A Retreat on The Joy of Samhain. Offered by: Deirdre Ní Chinneide, Fr Philip Baxter and John Keane at Ards Friary, November 2024.
A celebration of music, nature and the body as it is sensed from the inside.
Written by: John Keane.
This weekend retreat explored the Celtic Celebration of Samhain using the themes of Darkness and Light to appreciate the changing nature of reality. 
During the weekend we explored the nature of this change and ways of resourcing ourselves to meet it and grow with it.
We explored how our usual thought processes can be an obstacle to this journey, preventing us from appreciating our intimate connection to reality and nature.
Celtic spirituality, music, nature, our own bodies (and their innate sense of Love and Affection) offer doorways into living freshly into the changes and challenges of life.
In Celtic Ireland over 2,000 years ago, Samhain was the division of the year between the lighter half (summer) and the darker half (winter). At Samhain, the division between this world and the otherworld was at its thinnest.
Food was prepared for the living and the dead. Food for the ancestors who were in no position to eat it, was ritually shared with the less well off.
Christianity incorporated the honouring of the dead into the Christian calendar with All Saints (All Hallows) on November 1st, followed by All Souls on November 2nd.
During our time together, we were guided through the woodlands of Ards by an expert woodsman who assisted us in appreciating the natural environment. This allowed us to sense into the rhythm of nature as it utilises the opportunity of winter/darkness to prepare itself for the coming of summer/light.
We had a celebration on the beach in Ards – connecting to the water and its natural ebb and flow. Sensing our connection into that dimension of the natural environment.
The theme of light was emphasised in the lighting of the fire in the living room in Ards, where we shared stories, and came together to share food and wine.
An exploration of the Celtic calendar assisted us in appreciating the difference between linear time – and a sense of time that is sensitive to the ongoing rhythm to nature.
All of this was interspersed with BioSpiritual Focusing exercises and the beautiful music and poetry offered by Deirdre.
We also took the opportunity to remember those who have passed before us, and how they are especially present to us at this “threshold” time of year.
As we move forward, we are working to incorporate the main Celtic festivals into the retreats we will offer in Ards Friary. The links between Franciscan Spirituality, BioSpiritual Focusing and Celtic Spirituality and music offer a fertile foundation to people seeking to embody the interconnectedness of all living processes. This will allow participants to find their own place in this ongoing process.
