The Wheel of the Year turns once again and completes its cycle. A spiritual year ends and begins as we lay to rest that which no longer serves us, that which can make way for something new.

This is an ending and a beginning, which will be a darker journey to go deeper within unlike the fresh reawakening that we know and remember in the springtime.

This is the time that we turn inward toward the shadows of ourselves, examine our existence and our shadows, acknowledging parts of us that for most of the year, we forget or ignore.

THE DARK GODDESS

This is a time of year that can be intense and raw unto itself. As we grow older, we realise that our time on this earthly plane is finite. Samhain reminds us of what has passed, what will pass and what is yet to come.

As children, we see revel in the candy, costumes, fun and games of this holiday. As teenagers, we may see the commercialism of the holiday, rebel against it and look to the more “scary” aspects of the holiday as showcased in movies and TV shows.

Yet, when the spiritual component of the holiday becomes known, we no longer see it as just a holiday marketed for fun and scares.

It can be a sombre occasion.

Samhain and Hallowmas is often a time to honour Hecate as a goddess associated with witchcraft, witches, spirits, magic, ghosts, cross roads and dogs.

Hecate known as a triple goddess, a moon goddess who can see the past, present and the future. (In addition to Samhain/Hallowmas, Hecate has her own days: August 13, November 16 (Hecate’s Night), November 30 and January 31, including eve of new moons (i.e. dark moon) and the 30^th day of each month.)

Samhain is a time that dark goddesses and crone goddess can be honoured and rites performed to gain insight into the upcoming year or wisdom and knowledge to be imparted to assist you on your spiritual path as well as in life.

The Dark Goddess energy can be powerful, straightforward, blunt and sometimes harsh, particularly if you’re expecting (or hoping for) a gentler approach.

A goddess such as Hecate can have a wry, wicked sense of humour that can see and understand irony. (Do something stupid and she would be the type to laugh at it and find the humour in it.)

If you get yourself into a mess by your own making, a goddess such as Hecate won’t be giving sympathy, but rather lessons to be learned from the experience. (And the lesson may be a painful one, but you will learn from it.)

If you’re wavering on doing something that you know you should do and ask Hecate for advice, expect a straight answer that will be strong and forceful. It’ll be a “no nonsense, just get up and do it already attitude”.

HONOURING THE DARK GODDESS

As above, so below.

As within, so without.

These words ring true in every aspect and facet of life.

The Goddesses (and Gods) are not just external, a force outside of ourselves.

They are within ourselves, everyone – regardless of gender. We all have this duality and variations of divine feminine within each of us.

We have times when we are carefree like the Maiden, nurturing like the Mother and wise beyond our years like the Crone.

In the autumn leading up to Samhain and even after until early December, we can feel the darkness settling in.

We’re reminded of the finite lifespan of everything, that mortality is a real thing.

As the veil thins between our physical world and the spirit world, we may feel a connection to that which we have ignored or forgotten; a cold breeze next to our arm or fleeting movement in the corner of our eye, or even a feeling of “not being alone.”

We watch the leaves turn colours of yellow, amber and red and fall to the ground while the geese fly in formation heading south, stopping to graze on harvested fields.

In each of these moments, we honour the Dark Goddess within and without ourselves.

We see ourselves in this moment and reflect on how far we have come to this point of the year, soon realising the year is coming quickly to an end.

While the end of the calendar year is drawing near, a new awakening is happening in the process of a slow, but natural decay. We can let old habits and beliefs fall away and enter the darkness to find what laid beneath them.

Honouring the Dark Goddess can be as simple or intricate as you would like.

Holding moonstone or obsidian crystals and mediating, communicating with the Goddess can be a simple way.

Standing outside in the darkness to hear the sounds of the night and whisper a prayer to let the wind carry away your words.

Divination can bring insight and wisdom from the Goddess and to foresee what may come in the next wheel cycle.

Whatever holds meaning to you becomes your way of connecting with this energy.

NOT EVERYONE’S CUP OF TEA

Dark Goddess energy isn’t for everyone, which some people have said it can be too upfront and intense or “heavy”.

For some, we can find acceptance with Hecate and other Dark Goddesses when we don’t feel as though there is a place anywhere else to “fit in”.

The Dark Goddess energy can be misunderstood, yet is a natural aspect in life.

Since the energy of dark goddesses can be strong, it can be intimidating and some people recommend that those who want to work with Dark Goddesses should have experience in witchcraft before working with these types of energies.

The Crone energy requires a great deal of respect (the adage “respect your elders” comes in very handy for this) and you may get more than you bargain for or what you deserve if not cautious or responsible for your actions.

Personally, I feel comfortable with this type of energy. I’m not the cuddly-type, but I always try to be empathic, sympathetic and compassionate at the same time.

I can be nice, friendly, polite to everyone (which I love to communicate with people one-on-one), but I’m not very “touchy-touchy” in person (maybe it’s my INTJ personality, Virgo in Venus and Capricorn moon).

I’ve tried to work with angelic and lighter energy, since it’s very mainstream and gave it a try. Truth be told, there’s really nothing at all wrong with that kind of energy.

In fact, it’s needed just as much as any other positive energy. Many people connect with the lighter energy easily and it’s wonderful to see.

As much as I have grown accustomed to working with a goddess such as Hecate, there must be balance when working with the dark goddess energy.

Working with dark goddess energies too much can become consuming (face it, every human needs to lighten up once in a while!), so balancing work with dark goddess energies with energies that are lighter or neutral can help to keep yourself in balance and harmony.

Keeping this balance is important, just as the cycles of the year: spring and fall, summer and winter.

We reflect these in ourselves within and without, again and again.

The Dark Goddess is within us, whether we acknowledge these parts or choose not to. It’s around this time of year, it becomes more apparent and easily to see – within ourselves and around us.

Wishing everyone a happy and safe Samhain.

Blessings and #puglove,
Stacey & the Tarot Pugs

Card images from Rider Waite Tarot ©1971 by U.S. Games Systems, Inc. All rights reserved.

Images designed in Canva.