Entering the Dark
Photo by Philipp Deus on Unsplash
The New Moon is the darkest point of the lunar cycle. Samhain is the pagan sabbat that marks the beginning of the dark half of the year. This year, these two events are lining up within the same week.
This Sunday is Samhain (also celebrated as Day of the Dead, Halloween, and All Souls Day). In the Northern Hemisphere, the days are growing noticeably shorter. Leaves are falling from the trees, and we see decaying vegetation on the ground. We are being prepared for our transition to the winter months. These visible signs of the end of a cycle remind us of death. All things must pass, and we will enter the dark before the cycle begins again.
Following Samhain, the energy is carried forward by next Thursday’s New Moon in Scorpio. Scorpio energy encourages us to investigate our deepest fears. Meanwhile, the sign’s co-rulers, Pluto and Mars, are also just finishing up a square to each other, magnifying the intensity of our focus on the shadow realm. To top it off, Mars enters its own sign of Scorpio as well (the day before Samhain), and it will be conjunct Thursday’s New Moon, pulling our attention deeper into Scorpio territory.
Psychic protection is important now, as our openness and sensitivity are running high. But it is also a fruitful time to receive omens and to notice synchronicities. The veil is thin throughout the entire second half of fall. Those in the spirit realm are more able to communicate with us than at other times. This Sunday through Thursday are powerful days to do ritual and ancestral work.
How else can we make use of this time, with the forces at play nudging us to confront the dark?
“Confronting the dark” can easily remain an abstraction. It is all well and good to talk about “facing your fears.” But how do we actually do that? The dark, by definition, makes things hard to see.
Here are the questions that have been up for me. They might be helpful for you to consider at this time, too:
What fears are (still) holding me back?
Where in my life am I feeling pain at not being able to move forward?
Where do I just feel stuck, bored, and stagnant?
For me, this is all about my relationship to creative writing. In short, I have not been doing it. Sure, I have reasons: my cat has been ill, my dad went into the hospital, and I had my own health scare–all within the past six months. These three situations are now either resolved or in stasis. (I got the all-clear on my health, thank the gods). So I have to ask myself: why am I not writing now? I found that, once again, I’m afraid of “wasting time.” That is my number one excuse for not writing, always. Some variation of “this isn’t going to go anywhere” is the belief that keeps me from creating. But this week, I put the writing dates back on the calendar, despite my fear. Looking at them scares me, but I know it’s my next Thing To Do.
While all of the above is true, I also have compassion for myself. I stopped writing because this was a challenging time for me. At least, I am working on compassion. This is what I would say to a client: You needed this time to rest, retreat, and process. Don’t beat yourself up about it. And that is true. But it’s also important to know when it’s time to get back on the horse.
On the New Moon and on Samhain, you can more easily delve into your own shadow places, and find the power that lies in answering these questions. This is also a powerful time to ask for help from the spirit world – ancestors, guides, and guardians – to assist you.
Related:
Here’s a post featuring a simple Samhain ritual that you can do to honor your ancestors and loved ones.
