Well, it’s the beginning of a new year for me (I’ll explain that in a minute), which means it’s time for some changes.

First thing I’m going to do is change this blog to something that I hope you guys and gals will find interesting. Instead of a “diary-type” mess, I’ll be writing about paranormal and witchy things.

And this first post will be about–you guessed it!–the Witch’s New Year.

Samhain, which strangely rhymes with “now in,” is more commonly known as Halloween. It is the time of year when darkness starts to overtake the light and the Veil between our plane and the spirit realm is at it’s thinnest. It is a day to honor our ancestors and those who have died. To some Wiccans and Pagans, it marks the start of a new year.

The idea behind this new year concept comes from the old Celtic belief that before light and life only darkness and void existed. Because it falls half-way between the autumn equinox and the winter solstice, Samhain marks the start of the darker half of the year; the first half.

Now, not all Wiccans and Pagans consider it the start of a new year, but many of them will agree that the Veil is at it’s thinnest at dusk on Samhain.

Think of the Veil as a kind of border that exists between the Mortal Plane, where mankind lives, and the Spirit Realm, where ghosts and the fae reside. When night falls on Samhain, those spirits can easily cross over onto our Plane and vice versa. Tradition was people wore costumes to confuse the evil spirits and keep them at bay, and jack-o-lanterns were lit to help guide the spirits of our ancestors home for the night.

There are seven more Sabbats along the Wheel of the Year, each one marking a solstice or equinox and the day half-way between them, but Samhain is considered the most spiritual and festive holiday.