Pronounced:
This is pronounced about a hundred different ways. Typically it is: sow-wyn

Also known as:
November Eve, Feast of the Dead, Feast of Apples, Hallows Eve, All Hallows Eve, Hallowmas, and Halloween

Northern Hemisphere Date: October 31

Southern Hemisphere Date: April 30

Astrological Sign: 15 degress Scorpio

Primary Focus:
Transformation, regeneration, honoring the dead, divination, honoring the harvest, and preparing for winter.

Origins:
Samhain comes from the Irish-Gaelic word "Samhraidhreadh", which means "The summer's end". This point on the calendar was marked when the ancient standing stones in the British Isles measured the sun at its lowest point on the horizon.

Meaning:
In some places Samhain was the time when animals were slaughtered to ensure food throughout the depths of winter. The God, identified with animals, fell as well to ensure our continuing existence.

Samhain is the time of reflection, of looking back over the last year, of coming to terms with one phenomenon of life over which we have no control, death.

Witches feel that on this night the separation between the physical and spiritual realities is thin, which means the dead can more easily pass over into the world of the living and vice versa. Witches remember their ancestors and all those who have gone before.

Myth:
As winter nears, the God approaches death. The Goddess prepares for his rebirth. There is both sorrow and happiness. Witches say farewell to the God. This is a temporary farewell though. He isn't wrapped in eternal darkness, but readies to be reborn of the Goddess at Yule.