Samhain Service Themes

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Here are 10 thoughtful themes for a Samhain service, focusing on reflection, honoring ancestors, and embracing transformation:

  1. Remembering Our Ancestors
    Honoring the lineage and wisdom passed down through generations.
  2. Embracing Death and Renewal
    Seeing death as a natural part of the cycle that makes way for new beginnings.
  3. Facing Our Shadows
    Bringing light to our inner darkness to foster healing and growth.
  4. The Thin Veil Between Worlds
    Exploring the spiritual connection between the living and those who have passed.
  5. Letting Go and Making Space
    Releasing what no longer serves us to welcome transformation.
  6. Stories from the Other Side
    Sharing tales and memories that connect us to those who came before.
  7. Honoring the Cycles of Life and Death
    Recognizing the balance and interdependence of all living things.
  8. Grief as a Sacred Journey
    Validating grief as a process that leads to deeper understanding and compassion.
  9. Lighting the Way: Rituals of Guidance and Protection
    Using symbols and practices to honor and protect during the darkening season.
  10. Renewing Our Commitment to Life
    Finding strength in endings to fuel a renewed passion for living fully.

Here’s a list of children’s picture books matched to each of the 10 Samhain service themes, with 2-3 books per theme:

1. Remembering Our Ancestors

  • The Relatives Came by Cynthia Rylant
  • Always Remember by Cece Meng
  • The Keeping Quilt by Patricia Polacco

2. Embracing Death and Renewal

  • The Fall of Freddie the Leaf by Leo Buscaglia
  • The Invisible String by Patrice Karst
  • Llama Llama Misses Mama by Anna Dewdney

3. Facing Our Shadows

  • The Dark by Lemony Snicket & Jon Klassen
  • When Darkness Comes by Pete Sutherland
  • In the Dark by Barbara Shook Hazen

4. The Thin Veil Between Worlds

  • Ghost Wings by Barbara Helen Berger
  • The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything by Linda Williams
  • Scary, Scary Halloween by Eve Bunting

5. Letting Go and Making Space

  • Goodbye Autumn, Hello Winter by Kenard Pak
  • I’m Gonna Like Me: Letting Off a Little Self-Esteem by Laura Numeroff
  • The Empty Jar by Scott Magoon

6. Stories from the Other Side

  • Milo and the Magical Stones by Marcus Pfister
  • Grandma’s Stories by Carmen Agra Deedy
  • The Night World by Laura Amy Schlitz

7. Honoring the Cycles of Life and Death

  • The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein
  • The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle
  • Butterfly by Patricia Polacco

8. Grief as a Sacred Journey

  • The Goodbye Book by Todd Parr
  • Ida, Always by Caron Levis & Charles Santoso
  • Tear Soup: A Recipe for Healing After Loss by Pat Schwiebert

9. Lighting the Way: Rituals of Guidance and Protection

  • Night Tree by Eve Bunting
  • Lanterns and Fireflies by Sarah Brennan
  • Bear and the Moon by Matthew Burgess

10. Renewing Our Commitment to Life

  • The Dot by Peter H. Reynolds
  • Oh, the Places You’ll Go! by Dr. Seuss
  • Have You Filled a Bucket Today? by Carol McCloud

Mabon Service Themes

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Mabon Service Themes

  1. Gratitude and Harvest
    Celebrating the fruits of the earth, expressing thanks for abundance, and recognizing all forms of harvest—physical, emotional, spiritual.
  2. Balance and Equinox
    Reflecting on the balance of light and dark as day and night equalize; exploring balance in our own lives and communities.
  3. Cycles of Nature and Life
    Honoring the natural cycles of growth, decay, and renewal; embracing change as an essential part of living.
  4. Rest and Preparation
    Recognizing this time as a moment to pause, rest, and prepare for the coming darker months and inner reflection.
  5. Community and Sharing
    Emphasizing connection, mutual support, and sharing resources during this season of gathering.
  6. Letting Go and Harvesting Wisdom
    Reflecting on what to release from our lives while gathering the lessons and wisdom earned through the year.
  7. Interdependence and Sustainability
    Acknowledging our place within the ecosystem and fostering responsibility for sustaining the earth and each other.
  8. Inner and Outer Transformation
    Celebrating personal growth and transformation alongside the seasonal change.
  9. The Gift of Darkness
    Exploring how the increasing darkness invites introspection, rest, and spiritual deepening.
  10. Gratitude for Ancestors and Roots
    Honoring those who came before us and the foundations that support our lives and communities.

