season’ can be very
difficult for many to endure as we start celebrations before the Winter
Solstice. At this point the Oak King, and all light, is dead and we must
retreat to the Holly King’s realm, underworld, to be reborn.
The Lady at
Samhain
The Goddess
is at rest.
Mother Earth
We transition from October
to November when the Wheel turns to Samhain. The earth is wilting and cold
winds are encroaching. It is time for Mother Earth to rest and restore – to hibernate
until Imbolc.
Whilst the land is
enveloped by the approach of Winter, and the veil which conceals Summerland
thins, Mother Earth sleeps, dreaming of the abundance of Spring when she is
reborn from mulch of autumns past.
This is by no means a complete list of deities
associated with Samhain but they are certainly the more prominent ones and
I urge you to research the more obscure and less known. I adore the
energies of Samhain and that is largely because of these divine beings; deities
associated with the Underworld, those that correspond to darkness, death and
decay; they embody the essence of late autumn. Never shy away from this
apparent ending because the beauty it holds is spectacular… our Northern
hemisphere is aglow with autumnal splendour as the Gods and Goddesses of our various cultures and pantheons display their colours and wield their powers over the seasons. Rejoice
in them, glory in them and don’t forget to jump in the puddles!!!!
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