Silent Supper for Samhain

Silent Supper for Samhain

A ritual for Samhain, led by Pagan Priestess Laura Doherty.

A bring-and-share feast for the dead, held at Samhain when the veil between the worlds is at its thinnest.

Bring a dish to share, and bring someone too, a photo, an object, a name. I'll cast the space and open the rite before we sit. We'll lay a place at the table for each of your dead alongside your own, so there are more settings than people in the room, and before we go quiet, we'll each speak their name aloud so the room knows who's joined us.

Then we eat in silence. This is the oldest part of the practice: a dumb supper, held wordless so the dead can be present without the noise of the living getting in the way. Candlelight, quiet, and the company of those we've lost.

This isn't a performance and it isn't a séance. This is old work, done simply and with reverance.

What to expect

• This is a Pagan ritual, held with intention, not a themed dinner party
• We eat in silence for most of the evening. It might feel awkward at first but that is the working of the rite. 
• You don't need to be Pagan, Wiccan or practising anything to take part, only open to it
• If silence is hard for you, say so beforehand, we'll find a way that still lets you take part

When: Saturday 31 October, 7pm–10pm (arrive from 6.45pm)
Where: The Wizard's Tea Room, Alderley Edge.
Bring: A dish to share, and a photo or object of someone you've lost
Numbers: Limited to 12, so we can hold the rite properly, please don't book if you can't make it, we'll have a waitlist