The Best Spells + Rituals To Perform On Halloween

Updated 9 months ago, October 30 2023
Tarot, Zodiac, Spells

Halloween is an incredibly powerful and magical time to manifest your desires, honor the dead and learn from them, release the things holding you down, and welcome in a new era. But first things first…

Origins of Halloween

Halloween has an over 2,000-year-old origin. The holiday was derived from the ancient Celtic pagan spiritual tradition of Samhain. The festival was widely observed through the Celtic lands of Ireland, Scotland, and northern France. The Celts celebrated their new year on November 1 and believed that on the night before the veil between the living and dead was at its thinnest and that the souls of the dead returned to Earth. It was custom to give offerings to the spirits and fairies from the other realm to appease them. The belief was that without these offerings fairies, spirits, and other supernatural forces would descend to cause mischief or harm. It was also thought they would come to punish people for their bad deeds. Samhain was a time to take stock of food supplies and begin preparing meat for winter. The Celts believed that giving these offerings ensured that their people and livestock would survive through the long winter.

During Samhain it was also tradition for Druids (sacred Celtic priests) to light sacred communal bonfires. In these bonfires, sacrifices, such as cattle, were offered to deities. These bonfires also served as cleansing and protection rituals. Afterwards, people would go back home and re-light their hearths using flames taken from the bonfire.

Wearing a costume on Halloween is also a tradition that originated from Samhain. The Celts wore costumes to trick and blend in with the evil fairies and entities that crossed over when the veil was thin. It was a way to protect themselves. They would dress up as spirits, fairies, as well as wear masks, animal heads, and skins. While dressed up they would go door to door asking for good fortune. People also left out food, drinks, and goods for spirits on their doorstep. Trick-or-treat much? Even the Jack-o-Lantern stems from Samhain, except the Celts didn’t use pumpkins. They hollowed out turnips into faces, made them lanterns, and left them on their windowsill to ward off evil spirits.

Later, like most pagan traditions, Samhain was “Christianized” into a more “acceptable” event. Beginning with Pope Boniface IV in the 7th century, in an attempt to kill pagan celebrations, he declared November 1 as All Martyrs Day. Later, 8th-century Pope Gregory III expanded it to include saints, and thus All Hallows Day was born. The night before became known as Hallow’s Eve.

Activities To Do During Halloween

Smoke cleanse your home to rid yourself of unwanted energies

Energetically cleanse your home using a besom or broom

Spend time observing nature and appreciating autumn

Honor your grief

Visit your beloved dead at the cemetery

Create a collage to honor memories of your beloved dead

Gather mementos, objects, pictures, or symbols associated with or that represent the energy of the dearly departed

Leave an offerings out for the dearly departed

Decorate an altar for the dead

Explore your ancestry

Create and start filling an ancestral box

Find a natural object to represent your year and let it go in a stream or moving water

Sort through your belongings and closet and donate that which you no longer need

Light a bonfire

Eat a pomegranate (an ancient symbol of the underworld)

Cook autumn meals with intention

Bake pumpkin pie, pumpkin bread, or cookies (or eat pumpkin soup) for prosperity

Burn dried mugwort for protection

Divination and tarot

Make an autumnal wreath

Reflect on the past year and make intentions for the new year

Dress up and eat a lot of candy

Watch a witchy movie or a scary movie (or book)

Spell To Remove Evil Forces, Spirits, And Energies From Your Life

1. Clean a mirror. Cleanse it with incense smoke and with your intention.

2. Surround yourself in a ball of protective energy. Close your eyes if you must and meditate. Imagine a light surrounding you and protecting you. Call on your ancestors if you want to protect you.

3. Continue focusing your intention on the mirror. Be extremely clear.

4. Either set the mirror in front of you or lay it on the ground. Light a black candle and put it in front of you so that it’s between you and the mirror. Turn off every light in the room.

5. The reflection of your mouth should be fairly centered on the mirror. Focus on the mirror and hold your gaze into the mirror.

6. Tell the mirror that you do not accept any evil forces in your life or any negative energy that has been sent your way. Look firmly into your eyes and as you do imagine the negativity and evil forces moving further and further away from you. Infuse the mirror with your power through focus and intention.

7. Imagine a dark smoke shooting into the mirror and bouncing back white. Do this as long as you can until you start feeling lighter.

8. Say that you send love to any person who may have sent anything dark your way.

9. Blow out the black candle.

10. Take a bath with a bit of salt to end the ritual and purify yourself.

Samhain Release Spell

1. Write down everything you want to let go of on a piece of paper. Take your time to meditate on what relationships, habits, addictions, patterns, situations, or people are no longer serving you for your highest good. Be clear and detailed. Focus your intention on the paper.

2. Read what you wrote out loud to the moon.

3. Carefully burn the piece of paper using a candle or bonfire. If you can’t burn it using either, then safely burn it in any accessible way to you.

4. On another piece of paper write about what you are grateful for. Be clear and detailed. Focus your gratitude on the paper. Place the piece of paper in a place where you can see it often as a reminder to create more abundance.

Spell to Connect With The Dead

1. Before you fall asleep on the night of Halloween, write down the name of the person you want to connect with on a piece of paper. Say their name out loud and ask them to come bring you guidance and meet you in your dreams. Place the paper under your pillow.

2. Before falling asleep, imagine how they look, how they smelled, and how they made you feel. Imagine yourself having a conversation with them.

3. Dream.

Feast for the Dead

You can do this alone, with family, or with friends.

1. Make a feast of food and drink consisting of favorites of your beloved dead. If you’re inviting other people, have them bring foods of their dearly departed.

2. Make a plate of food for your dearly departed. You could set a place at the table and leave an empty chair to invite them all to feast with you.

3. If you’re alone then meditate on memories you have with them. If it’s a dinner party, then have everyone around the table share stories about their beloved dead.

4. After the feast, leave a plate outside for animals to honor the natural cycles of life.

Wish for Success Spell

1. Write down your wish for the new year on a bay leaf.

2. Hold it to your heart and visualize it as true. Really focus on what you want to manifest. Imagine it as if it has already happened. Let the feeling overwhelm you. Take as long as you need.

3. Burn the leaf or toss into a fire and say, “And so it shall be.”

Halloween Simmer Pot

Add the following to a pot of boiling water and then reduce the heat to a low simmer. Don’t let water boil away. Add more water as necessary. Turn off and throw out when scent has faded:

1 whole orange peel, sliced into strips (energizing and uplifting)

2 whole apple peels (for health)

3 whole cinnamon sticks (for joy, wholeness, personal power, and comfort)

2 tablespoons of whole clove (for psychic power)

1 tablespoon of nutmeg (for luck and wealth)

1 teaspoon of vanilla (for a spiritual cleanse)