History, traditions, and magical aromatherapy for the season
There is a particular hush that falls over the land as October draws to a close. The air turns crisp, the light grows amber and low, and something ancient stirs in the collective memory. Hallow’s Eve, the night before All Hallows’ Day, is one of the oldest thresholds on the wheel of the year, a night when the veil between worlds is said to grow thin.
A Brief History
Hallow’s Eve traces its roots to Samhain (pronounced “sow-in”), the ancient Celtic festival marking the end of the harvest and the beginning of the dark half of the year. For the Celts, Samhain was a liminal time, when the boundary between the world of the living and the world of the dead softened, allowing spirits, ancestors, and otherworldly beings to move more freely between realms.
Bonfires were lit to ward off harmful spirits and to purify people and livestock as smoke drifted over them. Food and drink were set outside homes as offerings, meant to appease wandering spirits, a practice that echoes in the treats we leave out today.
When Christianity spread through Celtic lands, the Church eventually established All Saints’ Day (November 1st) to honor saints and martyrs, with the evening before becoming All Hallows’ Eve, later shortened to Halloween. Many of the old Samhain customs were absorbed into this new observance rather than erased, which is why the night still carries such a strong sense of the otherworldly.
Waves of Irish and Scottish immigration carried these traditions to North America in the 19th century, where they blended with local harvest customs and evolved into the holiday celebrated today.
Traditions of the Season
Several customs from this night carry deep symbolic roots worth remembering:
- Candles in the windows. In places such as France, carved lanterns with candles were traditionally set on windowsills; more broadly, light in the window served to guide wandering ancestral spirits home safely and to offer protection against less welcome ones.
- Jack-o’-lanterns. Originally carved from turnips (and sometimes beets or potatoes) in Ireland and Scotland, tied to the folktale of “Stingy Jack,” who tricked the Devil and was doomed to wander the earth with only a burning coal inside a hollowed turnip to light his way. These carved faces were set on doorsteps and windowsills to frighten away wandering spirits. Pumpkins became the norm once the tradition crossed to North America.
- Bonfires. Communal fires were believed to hold back the darkness, cleanse and purify, and mark the turning of the seasonal wheel.
- Setting a place at the table. A plate or chair left for deceased loved ones, inviting their presence and honoring the ancestors.
- Divination practices. Samhain was considered an especially potent time for seeking guidance from the spirit world, and Celtic priests, the Druids, were believed to have heightened powers of foresight on this night.
- Costumes and disguises. Originally worn to confuse or ward off spirits who might otherwise recognize and follow a person home.
- Offerings of food and drink. Left outside the home to appease wandering spirits, a direct ancestor of modern trick-or-treating.
Magical Practices for Hallow’s Eve
For those who work with plant medicine and ritual, this threshold night is traditionally associated with a few key intentions:
- Ancestor veneration and connection
- Protection of home and hearth
- Banishing and release of what no longer serves
- Divination and heightened intuition
- Honoring the cycle of death and rebirth
Many practitioners mark the occasion with a small altar, a simmering pot on the stove, or an anointing oil prepared with intention, using herbs and essential oils long associated with this liminal time of year.
