Dark half of the year - Part 1 Honouring Samhain, Cycles, and Letting Go (Ep 39)

Welcome to a special three-part series on The Purpose of the Dark Half of the Year with your hosts, Hannah Carr and Sarah King real-life sisters and co-founders of The Holistic Health Collective.

As we enter the darker months, nature invites us to slow down, shed, and reflect. In this episode, we explore the wisdom of Samhain (Halloween), the Celtic New Year, and how to honour the cycles of death and rebirth — both within ourselves and in the world around us.

Together we explore:

• 🌗 The meaning and magic of the dark half of the year
• 🌬️ Why letting go can be so hard — and how to find safety in surrender
• 🍂 The connection between grief, emotions, and physical health
• 🕯️ Rituals and reflections to help you work with this season
• 🧡 The folklore behind Samhain and the origins of pumpkin carving

Hannah and Sarah also share heartfelt reflections on emotional vulnerability, the importance of rest, and ways to support your body from nourishing autumn foods to keeping warm and tending your lungs and spirit.

💫 Remember: the darkness isn’t an ending....it’s a beginning in disguise.

Resources Mentioned:

• Samhain Blog https://www.holistichealthcollective.co.uk/samhain-celebration/
  
  
• Autumn Nutrition Blog https://www.holistichealthcollective.co.uk/autumn-nutrition-to-stay-healthy

• Join our Samhain Cacao Ceremony & Online Ritual — email us at hello@holistichealthcollective.co.uk
  
  

Connect with Us:

🌿 Instagram: @holistichealthcollectiveuk_

🌸 Website: www.holistichealthcollective.co.uk

If this episode resonates, please share it with a friend who might need a reminder that it’s okay to slow down, soften, and let go.

If you would like our free moon download to get the list of the 12 astrological signs and how they impact your body parts and emotions, grab that here: https://holistichealthc.kartra.com/page/moondownload

If you are looking to balance your hormones naturally, then try our free 5 day hormone balance challenge, back to balance. Register here: https://holistichealthc.kartra.com/page/Backtohormonebalance

We are on socials at:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/holistichealthcollectiveuk

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/holistichealthcacaouk

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/holistichealthcollectiveuk/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/holistichealthcacaouk/

Website:

https://www.holistichealthcollective.co.uk

Where you can find out more about of women's health retreats, our healthy products. our online health membership for peri-menopausal women, online courses and our in person events.

Our Women's health membership when you can jo...

