The witching hour is upon us! Samhain begins on the eve of October 31 and lasts through November 1, marking the end of the harvest and the transition into the darker half of the year as the sun sets earlier and the air turns frosty. Often called the “witch’s new year” because it marks the end of the Celtic calendar, Samhain is also known as a time when the veil between the physical and metaphysical worlds thins. Spirits, fairies, and apparitions cross into our realm, bringing a touch of mischief—the ancient precursor to trick-or-treating.
Beyond playful scares, this greater sabbat invites us to reflect on the cycle of life, death, and renewal. For generations, practitioners have observed this threshold by leaving offerings to appease wandering entities and call in spiritual protection. It’s also an auspicious time to sharpen intuition, tap into personal power, and practice magic. To help you celebrate, 13 modern witches share their favorite rituals to honor the spirit of Samhain—just remember to welcome the spirits with care.
1. Release the past
Since Samhain is meant to be a time for contemplation, the focus is on releasing the past and tending to the present. “As the veil thins, prepare an altar with black candles, apples, and a bowl of water to honor the ancestors. Light incense and whisper the names of those who came before you. Reflect on what must die and what is ready to be reborn. Write what you’re releasing on paper, then safely burn it. Sip spiced wine or tea as you gaze into the flame, allowing visions and guidance to rise from the shadows. The new year begins in the dark,” says Bri Luna, founder of The Hoodwitch and author of Blood Sex Magic: Everyday Magic for the Modern Mystic.
2. Manifest the future
“Samhain is the witch’s New Year, so I love doing a ritual to decide what kind of year I want to create,” says Sarah Potter, tarot reader and author of Sober Magic: Using the Tarot and Ritual in Your Journey Away from Drinking. “Instead of asking the tarot cards what’s going to happen, choose the cards yourself. Go through your deck and select three cards that represent what you want to call into your life over the coming year. Maybe you choose the Empress for creativity and abundance, the Lovers for deeper connection, or the Star because you want to feel hopeful and inspired again. There are no wrong choices. Pick the cards whose imagery and energy feel like the life you want to be living. Place them somewhere you’ll see them, light a gold candle, and spend a few minutes imagining yourself inside each card. What does that version of your life look like? How does it feel? What are you doing differently? Write down one action you can take for each card before the next New Moon. Samhain reminds us that another cycle is beginning, and magic gets especially powerful when we decide how we want to meet it.”
3. Honor nature
Paying homage to nature is another Samhain tradition. Thus, Nicole Rallis, floral artist at Leila + Olive, suggests tending to a garden and focusing on the future. “I gather an altar from three categories of autumn botanicals: a flower, an herb, and a fruit. Dahlias, amaranth, and roses are potent options, but [for me] this year’s ritual holds blooms of anemone, a mythic sign of sacrifice to honor the resilience of those who’ve passed and to strengthen the will of the living; rosemary herbs to reflect memories, both bitter ones to dissolve and sweeter ones to envision; and pomegranate to connect cycles of loss and rebirth. Setting these garden intentions by a window, I ponder the portal between past and future seasons to come.”
4. Set an extra place
Having a formal “dumb dinner”—where one eats in silence and has a place setting for the deceased at the table—on Samhain is a quintessential way to commemorate the dead. “On the night itself, I hold a silent meal to honor those who’ve passed. One extra place is set at the table, with a candle to guide them and a glass of water as an offering. The intentionally prepared meal is eaten in silence, an offering of presence rather than words. In that stillness, memory feels closer, the air weighted with recognition and grace,” states Corbin Chamberlin, founder of the ritual brand Sage & Salt. You can even eat the food backwards to call in your future spouse, like they did in Victorian times.
5. Feast with the spirits
Satisfying the spirits’ thirst for energy and attention shows them that we know they are another form of life force that requires fuel. Marshall WSL, author of Cunning Words: a Grimoire of Tales and Magic, suggests having a feast for the spirits to “satiate their hunger for life and experience.” He says to offer a plate of dark bread to the spirits and a glass of red wine and say the following words:
Happy Halloween! Happy Samhain! Happy All Hallows’ Eve! The dead are alive, the veil is thin, we don masks to deceive. A liminal time, the witches' new year, high magic do we weave. The devil dances, the Witch mother does sing, all one must do is believe. We break the bread, we sip the wine, hallowed blessings we receive. And for the spirits, of above and below, an offering we leave.
6. Offer sweets
Speaking of offerings, there are plenty of traditional Samhain treats which, traditionally, were used as “an acknowledgment and a way to give thanks for the abundance you receive throughout the year,” says writer, death doula, and tarot reader Marguerite Recupero, who therefore recommends baking “bread or offer sweet treats to your ancestors in thanks.”
