A Samhain Playlist for a Witchy, Moody Halloween

Sierra Vandervort // October 5, 2018

For our Samhain playlist, we found deep, alternative tracks set the tone for the lengthening nights ahead of us.

We celebrate the witches’ New Year on October 31st

Samhain, Halloween, or All Hallow’s Eve – whatever name your tradition calls for – is a time to put all to rest. Samhain acts as the end of the calendar year for many ancient cultures. This is the time of year when all the fields had been tended, the herds were drawn inside and everything else was left outside for Mother Earth. It is the role of death in the life and rebirth cycle. It is the crone in the triple goddess entity. It is a time of tying up loose ends and putting all else to rest. We say goodnight to the Sun god and prepare to draw inward until his return at Yuletide festivities.

Old Celtic lore says Samhain is the time when the past, present, and future are all one. The veil between the physical and spiritual world is thin. Traditional rituals include honoring the ancestors and preparing their souls for a peaceful rest on the other side. Divination, séances, and “dumb suppers” are common practices for this extra magickal evening.

In a more tangible sense, Samhain is a great time for breaking bad habits, journaling on endings, and honoring all the life lived and yet to come.

For our Samhain playlist, we ran with the energy of darkness and endings. Deep, alternative tracks set the tone for the lengthening nights ahead of us. Ethereal ballads from Cocteau Twins, Lykke Li and Mazzy Star calm the spirit, maybe creating a slightly hypnotic effect. And of course the obligatory Stevie.

Happy listening and magick-making, my loves.