Over the Halloween period you will see numerous posts and statements stating that the veil between our world and the spirit realm is at its thinnest – but what does this mean?
The Veil
There is no physical veil, it is a term used to describe the barrier that is believed to to exist. Think of the veil as being a energy and the thinning of the veil is down to timing. Its believed that around Halloween energy levels are higher between us and the spirit realm and it is easier for us to receive messages, we perceive more and can experience more, therefore the ‘veil’, is thinner.
Samhain
Halloween in fact has its roots in the ancient Celtic world. Carving pumpkins (originally turnips), wearing costumes, and conjuring spirits of the departed are just a few of the activities that have origins in Samhain (SAH-win).
Samhain is a Gaelic festival that marks the end of the harvest season and the beginning of the “darker half” of the year. It falls on October 31, beginning at sunset and continuing until sunset on November 1 (All Saint’s Day), approximately halfway between the autumn equinox and the winter solstice.
It is during this time that many cultures believe the dead can wander amongst the living.
Why does the veil thin throughout October, and particularly at Samhain?
Because the days are getting shorter and the natural world is preparing to temporarily withdraw from the realm of life and growth. The harvest cycle is waning, but it’s not gone. This means Samhain is a transition: a doorway between the season of life and the season of death. Beneath this realm of constant change, there is a wide open space of eternity. A place of stillness in which the appearance of change arises and a gap to allow energies to pass through.