In Ireland, this was done by baking a loaf of Barmbrack bread, or “speckled fruit loaf,” which was also used to fortune-tell with a variety of charms such as rings (foretelling marriage), coins (foretelling abundance), cloth (foretelling bad luck), and dried peas (foretelling singledom) baked into the bread. In Medieval England, when Samhain merged with All Saints\’ Day thanks to the Catholic Church, soul cakes were given out to “soulers” who went door-to-door in an early version of trick-or-treating.
7. Strengthen intuition
We all become more psychic this time of year, leading to enhanced awareness of our subconscious. “Dreams may become more vivid in the days surrounding this mystical holiday,” notes psychic Renee Watt. “Strengthen your ability to connect with the great beyond by making your own dream satchel. You’ll need a small mesh or organza bag, preferably in white, lavender, or light blue. Fill your bag with herbs such as rosemary, lavender, bay, or thyme, in addition to clear, blue, or purple crystals. Amethyst, quartz, angelite, kyanite, or selenite are all great options.” She recommends keeping a journal to note the visions that arise, help interpret their meaning, and to check in with them in the future.
8. Call in protection
“Samhain is a gateway for all spirits to come through, even the mischievous ones, so spiritual protection is of utmost importance,” explains witch and psychic Michael Cardenas of Olde Ways. He suggests lighting “two candles dressed in patchouli oil: a white one for purity and a black one for protection. Burn dried rosemary throughout your home and set it outside to ward off lower vibrational spirits. Wash your doors and threshold with salt water to set strong psychic boundaries against harmful energies. When complete, sit in silence visualizing yourself surrounded in white light.”
9. Dress the part
Before dressing up as Jordyn Woods’s lucky purse from the Knicks’ big victory or Alysa Liu’s iconic Olympic routine, it’s worth understanding why we wear costumes on Samhain in the first place. Wearing a disguise to conceal one’s identity was an ancient Celtic practice used to confound wandering spirits as the veil thinned. Over time, this evolved into the tradition of “guising” to ensure wandering ghosts wouldn't cause harm. Today, dressing up is mostly for fun, but the custom originated out of genuine self-preservation. Celts even carved menacing faces into root vegetables to keep malevolent apparitions from blighting their livestock and crops—giving rise to modern jack-o’-lanterns and painted gourds.
10. Create a magic circle
Another way to protect yourself from spirits is by creating a safe haven in the form of a magic circle. “A magic circle performs many functions: to bind a spirit, to circumscribe ritual space, and to call upon the aid of sacred names and glyphs. While the elaborately constructed ritual circles of ceremonial magicians are the most iconic, simpler techniques can be found as far back as ancient Mesopotamia, where ritual circles were drawn in barley flour,” says Melissa Madara, author of The Witch’s Workshop: A Guide to Crafting Your Own Magical Tools.
11. Clear the cobwebs
The witch’s new year calls for a spiritual refresh, which is why Fernando Salinas, author of The Joy of Tarot: Reading the Cards with Daring and Delight, opts to remove clutter and clear stale energy. “I’ll bless my broom (or besom, if you have one) by rubbing the bristles with an essential oil such as orange oil or a road-opening oil to bring good energy to my actions. Finally, I’ll get a rag and some magic water (like full moon blessed water) and wipe clean the door jambs to make sure blessings can find their way in.”
12. Awaken the body
Opening the body and awakening the senses via movement and self-care is another form of cleansing that’s imperative for chakra healing and attunement. “My Samhain ritual occurs in any body of warm and wet water,” explains Monisha Holmes. “Safely dancing and gently stretching with my window open for the sage to flow through the air helps make my senses hot and steamy for winter.”
13. Build an altar
Calling in one’s ancestors and commemorating their legacy is one of the most time-honored Samhain rituals; looking to our roots helps protect our energy. Creating an ancestral altar helps forge the bridge between the living world and the dead. “My process involves choosing a space differently from the one I use for my everyday altar,” says Narayana Montufar, author of Written in Your Stars: Use Your Saturn Return, Pluto Square, and Other Planetary Cycles to Become Your Best Self. “I choose a space that, in some form, matches the big and loving energy I want to bring. Before setting the altar, I clear the space physically and energetically, with incense or palo santo, making sure I clear the corners of the room as well. Next, I lay a see-through backdrop underneath candles, marigolds, crystals, animal spirits and totems, as well as objects and pictures that remind me of my ancestors.”