All Hallow’s Eve
Historically, All Hallow’s Eve (Halloween) is the one night of the year that our ancestors could come to visit us. Old-timey pagans would leave offerings for their loved ones who had left the earthly plane. Because this was a tradition for so long, and because so many different cultures believed this, All Hallow’s Eve has become the one night of the year when the spirits of the dead can return to earth.
Now hold on! I hear you say. Don’t worry. You probably won’t wake up at 3 A.M. with your wizened grandmother’s spirit standing at the foot of your bed. No zombies will arise from their tombs to eat your brains. Those who have passed on in the human sense definitely won’t have corporeal bodies anymore. However, their spirits can return from wherever it is they go after they’ve passed on. I think this may be why Halloween is associated with faeries; because there was an excess of spirits around at this time of the year. Not all those spirits are faeries and not all faeries are spirits.
The spirit world, a heavy topic
Feel free to take some time to remember those you love(d) who have passed on. If you are close enough, you can leave them flowers at their graves. If not, you can meditate on your ancestors and thank them for watching over you, because they are helping you from the other side!
A lot of people have a very complicated relationship with death. I totally understand that. We humans do not like to think on our mortality, which we are reminded of whenever a loved one dies. I very recently lost my grandmother, so I understand that mourning takes many forms. However, I do not believe that death is the end, and a lot of our ancestors did not believe that either. The natural world may be hurrying toward dormancy, and might seem like it is dead, but it always comes back to life in the spring. I see these natural cycles as a sign that our lives, as well, have many different cycles of death and rebirth.
Where do faeries fit into this?!
As I am always saying, faeries are very complex creatures. They embody the fullness of life and celebration, so why is this their favorite holiday of the year, when it’s a holiday that celebrates death? Well, faeries can embody death as well.
Think about it. If faeries are natural beings, it is only fitting that they embrace death. Without death, our world would be incredibly overcrowded, not only with people, but with animals and plants. There would be no soil or nutrients for those plants to absorb. This is why faeries can embody the fine balance between life and death. They completely understand nature’s rhythms and the give-and-take that happens in the natural world.
Offerings you can make
Just like at the autumnal equinox, you can leave faeries some offerings. They love honey and bread, the fresher the better. Because this is so close to Halloween, you can also leave them a piece of candy (just not chocolate; faeries like them, but sometimes animals get to the candy first, and the last thing you want on November 1 is a dead deer in your backyard), or maybe a sweet treat. They might even enjoy a small offering of wine! Halloween is the biggest faery party holiday of the year. I also like to leave them chip stones. I bury these crystals in the potted plants in my garden on my balcony. Just don’t dig them up afterward! You want the faeries to have full use of these stones, and taking them back might be an insult.
Why it’s important to work with faeries at Halloween
Faeries can bring you dreams or even visions of your friends and family who have passed on. Because you are able to walk easily between the worlds on this day, faeries are good guides to have! They understand how to have a foot in both this world and the next, and should you go journeying, they are excellent companions to take with you. Plus, because they totally get that whole death thing, they are adept and helping to heal your wounds around that topic.
