Take an Ancestor Out to Dinner this Samhain!

Ah Samhain.
My favorite holiday.
It’s the time of “ghoulies and ghosties and long-leggedy beasties and things that go bump in the night.”* It’s also a bit easier to talk to our ancestors now. They are there, just on the other side of the veil. And they are eager to speak with us. Most just want to say hi and send their love, but others have messages, questions, and issues. I have found that communing with my ancestors is not only emotionally rewarding, but also helpful in a practical sense. And so every November first, after the excitement of Samhain, we throw a Dumb Supper for those who have gone before.

It’s actually quite simple.

• Fix a nice dinner.
• Set a festive, seasonal table with one extra place for your ghostly visitors.
• Light the candles.
• Cast a strong circle that will allow only friendly spirits in.
• Greet your ancestors and invite them to dinner.
• After the greeting no one speaks until the meal is finished.
• Serve up the feast. Fill your visitors’ plate and pour them a glass of wine.
• Sit down and eat and still your mind.
• Listen.
• When the meal is over, tell each other about your conversations.
• Close the circle.**

These are just a few of the conversations I’ve had:
• The Samhain after my Father passed he came to our dumb supper. I felt him appear behind my right shoulder. He said “Well, hello!” It sounded and felt just like him. I felt a warm wave of love.
• A few years later Daddy arrived with the message “Get your money out of the God-damned bank!” We later checked our investments and realized that the bank was charging exorbitant fees, so we did as we were told.
• My husband’s cousin committed suicide, and one Samhain he arrived at the Supper and begged me to find a part of his soul that he’d lost. I had just read The Way of the Shaman by Michael Harner (Coincidence? I think not.) and attempted the retrieval while I sat and stared at my pot roast. He said it worked.
• A friend’s father showed up and asked me to tell her he needed to talk to her. I relayed the message.
The time of Samhain is potent and full of spirit. It offers us communion with those who have gone before. All we need to do is be still and listen and understand that what we hear is real. We’re not making it up.

A blessed Samhain to all.
*From a traditional Scottish prayer
**I bury the ancestor’s food and wine in the garden. Composting it would be OK too.