Transcript

0:00

Yes. Welcome to the Holistic Health Sisters podcast of Wellness and Real Life Sisters Hannah Carr and Sarah King from the Holistic Health Collective. In this podcast, we're going to be sharing our passion for, of course, holistic health, but also spirituality, healings, hormone, plant medicine, seasonal living, our love of nature, and our love of community. So we are gonna invite you to take a pause and take a nice deep breath. And join us on a path of healing, of self-discovery and self-love, and of stepping into the brilliance of who you really are. This is a podcast for the seekers out there. Those of you who know there's more to life than just surviving or going through the motions, and you want more, more health, wealth, happiness, love, compassion, connection, trust, surrender, and more faith, and you want that for others too. So we can make this world a better place for us all to go and grab a cup of ceremonial grade cacao and join us as we explore what moves through us, that which is divinely led, so we can all move from fear to walls, more faith. Thank you so much for being here with us today. So a really warm welcome to a three part series we are doing on the purpose of the dark half of the year. So welcome or welcome back to the Holistic Health Sisters podcast, and this is a space where we honor the cycles of nature. The wisdom of our bodies and the stories carried through generations. This is a joint episode. Hannah, and myself. Sarah. And this is the time for shedding, reflecting, and connecting to our inner world. And samhain or Halloween will fall within this time that we put these episodes out, so we'll be talking about the Eightfold Wheel of the year and how to work in line with these energies so that you feel your best health. Welcome Hannah. Hi. Yeah, and do you want to just share how we come to do this together, these episodes? This week specifically I have actually been due to record this podcast already and all work that we come to do in the world we like to come to with a clear energy and intention and I've just been feeling a little bit lower this week specifically. Like I wasn't in the energetic place to. Want to put my best workout into the world. And I mentioned that to Sarah today. We was together in person earlier today and she said, oh, I'll record it with you. And I went, oh, brilliant. Thank you. So, when we're struggling with things in the world, it can always help us when we get a little bit more support. Um, so just a reminder of that, but that I also reminded myself that. Perhaps I've been feeling a little bit lower or a little bit sad this week, and that doesn't mean that I can't show up in that energy to record a podcast. I had a moment where I forgot that and I felt like I needed to be, you know, the, the shiniest, brightest version of me. And then I realized, ah, I'm in judgment of myself and what I could do is just accept where I am and if I want to, can still show up from that place. And that's been made easier by doing this together in this instance. So thank you for your support, Sarah. Mm-hmm. Well, thank you for being vulnerable because I think a lot of our listeners will really resonate with that. When we feel low and we feel like we're bringing an energy, no one's gonna want me around'cause I'm not in a good place. And I read somewhere that everybody in Winnie the Pooh still loves eo even though really, he's got clinical depression. And that might not be where you are at, but he's still part of the group of friends. They love him just as he is, and he is an important part to embrace and love.'cause there aren't no bad parts and the dark half of the year. It can bring up these feelings for us. We'll talk about the gifts, we'll talk about the challenges. We're gonna get into the folklore a little bit. And how important it is to work with these cycles so that you feel these natural shedding and letting go in order when it's ready to let the new and the fresh in. So let's just take a round of breath together because that will remind us that these natural cycles are happening all the time and you are doing them fantastically. So notice your breath. Notice your breath in. And notice your breath out. So you are letting go already, right? And kind of from mid autumn to imbolc, which is the end of winter. This is the the letting go cycle. And the trees are letting go of everything. Now, all the leaves are dropping to the ground. It's the absolutely easiest time for nature because there's nothing going into growing. No SAP is being produced. No seeds, no buds, no flowers, no fruits. Everything is now dropping down to the air, and this is allowing. Composting really so that, replenishing for the next cycle. So if we don't let go and drop of what we are carrying, if we're carrying too much, if we're carrying sadness, if we are carrying dis-ease, this is the time to put some of it down and let it go. And we'll have, so samhain. Many of you might know it as Halloween, and this marks the ancient Celtic New Year, the true ending of summer. It literally means summer's end in old Irish, and it's the moment in the wheel of the year between the veil. You may have heard of this. The veil is thin. It grows thin at this time between the living and the dead. Between what we know. And what we're yet to understand about ourselves. You can work with your ancestors at this time, but it's really a turn time to naturally turn inwards, just like the earth herself. Resting, decaying, transforming what was once into fertile soil. Soil for what will be. So if you felt sadness or heavy as, as the days grow shorter, then you are not alone. And we do have the clocks change soon, so it will be even darker. And this dark half invites you inwards not to isolate, but to tend to the shadows with ritual, with warmth, and with community. And these rituals can become a doorway between the sacred and the every day. A candle lit for a loved one or a quiet cup of tea at dusk, or a moment of gratitude before sleep. They, these small acts can help us meet the darkness with reverence. Just like what Hannah said, she met her sadness with kindness. Is there any personal insights you'd like to add from honoring the darkness? Hannah? I think what's really coming to mind is like a lot of our clients who are around our age, where I'm nearly mid forties now that they're reflecting that they haven't really enjoyed Autumn before, but they're starting to enjoy and embrace it. And I think part of that is through the work that we do and talking about honoring cycles and welcoming all of it. But I do also think that it might be in line with the season of life for that age when you are moving out of your summer season, perhaps into a little bit more of your own autumn season. And so because it's happening sort of internally for you and perhaps you're accepting that a little bit, that it's more easily to accept externally as well, Sarah. Just reflecting on something you said a few moments ago when you said the trees are dropping all of their leaves. And we met in person last week and Sarah said, look how easily nature is letting go at this time of year. And I laughed and I said, why is it so hard for us humans? Then you said, I didn't get the memo. It was so easy to let go. Didn't get the memo because. The human experience of letting go, I suppose there can be a lot of fear for what is beyond the letting go. If I let go of this relationship, this job, this home, this belief, this whatever it may be, this pattern, this habit. What is beyond it and often we don't know. So actually letting go, I think on a human level requires an awful lot of trust and we need to keep reminding ourselves of that to feel safe enough to let go. Yeah. And I'd love to take a sacred pause and do a little so inquiry here like we do with our new and four Moon episodes. How do you feel about endings? And we'll be exploring in the next episodes about what you are finally ready to say goodbye to. But let's talk about some of the gifts and the challenges of the start half of the year and letting go. Well, the gifts are. The veil is thin. So if you are, uh, a spiritual lover, if you are into your spirituality or if you've done any