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Samhain Divinations

Samhain was a significant time for divination, perhaps even more so than May or Midsummer’s Eve, because this was the chief of the three Spirit Nights. Divination customs and games frequently featured apples and nuts from the recent harvest, and candles played an important part in adding atmosphere to the mysteries. In Scotland, a child born at Samhain was said to be gifted with an dà shealladh, “The Two Sights�?commonly known as “second sight,�?or clairvoyance.

Apple Magic
At the heart of the Celtic Otherworld grows an apple tree whose fruit has magical properties. Old sagas tell of heroes crossing the western sea to find this wondrous country, known in Ireland as Emhain Abhlach, (Evan Avlach) and in Britain, Avalon. At Samhain, the apple harvest is in, and old hearthside games, such as apple-bobbing, called apple-dookin�?in Scotland, reflect the journey across water to obtain the magic apple.

Dookin' for Apples
Place a large tub, preferably wooden, on the floor, and half fill it with water. Tumble in plenty of apples, and have one person stir them around vigorously with a long wooden spoon or rod of hazel, ash or any other sacred tree.

Each player takes their turn kneeling on the floor, trying to capture the apples with their teeth as they go bobbing around. Each gets three tries before the next person has a go. Best to wear old clothes for this one, and have a roaring fire nearby so you can dry off while eating your prize!

If you do manage to capture an apple, you might want to keep it for a divination ritual, such as this one:

The Apple and the Mirror
Before the stroke of midnight, sit in front of a mirror in a room lit only by one candle or the moon. Go into the silence, and ask a question. Cut the apple into nine pieces. With your back to the mirror, eat eight of the pieces, then throw the ninth over your left shoulder. Turn your head to look over the same shoulder, and you will see and in image or symbol in the mirror that will tell you your answer.

(When you look in the mirror, let your focus go "soft," and allow the patterns made by the moon or candlelight and shadows to suggest forms, symbols and other dreamlike images that speak to your intuition.)

Samhain Divination & Dreaming

Divination, communication with the dead and superstition have long been a part of Samhain. At no other time of the year are visions and dreams likely to be so potent. Many of the types of divination revolve around other symbols such as apples and hazelnuts, and others generally have to do with death. It was, for example, a Scottish custom to place white stones in the ashes on the hearth on Samhain night; if anyone's stone had been disturbed, they would not live to see another year.

Apples are the Celtic Silver Bough, a fruit of the Otherworld sacred to the Northern European Traditions. They symbolize fertility, love, wisdom and were often used in divination. To realize the that this is a sacred fruit, one has to do no more than to cut it crossways revealing the five pointed star; the pentacle. November 1st also coincides with the Roman festival of Pomona, a feast of ripening fruits when the summer stores are opened for eating in the Winter.

Many customs and superstitions surround the apple. If eaten on Samhain, apple an would bring a dream of a future lover, and gave rise to people competing to take bites when "Bobbing for Apples". They might also see their future spouse's initial in an apple peel, depending on its shape upon landing when thrown over the shoulder. In Wales, apples are buried in the ground for those who have passed on, so the departed might enjoy them on the other side.

Hazel nuts are also associated with Samhain. The hazel is a sacred tree of the groves and is said to grow on the Isle of Avalon as the "Tree of Life". The nuts themselves represent love, peace and hidden knowledge. Two nuts burned together at Samhain may foretell whether a couple shall remain true to one another. This practice may stem from the legend of the Well of Connla which exists under the sea; it is said a hazel tree with nine nuts hangs over it that are able to awaken love when eaten

Divination on Samhain

If you pare an apple all in one piece on Samhain night and allow it to fall to the ground unaided, it will spell out the initials of your future mate.
Hang an apple from a string with a coin pushed deep inside and try to bite out the coin without using your hands. Succeed, and your pockets will be full throughout the coming year.
If you walk backward into a dark room while looking into a mirror and eating an apple at the same time, you will see your future mate's face in the mirror's reflection
Hazelnuts were tossed into divination patterns by the Druids and then buried to honor the old gods: Draw a small circle about one foot in diameter on the ground in front of you. Take thirteen nuts and shake them around in your cupped hands while concentrating on your question. Gently toss the nuts in front of you. Those that land directly in the circle have the most bearing on you. If more land in the circle than out of it, you have a right to be concerned about the question you asked. Study the nuts for patterns which you can interpret. For example, if the nuts are all pointing in one direction this could be an indication of a direction you need to take your problem. If they appear in the form of a familiar object, use that information to apply to your question. Occasionally they might fall to appear as letters of the alphabet which you can relate to your question.
Scrying is the art of gazing into an object while focusing your mind on one particular question or issue. The objects used usually have reflective surfaces, such as mirrors, water, or crystals. To scry, focus your mind on one issue or question and soften your focus or gaze - but do not stare - into the surface of the object. After some time, visions should form. These may come either as entire scenarios played out with all the detail of a high-tech movie, or they may be only symbols that you will have to interpret for yourself.
Unlike other divinatory devices the Ouija board does not use the collective unconscious as the source for answers, but relies instead on asking unknown spirits to take over the device. Opening such a portal without having any control over who or what comes has its risks, but you will have to decide for yourself if they are worth it or not.
With practice in meditation and sustained concentration, your altered states can become longer and deeper, and at these deeper states (the theta and delta levels) you can do more advanced work, such as astral projection and regression. These are very natural states. The only difference is that you are seeking to gain control of them. The key to these techniques is in learning to concentrate for increasing periods of time on one idea only.

Because the veil between the realms of the living and the dead is at its thinnest on Samhain, it is also a prime time to attempt spirit contact. These contacts are not the creepy affairs portrayed in B-rated horror films, but beautiful and meaningful communications with departed loved ones.

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