Here’s a list of children’s picture books paired with each Mabon theme:

1. Gratitude and Harvest

  • Thank You, Earth by April Pulley Sayre
  • The Little Red Hen (various authors/versions)
  • Bread and Jam for Frances by Russell Hoban

2. Balance and Equinox

  • The Sun and the Moon by Patricia A. Pingry
  • Equinox by Fran Wilde (middle grade, but accessible)
  • Yin and Yang by W. Steven Doremus

3. Cycles of Nature and Life

  • The Busy Tree by Jennifer Ward
  • Planting a Seed by Kate T. Williamson
  • A Seed Is Sleepy by Dianna Hutts Aston

4. Rest and Preparation

  • Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown
  • Bear Snores On by Karma Wilson
  • Time to Sleep by Denise Fleming

5. Community and Sharing

  • A Sick Day for Amos McGee by Philip C. Stead
  • Stone Soup by Marcia Brown
  • The Quiltmaker’s Gift by Jeff Brumbeau

6. Letting Go and Harvesting Wisdom

  • The Goodbye Book by Todd Parr
  • The Fall Leaves by Zoe Hall
  • Saying Goodbye to Lulu by Corinne Demas

7. Interdependence and Sustainability

  • The Lorax by Dr. Seuss
  • Compost Stew by Mary McKenna Siddals
  • The Great Kapok Tree by Lynne Cherry

8. Inner and Outer Transformation

  • The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle
  • Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge by Mem Fox
  • The Invisible String by Patrice Karst

9. The Gift of Darkness

  • Darkness Is My Friend by Alison McGhee
  • Goodnight, Owl! by Pat Hutchins
  • Stars by Mary Lyn Ray

10. Gratitude for Ancestors and Roots

  • The Keeping Quilt by Patricia Polacco
  • Grandfather’s Journey by Allen Say
  • Night Tree by Eve Bunting

Winter Solstice Service Themes (UU Focused)

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1. “Embracing the Dark: Finding Light Within”

  • Honoring the spiritual gifts of darkness
  • Cultivating inner wisdom and clarity during difficult times
  • The solstice as a metaphor for transformation

2. “The Gift of Rest: Honoring Stillness and Pause”

  • Winter as a sacred season of rest and retreat
  • Reclaiming quiet and slowness as forms of resistance
  • Listening inward when the world grows quiet

3. “Seeds Beneath the Snow: Faith in Invisible Growth”

  • Trusting in what’s growing beneath the surface
  • Holding hope during unseen or silent seasons
  • Spiritual patience and the long arc of becoming

4. “The Cycle of Nature: Death, Renewal, and Return”

  • Letting go as a sacred act
  • Nature’s wisdom in teaching impermanence
  • Finding meaning in life’s ongoing cycles

5. “Illuminating Community: Lighting Our Way Together”

  • The warmth of community during cold seasons
  • Rituals of light, connection, and shared resilience
  • Collective healing through shared presence

6. “Holding Hope: A Solstice Meditation on Resilience”

  • Stories of hope in the longest night
  • Keeping faith in the return of light
  • Practices that sustain the spirit in hard times

7. “Balancing Light and Shadow: Integrating Our Wholeness”

  • Embracing complexity and contradiction
  • Welcoming both joy and grief at the turning of the year
  • Shadow work as spiritual maturity

8. “Letting the Year Fall Away: A Ritual of Release”

  • Naming and releasing what no longer serves
  • Honoring the wisdom of endings
  • Creating space for what’s yet to come

9. “The Hearth Within: Finding Warmth in Our Own Company”

