Samhain: A Journey Between Worlds
By Tash English from Avant Garden
Photo by Nina Martini for BTTR Stories
Samhain is a sacred time of celebration marking the turning point between the lightest months and the darkest days. It is a time of endings and beginnings, of descent and renewal, time for the final harvest, when the wheel of the year completes its cycle and will start to turn again.
During this time the veil between worlds is at its thinnest, and the boundaries separating the living from the dead, the seen from the unseen, begin to dissolve. When life and death hold hands.
During this time, the veil softens not only between us and our ancestors, but also between our waking mind and our spirit. The spirits of the plants — who have given their fruits, their leaves, their medicine — are near, whispering their wisdom through the wind and the smoke of ritual fires.
This time allows us to commune not only with lost loved ones but with our own spirit, our spirit guides, and the living presence of nature itself.
Samhain is not only about death, but about the relationship between this world and the next, between the self we show and the self we hide, between what has ended and what has yet to begin. It invites us to meet our shadows, to sit with our grief, to honour the beauty that exists even in darkness. We are asked to make space at our inner table for all parts of ourselves, the seen and unseen, the remembered and the forgotten.
As in nature, so within: nothing truly ends. What falls away becomes nourishment for what is to come, the cycle of composting down becomes the promise of rebirth. We are reminded to let go with gratitude, to release old patterns, beliefs, or fears that no longer serve us, and to trust the fertile quiet that follows. This is how we prepare the soil of our spirit for the rebirth of spring, making space for the new.
A Time for Reflection
This sacred in-between space, when the Otherworld and our world intertwine is the perfect time to welcome death to our table, not as a destroyer, but as a teacher, a keeper of transformation.
Through writing practices, cleansing rituals, and the guidance of plant spirits, we can enter this season of reflection, making space for the parts of ourselves that lie hidden behind the veil.
A walk in the autumn woods may reveal what nature has already let go of: fallen leaves, empty branches, the scent of decay transforming into new life.
Gathering small treasures from the earth, we can build an altar at home; a candle, a stone, a photograph of those who came before, an offering of food or flowers. We whisper our gratitude to them, and to the cycles that carry us through life and death, shadow and light.
Photo by Sam Seseman for BTTR Stories
Herbs we can work with:
Rowen — for protection, guardianship, holding space between the threshold.
Mugwort — for cleansing, dream work and guiding you inwards.
Sage — cleansing and strength.
Hawthorn — to protect our hearts, connect to other worlds.
Evergreen — protection, calming and grounding.
Roots — reminding us that the nutrients one needs comes from our roots.
Samhain cleansing & reflection ritual:
Make sure to have a candle, lighter, incense, bowl to burn in, pen and paper.
Sitting in a quiet location. Light the candle, cleanse yourself with the incense and quiet your mind.
Give thanks to the earth, the sun, the darkness, your spirit guides, the stewards of these lands, your ancestors, life and death.
Sit in silence for a few minutes and bring your energy inwards and down into your roots.
Once you feel ready answer the questions below. Take your time and answer them without judgement.
What am I ready to release?
What has fulfilled its purpose in my life?
What new seed awaits, unseen, within the dark?
In the bowl burn your paper with your 3 questions. You can bury the ash or let it fly into the wind.
Take a moment to give thanks to your ancestors, your spirit guides, the protectors of the lands for their protection and guidance. Thank all the elements, nature, and bow down to all living beings.
If you have a tarot deck pick, a card or draw an image for the coming cycle.
Through these quiet gestures, we root ourselves with the rhythm of the earth, the dance of growth and the wisdom of our ancestors.
Through reflection, we reconnect with our roots and lineage, feeling the web of ancestors behind us, their strength flowing through our veins. We rest in that connection, knowing that endings are not failures but sacred. In nature, nothing is lost; all that falls becomes soil for what will bloom again. So too, we let go of what no longer serves us. The stories, habits, and burdens we need not carry into the new year. We return, as nature does, to our roots.
So, as the nights lengthen, we listen. We listen to the earth, to the whispers of our ancestors, to the quiet within our own hearts. We welcome all that we are: our joy and sorrow, ancestors and dreams, light and shadow.
Photo by Nina Martini for BTTR Stories
About Tash from Avant Garden
Tash is a qualified herbalist, acupuncturist and sensory-seasonal living coach, blending herbal medicine, intuitive cooking, art, nature education and grassroots & seasonal living practices. Raised in the Australian bush and now based in Berlin, she weaves strategic wisdom with wild, witchy creativity. Since founding Avant Garden in 2013, she’s led workshops, forest walks, team-buildings and art installations that reconnect people with nature. These days she’s focused on supporting individuals and FLINTA communities in embracing holistic health, seasonal rhythms and traditional healing practices while building sustainable creativity and enquiry.
How to connect with Tash:
Herby at Heart Podcast (check out tonight’s episode all about rowan!)
Private bookings for corporate, events, festivals, etc.
Sensory Seasonal Herbalism Course (email Tash for 2026 dates!)
You can also follow more updates on Tash’s Instagram and Substack.
