The Veil & Samhain: Understanding the Season

What Does It Mean When We Say “The Veil Is Thin”?

This time of year, you hear it everywhere: “The veil is very thin.”

But what does that really mean?

The veil is the boundary between our physical world and the spirit world, or higher dimensions. It’s an invisible field that most people don’t notice, but those who are more sensitive or psychically aware can sometimes feel or sense it.

When people say the veil is thin, they mean that the energy separating the two realms is weaker than usual. That makes it easier to connect with ancestors, spirits, guides, and other beings beyond the physical.

When Is the Veil Thinnest?

That’s not an easy question to answer. The veil is always present and accessible to anyone, but how you interact with it depends on your level of awareness and sensitivity.

Throughout the year, the seasons influence how we feel and perceive energy. In spring and summer, life is vibrant and full, which can make spiritual energy harder to sense. During fall and winter, everything slows down and returns to dormancy. Because of that, the veil feels closer and more noticeable.

There are also other times when the veil can thin, such as:

New moons and lunar eclipses
Planetary alignments, comets, or other celestial events
Personal anniversaries, especially those connected to loss

So the veil feels thinnest when energy is lower, calmer, and quieter. That doesn’t mean the energy is negative; it’s simply less active than at other times of the year.

How Can You Interact with the Veil?

This moves into energy and psychic work. Everyone has the natural ability to sense and work with energy. You might have forgotten how, or maybe you never needed to before. Once you start remembering, it often feels like something you’ve always known.

To connect, focus inward. Let energy move through and around your body and mind. Meditation helps, as does trusting your intuition and paying attention to your senses in more than just the physical way.

You already interact with energy every day, even if you don’t realize it. For example, think about goosebumps. Science says they’re a reaction to cold or fear, but what if they’re also your body’s response to a shift in energy? When the air suddenly feels cooler or you sense a presence, that can be the veil touching your awareness.

I personally feel spirits as a coolness in the air and often get goosebumps when a spirit wants to connect with me.

Does Samhain or Halloween Really Thin the Veil?

Yes, but not only on October 31.

Samhain lines up with the seasonal drop in energy as fall turns into winter, so the veil is already thin around this time. It stays that way through most of the darker half of the year. Many cultures honor their ancestors during this season because it is easier to sense and communicate with them.

These celebrations vary by culture and date but share the same purpose: honoring the dead, giving thanks, and recognizing the cycles of life, death, and renewal.

Celebrations of the Dead Around the World

Here is a list of the celebrations of the dead from around the world:

Chinese Ghost Festival: 7th lunar month (late summer-early fall)
Mabon: September 21-23, Pagan, Wiccan, Celtic
Pchum Ben: late September – early October, 15 days long, Buddhist
Pitru Paksha: September, 2 weeks long, Hindu
Chuseok: September, Korean
Halloween: October 31
Samhain: October 31 – November 1, Celtic, Pagan
All Saints' Day: November 1, Christian
All Souls' Day: November 2, Christian
Dia de los Muertos/Day of the Dead: November 1-2, Mexican
Obon: Fall, Japanese Buddhist/Shinto
Hollantide/Samhain-tide: Early November, Manx, Celtic
Yule/Winter Solstice: December 21-22, Pagan, Norse, Wiccan
Koliada: December – January, Slavic
Soyal: December 21, Hopi/Suni/Pueblo

All of these celebrations remind us that honoring the dead is not unique to one tradition. It’s a shared human experience that ties us to the earth’s cycles and to those who came before us.

What Is Samhain?

Samhain is a Celtic harvest festival that marks the end of the agricultural year and the beginning of winter. It celebrates the final harvest, gratitude for abundance, and preparation for the darker months ahead.

Traditionally, Samhain was celebrated with the October full moon rather than on a fixed date. The October 31 date came later through Christian influence and the Roman calendar. Some traditions still celebrate according to the moon, aligning with the natural rhythm of the land.

Samhain is also one of the Cross-Quarter Days, falling between the Autumn Equinox and Winter Solstice. These days mark the transitions between the major turning points of the year and hold deep spiritual meaning in many traditions.

Personal Reflection

I don’t personally celebrate Samhain. To me, Samhain belongs to Celtic culture and belief, and I’m not Celtic in my spiritual path. That said, I think it’s important to understand how and why the Celts celebrated it.

Samhain has changed over time, especially since Christianity was introduced. It’s not really a harvest festival anymore. Commercialization through Halloween has further masked its deeper meaning. Originally, Samhain was about gathering enough food to survive the winter. Honoring the dead was part of recognizing those who didn’t make it through the harsh months. As survival improved, the focus shifted to remembering the dead rather than preparing for survival. Today, it’s mostly seen as a celebration of the dead instead of the harvest.

I honor the dead throughout the year, not just on one day. Even as a practicing Wiccan, I believe it’s okay to question what we include in our practice. Samhain is a Celtic celebration, and I don’t think every witch needs to celebrate it just because it’s associated with Wicca. It can be frustrating to see people participate in traditions they know little about, assuming they’re supposed to because of a label. Practicing Wicca doesn’t automatically make someone Celtic, nor does it require them to follow Celtic customs.

Samhain falls between the Equinox and Solstice, which makes it a Cross-Quarter Day. Not every culture has a festival during this time, and that’s fine. Christianity added All Saints’ and All Souls’ Days to align with Celtic customs, which changed the meaning of Samhain. Because of that influence, I don’t see Samhain as a true harvest festival anymore, despite the modern revival through Wicca and other Pagan paths.

When I hear people say “the veil is thinning because Samhain is coming,” it makes me smile. I believe the veil begins to thin much earlier, around Mabon, and continues until Yule. Samhain happens during that process but doesn’t control it. Other traditions also celebrate their dead across autumn and winter, not just on October 31.

So why does this belief persist? Because it’s easier to accept what others say than to form your own view. To me, the modern interpretation of Samhain is an example of that. True growth comes from questioning, understanding, and finding what resonates with your own path.

Final Thoughts

Whether you celebrate Samhain or not, this time of year is a reminder to slow down, look inward, and connect with the deeper cycles of life and death. The veil isn’t a switch that flips on one night of the year. It’s a gradual change that moves with the seasons.

From harvest to stillness, from light to shadow, the world is reminding us to listen. To the quiet, to the ancestors, and to our own intuition. However you honor this time, may it bring peace, reflection, and renewal.