  • Solitude as sacred, not lonely
  • Tending the inner fire of creativity, reflection, and self-love
  • Practices for staying emotionally warm in winter

10. “The Return of the Light: A Story of Becoming”

  • The solstice as a threshold moment
  • Small beginnings that grow brighter over time
  • Personal stories of emergence, healing, and new direction

🌱 Seeds Beneath the Snow: Faith in Invisible Growth

Themes: unseen transformation, patience, quiet becoming

  • Winter’s Child – Angela McAllister & Grahame Baker‑Smith
    A lyrical winter fable about the gifts and costs of endless winter, and the importance of letting go.
  • The Little Island – Margaret Wise Brown
    A meditative reflection on change, interconnectedness, and the seasons—ideal for quiet reflection.
  • The Big Snow – Berta and Elmer Hader
    Animals prepare for winter’s arrival in this classic, offering a sense of trust in the rhythms of nature.
  • The Story of the Snow Children — Sibylle von Olfers (or My First Snow Children)

🕯️ Illuminating Community: Lighting Our Way Together

Themes: shared light, togetherness, collective hope

  • The Shortest Day – Susan Cooper & Carson Ellis
    A poetic celebration of solstice traditions, community, and the return of the light.
  • Winter: A Solstice Story – Kelsey E. Gross & Renata Liwska
    Gentle woodland animals prepare a solstice tree together—illustrating unity and reverence.
  • Winter Solstice Wish – Kate Allen Fox
    A heartwarming story of neighbors gathering to light the darkness and share warmth and joy.
  • Sun Bread – Elisa Kleven (added)
    Vibrant and celebratory—neighbors bake bread to bring back the sun in a sweet allegory of community care.

🌓 Spiritual Reflection / Embracing Darkness and Renewal

Themes: seasonal turning, inner stillness, sacred mystery

  • The Solstice Badger – Robin McFadden
    A wise tale of friendship, balance, and the sun’s return, grounded in nature’s quiet cycles.
  • Grandmother Winter – Phyllis Root & Beth Krommes
    A folktale about winter’s arrival, emphasizing the beauty of stillness and seasonal rest.
  • The Return of the Light: Twelve Tales from Around the World for the Winter Solstice – Carolyn McVickar Edwards
    A multicultural anthology ideal for deeper spiritual or intergenerational reflection.

❄️ Joy & Playfulness in Winter

Themes: delight, celebration, wonder

  • The First Day of Winter – Denise Fleming (added)
    A rhythmic, cumulative tale that brings joy to the beginning of the season.
  • The Longest Night – Marion Dane Bauer & Ted Lewin (added)
    Animals try to bring back the sun—a gentle allegory of hope, with soft illustrations.

These books weave together themes of rest, community, rebirth, and playfully illuminate the deeper spiritual currents beneath the winter season.

The Veil

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Song: The Veil

Album: Sisters of the Moon

℗ 2020 Heather Houston

Released on: 2020-01-10 Heather Houston

LYRICS

Note: This starts with a single voice with other voices coming in so I’ve set the other lines in parenthesis.

The veil between worlds it is opening
The spirits are calling our names
To listen to their wisdom
To gather round sacred flame (In the silence we hear them )

The veil between worlds it is opening (Voices from the past)
The spirits are calling our names (Giving name to illusion)
To listen to their wisdom (Truth that we have outcast)
To gather round sacred flame (In the silence we hear them )

LISTEN

Halloween Memory Game

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I felt like making a simple Halloween memory game for kids RE so I used free clipart from Freepik. Not everyone has the skills or the time to take free clip art and make into other things. So if anyone needs it for a Samhain potluck kiddie table or for RE classroom parties here’s a free “memory” game on big cards you can print.

Main Images

I chose this set for the main images so it would be all ages friendly.

Background

The background was the dark orange bar on this set of “Halloween sprinkle” tiles. You can repeat it as many times as needed. I did it to cover letter paper.

