Samhain Week - and Why You Should Cut Your Apple Sideways

We’re in the week of Halloween, but for those of us on the witchy or spiritual path, this is really Samhain. Pronounced 'sow-in' or 'sah-win', it’s the turning of the wheel, that space between endings and beginnings, and one of the most powerful times of the year.

This year, I want to shine a little light on the humble apple. They’ve always been part of this season’s magic – think toffee apples, apple bobbing, the sweet scent of baked apples filling the kitchen. They’re the less-flashy cousins of the pumpkins that steal all the attention.

But apples have a secret...

Most people slice them from top to bottom, but if you cut one through its middle, you’ll find a perfect five-pointed star hidden inside. That tiny star represents earth, air, fire, water, and spirit – a reminder that real magic is often tucked away in the simplest things.

Samhain night, 31st October, is the night when the veil between worlds is thin. It’s a time to remember and honour our ancestors and loved ones, and remember they don’t all have to be human. Pets, guides, kind spirits of the places we’ve loved – they can all come close at this time of year.

It's often said that Samhain is about giving thanks for the harvest and not asking for things in our rituals, but I think it’s fine to ask the ancestors for help. They come because they love us, and love naturally wants to help. Since the pagan new year begins on November 1st, it’s the perfect moment to ask for a little guidance or support for the year ahead, even with specifics, if you need to!

If you’d like to mark the night, set up a small altar. A candle, a dark cloth, maybe an apple cut across its heart. Leave a glass of red wine as an offering – a goblet if you have one, or any glass will do. Last year, mine was taken completely, glass and all, by the wind. I decided that meant the ancestors accepted it in full.

When you’re ready, say thank you. Speak their names if you can. Tell them what you’re grateful for and what you’d like help with. Remember to leave your requests open to manifesting as something different, that might be so much better for you. From their vantage point beyond the physical plane, they can often really see what you need in a way you possibly can't just yet. Appreicate and feel their loving presence. If you can do it safely, let the candle burn safely overnight until it passes through the veil itself, or relight it in the morning to release the energy into the new year.

Samhain is a bridge between worlds. It’s when love crosses time and distance to remind us we’re never truly alone. The magic, like the star inside the apple, is always there – waiting to be noticed.