Veganism and the Wheel of the Year: Slowing Down with Samhain
Honor the stillness, release with grace, and realign with compassion this Samhain season
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Samhain is the quiet threshold of the year—a sacred moment of pause between the end of the harvest and the beginning of something new. While often associated with the thinning veil and honoring our ancestors, Samhain also offers a deeper invitation: to slow down, soften, and reflect. 🍂
In this post, I’m exploring how Samhain beautifully aligns with a vegan lifestyle, rooted in compassion, truth, and conscious release. Through shadow journaling, gentle ritual, and plant-based wisdom, you can step into the stillness of this season with open eyes and open hearts.
Please Note: These articles aren’t meant to match the actual timing of each Sabbat. Instead, they’re here to help you explore how each seasonal celebration connects with vegan values. Think of it as a gentle guide to learning and reflecting year-round—no matter what the calendar says.
This post may contain affiliate links. Full disclosure at the bottom.
A Sacred Stillness: Listening to the Season
Samhain arrives with a hush, painting the world with its unique beauty. The air turns crisp, the trees begin to release their leaves, plants pull back, and animals slow down and prepare for rest. All of nature is softening, a gentle reminder of the cyclical rhythm of life. Letting go, but not without leaving behind a breathtaking display of colors and textures.
This season is not loud or fast. Samhain is a quiet threshold. It sits between the end of the harvest and the start of a new spiritual year. It marks a natural pause. A moment to breathe before stepping into what’s next.
So, I invite you to pause with it. Set down whatever feels heavy. Ask gently, What am I ready to leave behind? What truth is waiting to be seen? This is the gift of Samhain—space to reflect, release, and realign.
The Veil Grows Thin: Honoring the Heart of Samhain
In the Northern Hemisphere, Samhain is celebrated from October 31 to November 1. In the Southern Hemisphere, it falls from April 30 to May 1. No matter where you are in the world, this sacred time speaks of endings and beginnings. It signals the close of the harvest season and the start of the spiritual new year.
This is a powerful season. Samhain invites us to honor our ancestors and connect with what lies beneath the surface. It’s a time to face what we often avoid, not with fear, but with deep respect and quiet curiosity.
Transformation is the soul of Samhain. It’s a season where things fall away so new things can grow. We reflect, we remember, and we gently release. In doing so, we find peace. In the dark, we begin to see more clearly. This transformative power of Samhain inspires hope and a sense of renewal, even in the midst of darkness.
Compassion at the Crossroads: Samhain and the Vegan Heart
Samhain isn’t just about endings. It’s about looking closely at life itself. It calls us to pause and reflect on what we value, what we grieve, and how we care for others—human and non-human alike. A vegan lifestyle often begins in that same space. It asks us to choose compassion, even when it’s uncomfortable. Samhain offers the perfect time to do that gently and honestly, fostering a sense of empathy and care for all living beings.
Here are five ways Samhain connects with the heart of a vegan path:
It honors all lives. Just like remembering our human ancestors, we can also honor the animals and natural beings that shaped our lives and world.
It invites truth. Veganism begins with seeing what’s really happening to animals and the planet. Samhain gives us the strength to look at these truths with open eyes.
It teaches release. Letting go of old habits and beliefs is not easy. But Samhain reminds us that releasing is a sacred part of growth.
It deepens compassion. As we contemplate death and endings, we can choose to soften and live with more empathy.
It calls us to be good ancestors. Our choices today create the world that future generations will inherit. Living plant-based is one way to honor that responsibility.
Into the Quiet: A Shadow Journaling Practice
Samhain is a time when the outer world slows down. The light fades, and the trees stand bare. That stillness outside invites us to turn inward. This is the season for shadow work, a practice of self-reflection and introspection.
It’s not about delving into our darkest fears but approaching our inner world with kindness and curiosity. Shadow work means looking at the parts of ourselves we often ignore, the thoughts we avoid, and the truths we hide from. Samhain gives us the perfect space to explore those places with love.
To begin, light a candle or lower the lights around you. Let the room feel calm and safe. Take a few deep breaths. Picture yourself standing at the edge of a quiet forest at night. The air is cool. The ground is steady beneath your feet. You are not alone. You are held.
Now, open your journal and let yourself write without pressure. You might explore one question or all three. Go where your heart leads.
What truth have I been avoiding?
What fear is ready to be faced?
What part of me asks to be seen, accepted, or transformed?
When you feel complete, place your pen down. Take one last breath. Then write a kind and loving intention. Something small you can carry with you into the next season. Let it be a gentle promise to yourself. One that comes from truth, not fear.
The Beauty of Endings: Living the Wisdom of Samhain
Samhain teaches us that letting go is not something to fear. It is sacred. It is necessary. Nature shows us this every year. Leaves fall, light fades, and life pulls inward so that something new can take root.
Living a plant-based life has its kind of shedding. We leave behind habits that no longer serve. We release old beliefs. And we soften into new ways of seeing the world. That softness is not weakness. It is strength, clarity, and a choice to live awake and aligned.
So, as Samhain surrounds us with its quiet truth, take this reflection to heart: What part of me is ready to die so that something new can be born?
This is not an end. This is a doorway.
Coming up next: Yule
The light returns. The wheel turns again.
In our next post, we’ll celebrate the stillness of winter and explore how the sun’s return can inspire warmth, hope, and gentle renewal on our vegan journey.
©2025 Julene Cole, all rights reserved
Samhain reminds us that letting go is not failure—it’s part of the natural cycle of life. The trees don’t mourn their leaves. They trust in the wisdom of rest, knowing that something new will bloom when the time is right. 🌙
This season, I hope you find space to release what no longer serves you—on your plate, in your habits, or in your heart. Let it be gentle. Let it be sacred.
I’d love to hear how you honor this time of year. Hit reply and share your thoughts—I read and respond to every message. 💬💚
Expect Miracles!
Until next time,
Julene
I love listening to your work Julene and even though I’m in the southern hemisphere and non-vegan I engage internally with the concepts. I am choosing to let go of some fears and trust in my universal journey. Initially I thought it was stress I needed to let go of but it’s actually the fears that need to go. So as the exotic trees here lose the last of their leaves I will remember your words … the trees trust. I am safe to trust too 🥰