Printing

The PDF is set to print one set of face and two backgrounds. Print these on white cardstock one time. Then reload it into your printer so the backs are first. When you print a second time, then the new faces are printing on the blank side of the backgrounds. And the new backgrounds are printing on the blank side of the old faces. You should end up with cards printed front and back. And enough to make pairs.

You can use as is or laminate them so they last longer. I laminated our set. Then I cut on the gray lines to separate them into four big cards. Then I flipped a card over to cut on the while lines on backs because my printer won’t bleed to the edge. There will be white borders. Since you have to cut off the excess lamination anyway, the white lines are a good guide. The image should come out fine. Using scissors or a punch, round the corners. Laminated corners can be sharp.

Game Play

The game starts with all the cards face down and players take turns to turn over two cards. If the two cards have the same picture, then they keep the cards, otherwise they turn the cards face down again. The winner is the person with the most cards when all the cards have been taken.

Enjoy!

halloween-memory-freepik-basedDownload

Nature Reigns

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Artist: Alice DiMicele — https://www.alicedimicele.com

Song: “Nature Reigns”

Album: “One With the Tide”

LYRICS

Nature reigns
Amidst the flowers and the trees
Out in the rivers and the seas
We’re all the same
Nature reigns

Nature reigns
Whether the sky is grey or blue
Deep in the city or the woods
It’s all the same
Nature reigns

Some people think they have the answer
Their god is better than the rest
I prefer quiet reflection

And the wind in the trees
The buzz of the bees
The air that I breathe
And this pounding in my chest

Nature reigns
Out where the desert cactus bloom
Stars bright as the silver moon
And we’re all the same
Nature reigns

Nature reigns
It’s time to see we’ve got no control
Neither these bodies nor these souls
And we’re all the same
Nature reigns

LISTEN

Earth Day Poem

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Copyright © 1995 by Jane Yolen
Source: The Three Bears Holiday Rhyme Book (Houghton Mifflin, 1995)

I am the Earth
And the Earth is me.
Each blade of grass,
Each honey tree,
Each bit of mud,
And stick and stone
Is blood and muscle,
Skin and bone.
 
And just as I
Need every bit
Of me to make
My body fit,
So Earth needs
Grass and stone and tree
And things that grow here
Naturally.
 
That’s why we
Celebrate this day.
That’s why across
The world we say:
As long as life,
As dear, as free,
I am the Earth
And the Earth is me.

LISTEN

Light a Candle for Peace

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written by Shelley Murley

LYRICS

Light a candle for peace
Light a candle for love
Light a candle that shines
All the way around the world

Light a candle for me
Light a candle for you
That our wish for world peace
Will one day come true (x2)

Sing peace around the world
Sing peace around the world
Sing peace around the world
Sing peace around the world

LISTEN

DOWNLOADS

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I Am the Earth

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Music and lyrics © Glyn Lehmann 2007

LYRICS

I am the river flowing
I am the desert dry
I am the four winds blowing
I am the sunset sky

I am the forest breathing
I am the ocean wide
I am the storm clouds gathering
I am the mountain high

CHORUS

I am the Earth
I am the Earth
I am the Earth
I am the Earth

We are the children growing
You are the place we live
We are the seed you’re sowing
We are the life you give

We are the future rising
We will be your voice
We will watch and learn from you
We will make the choice

CHORUS
I am the Earth. (You’re in our hands)
I am the Earth. (We’re in your care)
I am the Earth (Together we stand)
I am the Earth (This moment in time we share)

I am the river flowing
We are the children growing
I am the desert dry
You are the place we live

I am the four winds blowing
We are the seed you’re sowing
I am the sunset sky
We are the life you give

I am the forest breathing
We will be your voice
I am the storm clouds gathering
We will make the choice

CHORUS
I am the Earth. (You’re in our hands)
I am the Earth. (We’re in your care)
I am the Earth (Together we stand)
I am the Earth (This moment in time we share)

We share the future
Stand side by side
One Earth, one people
We’ll turn the tide

And in the future
They’ll say with pride
One Earth, one people
We turned the tide

Side by side

LISTEN