To the Forgotten Dead at Samhain:

(By Athena Macmillan)

Tonight in the darkness
I remember those who were forgotten
I memorialize you – the unknown, the unloved, the unwanted.

Women who were lost to us, how did you pass?
Were you old and alone, crossing over with no one but your own ghosts to keep you company?
Were you young and healthy, taken unexpectedly, your crossing as much a surprise to you as anyone else?
Does your body lie somewhere waiting to be claimed?
Forgotten women, your spirits are here tonight. I remember you and want you to know that you are honored.
You are remembered.

Men who were lost to us, how did you pass?
Did you die in strange lands far from home?
Were you in the prime of your life,
Or creeping into old age as time took its toll on you?
Are you buried in an unmarked grave, or do your bones lie under the glorious stars?
Forgotten men, your spirits are here tonight. I remember you and want you to know that you are honored.
You are remembered.

Sweet children, crossed over from this world to the next.
Your lives were far too short.
On the other side, let there be parents to hold and comfort you and others to guide you on your journey.
Whether you were big, or very very small, your spirits are here tonight. I remember you and want you to know that you are honored.
You are remembered.

All those who crossed over unnoticed or alone.
For now, you are remembered.
You are unforgotten.
I honor you this night of Samhain.
Know that you are here in memory and spirit.
Know that you are no longer the lost and unreachable dead.
You are remembered.
And so it is.

Athena Macmillan is a traditional witch from a Romani family who has been actively practicing witchcraft for 28 years. Athena is an outspoken advocate for inclusivity and intersectionality within the Craft and has postgraduate degrees in Anthropology and Health Law. She is a hedgewitch and medium with a strong focus in her personal magical practice on ancestral and spirit work, journeying, and divination. Athena created the online space ‘Kiwi Witch’ as a place for witches throughout Aotearoa to learn and support each other along their spiritual paths, which has been thriving since it was established in 2015.