Samhain Solitary Ritual to Honor Ancestors

Looking for a Samhain solitary ritual?  Try this simple ritual to honor the dead.  No coven required!  

Deepen your relationship with your ancestors and enlist their help for the coming year.

Decide on a location.

Choose a location to commune with your ancestors.

This may be a cemetery where you laid a loved one to rest.   

Or, visit a place you remember sharing a special memory with someone who has passed (park, abandoned house, ect).

Or somewhere else traditional for your path (the crossroads, the woodlands, or another place where spirits dwell).

Wherever you go, pick someplace where you are unlikely to be disturbed or attract attention.

Timing

Plan to do this Samhain solitary ritual on the night of October 31st, preferably during or after dusk.

Gather your ritual tools.

For this ritual, you will need:

*Small altar surface (a stool works well)

*Black altar cloth.

*1 black candle/jar or wind-shielding candle holder

*1 or 2 ounces of rum (those mini bottles at the liquor store are perfect).

*Cauldron or fire-safe bowl.

*Charcoal disk.

*Butane lighter.

*Crushed cinnamon sticks.

*Optional:  Photos or sentimental items that symbolize your relationship with those who came before you.

Step 1:  Set up the altar.

Place the altar on a stable surface.  Cover with the black altar cloth (a black cloth symbolizes the Veil Between Worlds).

Place cauldron, crushed cinnamon, candle, butane lighter and photos or personal items (if using) on the altar surface.

Put the charcoal disk in the cauldron.

Step 2:  Cast a circle.

If you’ve never cast a circle before, check out this article for some creative ideas.

You may simply visualize a ring of fire or smoke around you, or actually mark the circle with candles, fall foliage or other seasonal items.

Create a circle as simple or as elaborate as you want, just make it big enough to contain yourself, your altar and your ritual tools.

Step 3:  Call your people.

Sit in the center of the circle in front of your altar.  Light the black candle and place it in the jar or wind-shielding candle holder (to keep it from blowing out).

Quietly center yourself and those who have come before you to join you and stand guard to protect you from any grumpy spirits (yes- grumpy, not evil, we don’t judge the dead here, everyone gets moody sometimes *wink*) that may try to enter.

Step 4:  Communicate.

Let the spirits know you have come to honor them and seek their wisdom in your affairs for the coming year.

Light the charcoal disk until you get a good burn going.

Sprinkle crushed cinnamon on the charcoal disk.

Carefully watch the smoke rise.  Look for messages in the smoke (smoke scrying) or simply visualize your message rising with the smoke into the sky and dissipating into the universe.

Trust that your words were heard.

Step 5:  Say thank you.

Pour the rum on the ground (or any other preferred ritual libation).

Thank your ancestors for watching over you, and for laying the foundation for your life.

Close the circle.