Suzi’s Secrets #23: Samhain, Story Magic & What Comes Next

I watch the leaves dance and fall in the wind outside. They whisper of endings and stir new beginnings. During Samhain (Sah-wen), the ancient Celtic festival that marks not only the end of harvest and summer, but the turning of the year, we stand at a threshold: where light gives way to darkness, where the familiar holds its breath before the unknown begins.

🔥 Roots of the Ritual: What Samhain Meant to the Celts

For the ancient Celts, Samhain marked more than just the end of harvest. It was the close of “summer’s end,” the first step into winter and what they called the “darker half” of the year. At sunset on October 31, the old year closed; at dawn on November 1, the new year quietly began.

In that liminal hour, the veil between worlds grew thin. The Celts believed the spirits of the departed, the beings of the Otherworld, and what we might call “true magic” walked closer to our realm than at any other time. Bonfires were lit, offerings made, and divination practiced. The old year’s work was honored; the new year’s potential was glimpsed.

Samhain was a time to both celebrate and surrender, a recognition that endings are sacred, and that life and death are threads of the same tapestry.

✨ Modern Witches & the McEllis Cousins: Magic in Story

Shifting our focus to today, and into the world of my upcoming romantasy trilogy about the McEllis cousins, we can see how the essence of Samhain still lives on. The cousins are born into a curse bound by blood and dragon fire, standing at their own threshold between what was and what could be. They find the stories of those who came before still shape the stories we write now, which can be true for us in the 3D as well, until we choose something to start something new. Cycles, endings, new beginnings, life and death; they’re not opposites, but companions. Samhain’s ancient rhythm of endings and beginnings, of death’s shadow and love’s spark, are the ebb and flow of life. Like the Celts who once honored this turning of the year, the McEllis women must also honor what’s ending in order to claim what’s waiting to be reborn.

For them, magic isn’t just ritual, it’s life. It’s courage, legacy, and the choice to follow one’s heart even when fate demands otherwise. 

Each ritual in Awaken the Rich Witch Within carries the same current of transformation that flows through their world: gratitude for what was, release of what’s finished, and the willingness to step boldly into the unknown. The McEllis women remind us that we are the living continuation of those who came before, still learning to balance power and love at the threshold between worlds.

🌕 Honoring This Turning Point

Here are three ways to connect with Samhain’s energy and bring that threshold magic into your own story:

1. Light a candle at dusk. Sit in stillness and ask: What chapter of my life is ending? What am I ready to begin? Let the flame mark both release and renewal. (I like to write what I’m releasing on a paper and burn it in the flame)

2. Create a remembrance altar. Place a photo, a keepsake, or a symbol of someone or something you wish to honor. The veil is thin, whispers of guidance may find their way to you.

3. Use one ritual from “Awaken the Rich Witch Within.” Each practice, gratitude, flow, or mindset, is a bridge between worlds, helping you align your energy with growth and possibility.

Our stories matter. Rituals are more than habit, they’re signposts of the soul. When we step across a threshold, the world changes… and so do we.

If you read Foxglove Hearts, you already know I believe in love strong enough to heal and transform, and women courageous enough to rewrite their destinies. The next series broadens the lens but keeps that same heart. This Samhain, we begin together.

As you sit in these turning hours, remember: the magic is within you. Begin your journey with the McEllis cousins and me with this updated copy of Awaken the Rich Witch Within, rituals, story magic, and your next chapter in one place. 

With moonlight, stories unfolding, and magic, 

Suzette R Berry