Samhain - Festival of Fire

Written by L&CC Team 


As the ancient festival of Samhain approaches it is time to revisit some of the many posts written over the years concerning this festival which forms one of the ancient festivals of fire in Ireland. 


Samhain: Goddesses Tlachtga and the Morrigan 

The year is slowly dying and to mark its end is the ancient festival of Samhain or more commercially referred to as today, Halloween. The days pre and post the 31st of October signals the end of the harvest in the northern hemisphere, when the year enters its period of darkness, and the earth slumbers. There is no other place in Ireland or the world more associated with the festival 


Samhain and Goddess Tlachtga 

The orange flames cast light onto the dark cold nights of winter. The gods of old are waiting to be appeased, signalling the end of one year in preparation for the next. In ancient Ireland, fires lit up the darkened skies offering protection and cleansing in rituals to the gods and to the spirits of nature. As Samhain approaches or better known today as Halloween, the Fire Festivals continue with variations to the original practices by people with different beliefs 



Cave of the Cats and Tlachtga 

Continuing from my last blog post of my recent trip to Ireland I also had the great experience of visiting the Rathcroghan archaeological complex in County Roscommon (4,000 B.C to 2,500 B.C). This site records and explains all the phases of mankind from the early farmers through to today. There are many monuments, none of which have been excavated that only add to the mystery of what lies beneath the earth fully intact with thousands of years. One of the main monuments on the site that is almost 


Ancient Festivals of Fire 

In an ancient time, fires lit up the darkened skies offering protection and cleansing in rituals to the gods and to the spirits of nature. So, the fire festivals continue to this day with variations to the originals by people with different beliefs and cultures. These are the four ancient Gaelic Fire Festivals that make up the annual seasonal cycles with 



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