Essential Oils Associated with Hallow’s Eve
- Frankincense (Boswellia carterii): traditionally used for spiritual elevation, protection, and honoring the sacred and the dead
- Myrrh (Commiphora myrrha): linked to death, transformation, and ancestral connection since antiquity, historically used in embalming and funerary rites
- Clove (Syzygium aromaticum): associated with protection and banishing negativity
- Cinnamon (Cinnamomum verum): connected to protection, prosperity, and raising vibration
- Patchouli (Pogostemon cablin): grounding, associated with the underworld, material abundance, and protection
- Cedarwood (Cedrus atlantica): traditionally used for purification, protection, and connecting with ancestral wisdom
- Clary sage (Salvia sclarea): associated with enhanced intuition, dreamwork, and psychic clarity
- Black pepper (Piper nigrum): traditionally used for protection and courage against unwanted energies
- Orange (Citrus sinensis): tied to joy, abundance, and honoring the harvest
- Cypress (Cupressus sempervirens): long associated with mourning, transition, and comfort during times of loss
Herbs Associated with Hallow’s Eve
- Mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris): traditionally burned or carried to enhance psychic vision and dreamwork
- Rosemary (Salvia rosmarinus): historically used for remembrance and honoring the dead
- Sage (Salvia officinalis): a classic smoke-cleansing herb for clearing stagnant or unwanted energy
- Wormwood (Artemisia absinthium): traditionally associated with divination and communication with spirits (for external/ritual use only, not for ingestion)
- Yarrow (Achillea millefolium): used in folk tradition for protection and divination
- Calendula (Calendula officinalis): petals traditionally scattered to honor and welcome ancestral spirits
- Rue (Ruta graveolens): historically carried or burned for protection and banishing (handle with care; can be a skin irritant)
- Apple (Malus domestica): the fruit and its lore tied deeply to Samhain divination practices
- Oak leaves and acorns (Quercus species): symbols of strength, endurance, and connection to ancestral land
Recipes and Blends
Ancestor Altar Anointing Oil
For honoring loved ones who have passed and inviting their gentle presence
- 30 ml jojoba oil
- 5 drops frankincense
- 4 drops myrrh
- 3 drops cedarwood
- 2 drops orange
Combine in a small amber bottle. Anoint a photograph frame, candle, or the edges of an altar cloth. Never apply undiluted essential oils directly to photographs or paper.
Protective Threshold Blend
For anointing doorframes, windowsills, or diffusing near the entryway
- 4 drops clove
- 4 drops cinnamon
- 3 drops black pepper
- 3 drops cedarwood
Diffuse near the front door, or dilute at 2 percent in a carrier oil and lightly wipe along the outer doorframe (test any wood finish first in an inconspicuous spot).
Simmer Pot for the Season
For warming the home and marking the turning of the year
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 3 whole cloves
- Peel from 1 orange
- A few sprigs of fresh rosemary
- 2 to 3 slices of apple
- A small saucepan of water
Simmer gently on the stove (never leave unattended), topping up water as needed. This fills the home with warmth while honoring the harvest and the ancestors in one simple gesture.
Intuition and Dreamwork Diffuser Blend
For divination work or before sleep on Hallow’s Eve
- 4 drops clary sage
- 3 drops frankincense
- 2 drops cedarwood
Diffuse for 30 to 45 minutes before bed or before a scrying or journaling practice. Keep the room dim and quiet to support reflection.
Release and Banishing Bath Soak
For letting go of what no longer serves as the year turns inward
- 1 cup Epsom salts
- 3 drops cypress
- 2 drops clary sage
- 1 drop patchouli
Disperse the essential oils into the Epsom salts before adding to running bath water. Set an intention of release as you soak.
Safety Notes
Always dilute essential oils properly before topical use (typically 1 to 3 percent for adults), patch test new blends, and keep undiluted oils away from children, pets, flames, and eyes. Clary sage should be avoided in pregnancy and alongside alcohol. Cinnamon bark and clove are potent skin sensitizers and should always be well diluted. If you are pregnant, nursing, or managing a health condition, consult a qualified aromatherapist or healthcare provider before beginning any new blend.
A Season of Remembrance
Whatever your path, Hallow’s Eve offers something valuable: a pause, a moment to light a candle, to remember those who came before us, and to sit quietly with the turning of the year. Whether you mark it with a simmering pot on the stove or a quiet anointing oil at your altar, may the season bring you warmth, protection, and connection.
Susan Cossi
IFPA-Accredited Clinical Aromatherapist and Holistic Health Practitioner | Holistic Teachings Inc. | susancossi.com
This article blends historical and folkloric tradition with aromatherapy practice for educational and inspirational purposes. It isn’t a substitute for medical advice. Please consult a healthcare provider before beginning any new essential oil practice, particularly if pregnant, nursing, or managing a health condition.