13 Samhain Rituals From Modern-Day Witches

The witching hour is upon us! Samhain begins on the eve of October 31 and lasts through November 1, marking the end of the harvest and the transition into the darker half of the year as the sun sets earlier and the air turns frosty. Often called the “witch’s new year” because it marks the end of the Celtic calendar, Samhain is also known as a time when the veil between the physical and metaphysical worlds thins. Spirits, fairies, and apparitions cross into our realm, bringing a touch of mischief—the ancient precursor to trick-or-treating.

Beyond playful scares, this greater sabbat invites us to reflect on the cycle of life, death, and renewal. For generations, practitioners have observed this threshold by leaving offerings to appease wandering entities and call in spiritual protection. It’s also an auspicious time to sharpen intuition, tap into personal power, and practice magic. To help you celebrate, 13 modern witches share their favorite rituals to honor the spirit of Samhain—just remember to welcome the spirits with care.

Since Samhain is meant to be a time for contemplation, the focus is on releasing the past and tending to the present. “As the veil thins, prepare an altar with black candles, apples, and a bowl of water to honor the ancestors. Light incense and whisper the names of those who came before you. Reflect on what must die and what is ready to be reborn. Write what you’re releasing on paper, then safely burn it. Sip spiced wine or tea as you gaze into the flame, allowing visions and guidance to rise from the shadows. The new year begins in the dark,” says Bri Luna, founder of The Hoodwitch and author of Blood Sex Magic: Everyday Magic for the Modern Mystic.

“Samhain is the witch’s New Year, so I love doing a ritual to decide what kind of year I want to create,” says Sarah Potter, tarot reader and author of Sober Magic: Using the Tarot and Ritual in Your Journey Away from Drinking. “Instead of asking the tarot cards what’s going to happen, choose the cards yourself. Go through your deck and select three cards that represent what you want to call into your life over the coming year. Maybe you choose the Empress for creativity and abundance, the Lovers for deeper connection, or the Star because you want to feel hopeful and inspired again. There are no wrong choices. Pick the cards whose imagery and energy feel like the life you want to be living. Place them somewhere you’ll see them, light a gold candle, and spend a few minutes imagining yourself inside each card. What does that version of your life look like? How does it feel? What are you doing differently? Write down one action you can take for each card before the next New Moon. Samhain reminds us that another cycle is beginning, and magic gets especially powerful when we decide how we want to meet it.”

Paying homage to nature is another Samhain tradition. Thus, Nicole Rallis, floral artist at Leila + Olive, suggests tending to a garden and focusing on the future. “I gather an altar from three categories of autumn botanicals: a flower, an herb, and a fruit. Dahlias, amaranth, and roses are potent options, but [for me] this year’s ritual holds blooms of anemone, a mythic sign of sacrifice to honor the resilience of those who’ve passed and to strengthen the will of the living; rosemary herbs to reflect memories, both bitter ones to dissolve and sweeter ones to envision; and pomegranate to connect cycles of loss and rebirth. Setting these garden intentions by a window, I ponder the portal between past and future seasons to come.”

Having a formal “dumb dinner”—where one eats in silence and has a place setting for the deceased at the table—on Samhain is a quintessential way to commemorate the dead. “On the night itself, I hold a silent meal to honor those who’ve passed. One extra place is set at the table, with a candle to guide them and a glass of water as an offering. The intentionally prepared meal is eaten in silence, an offering of presence rather than words. In that stillness, memory feels closer, the air weighted with recognition and grace,” states Corbin Chamberlin, founder of the ritual brand Sage & Salt. You can even eat the food backwards to call in your future spouse, like they did in Victorian times.

Satisfying the spirits’ thirst for energy and attention shows them that we know they are another form of life force that requires fuel. Marshall WSL, author of Cunning Words: a Grimoire of Tales and Magic, suggests having a feast for the spirits to “satiate their hunger for life and experience.” He says to offer a plate of dark bread to the spirits and a glass of red wine and say the following words:

Happy Halloween! Happy Samhain! Happy All Hallows’ Eve! The dead are alive, the veil is thin, we don masks to deceive. A liminal time, the witches' new year, high magic do we weave. The devil dances, the Witch mother does sing, all one must do is believe. We break the bread, we sip the wine, hallowed blessings we receive. And for the spirits, of above and below, an offering we leave.