ancestral healing, then you may have heard of The Veil is Thin and Hannah has written a fantastic blog, which we'll link to in the show notes. Can you just remind me of the name of that, Hannah? So we've got a samhain blog and we've also got an autumn nutrition blog, which I feel are both really, timely for this time of year. So they will be linked there in the show notes. And just going back there to what Sarah said, the veil is a bit thinner. What does it actually mean? It means the boundary between the physical world and the spiritual world is believed to be weakened. And that's around this time of year of,samhain so when the spirits and or supernatural beans can pass more easily through to the living world and people would often perform rituals or maybe take precautions. We can talk more about that in a moment by wearing costumes. I know you've got a little bit more to say about carving as well, Sarah. But it's not just only in Celtic, traditions. It's also known as Day of the Dead around this time of year as well. Which is, celebrated in Mexico, Latin America, I think Spain as well, which is on the first and the second date of November. And this is a time when people honor their ancestors. Yeah, a time to honor grief and transformation as sacred teachers. Grieving is a natural part of the life cycle, and it's something that I would say in Britain we are kind of stiff upper lip. So we don't want people to see us breaking down in tears. We hold things in, we don't, carve out proper time for grieving. And not to say that you can box up and give a timeline to grief, certainly not, and it comes in cycles as well. Um, but this is a time where we could really allow some grief to move through us because grief is meant to. Be a natural emotion that brings us comfort with others when we've lost something. So that's what Grievings meant to do, and that veil being thin is a time to connect with our ancestors and really amplify our intuition. I've got personal story that I'll probably go into the next episode, but I did make a contact with my past grandfather. And I really believe that my inner cycle, where I was at on my menstrual cycle and this outward cycle of nature, the dark half of the year, really allowed that connection to come. Anna, I'll tell you more about how that felt in the next episode. Cliffhanger. Cliffhanger and, it's also a season for inward reflection, quiet magic, and personal power. The challenge is, look, it is colder, darker, and seasonal affective disorder, sadness and depression may arise as the light diminishes. We can also see seasonal illnesses like the lungs and breath connected to grief. They might feel heavy and we can feel disconnected or nostalgic for those lighter, warmer days. Hannah's gonna take a little bit of a deeper dive into the health challenges that might arise as she's a, an expert on that. I think I'll just go back to the, the first point where you just said it can be a bit more challenging because it's colder and I think on a very basic level with our health is. You know, we live in these comfortable places, usually with central heating. And so we might not dress like it's for winter, but we might still be going outside. And you know, my husband was teasing me'cause I said the other night that my ankles were cold and he's like, your ankles, because I didn't have socks on, but I had slippers so that part of my body was exposed to, the cooler temperature if you like. So we need to start with. Wearing like fluffy socks or slippers around the house, or maybe even your boots as you're going out, but also scarfs that can be either around the waist and around the kidneys to keep that part of the back warm, um, or, or around your neck if, if it's a little bit windy out, maybe covering the ears, if that's what's sensitive for you. And Sarah was out today with a little hat on a French be as well. So we've got very basic things like dressing more warmly, which actually helps us to embrace and enjoy the season a bit more anyway when we're dressed appropriately for it rather than feeling. Stylish but cold I guess would be mm-hmm. My own way, if you like. I'm sure lots of you can resonate with that. Um, but then looking after the lungs as well. So what's really good at this time of year is to start using some warming spices. So we might be thinking of things like I. Pumpkin spice lattes at this time of year, which sound great, but they are laden with sugar. But maybe a home version, if you're making a cacao or a mushroom coffee or even just, a normal coffee at home, adding some spices to that. So getting some cinnamon in, maybe some chima ink, maybe even a bit of chili. What this can help to do is, break down congestion. In the body and in the lungs. And if we're not doing things like that then and we're, we are building up mucus and congestion in the lungs, it can lead to more lung challenges at this time of year from things like a cough over to, asthma, pneumonia. And also challenges with the gut, the mind, and the skin. So this is traditional Chinese medicine advice. Those, four areas of the body are all linked to this time of autumn. But the biggest thing that I'd really like to draw your attention to is my belief after doing this for. For 10 years and working with many, many clients over this time. In our membership in personal consultations, in courses that we run, in retreats that we run is a lot of our illness. My belief is that it comes from our emotions. So if we are suppressing grief or we are ignoring our sadness. Those emotions are stuck in the body and they get pushed further into the body. And what we really want to be doing is releasing the emotions. And we can do that. It doesn't even just have to be through the emotions. We can actually release emotions through movement. So you know, we can get hot and sweaty and work up a sweat and be, and be releasing. I mean, I've certainly been to the gym before and had a bit of a cry on a weight session. Has that happened to you before, Sarah? When I've been running on a running machine. Yeah, yeah. The emotion comes up or you might have got to the end of a yoga class and a Avastin and felt some tears show up is actually even just, if you dunno how to work with the emotions alone, moving the body can help us shift those emotions. So working with the lymphatic system, the muscular system can help move those emotions and making time for that. And if you find it a little bit difficult to tap into. All by yourself Because I think culturally we are not used to it. I was telling Sarah last night, said to my husband, let's put on a really sad movie. So you can do it using tools that help you access your emotions where you are fitting your sadness through perhaps an actor or something like that. But it's actually helping you to release some layers of sadness or grief. So it's not sitting and stuck within the body. Mm, really valuable advice. And as always, take what's resonating, take what's easy for you, try and go with a 1% gain, and really look after yourself because it is those emotional, unprocessed, emotional emotions that lead to these physical manifestations, which can be really tricky. And sadly, so many of you. Get to Christmas and burn out, and, and then you are, you are in bed with the flu. So this is the time. If you want 2026 to be awesome, then it's now not January the first to start making things easy for you. And so I'm gonna do a bit of storytelling around the folklore of Halloween or s samhain. And I'm reading this from smithsonian magazine.com and. The spooky tradition of Halloween. Why do we carve lanterns and what's Jacka Lanin all about? So this is what I'm going to read. The spooky tradition was part of, so samhain, an ancient pagan festival that marked the end of summer and the beginning of the Celtic New Year and the long winter ahead. And because we had that rebirthing of the sun at the winter solstice, so a kickoff at sundown on October the 31st and continue. Through November 1st, Soane ushered in a transition from the ultimate NOx to the winter solstice, and during the two days, the ancient kelps believed that the veil between life and death was at its narrowest, allowing spirits to roam freely between both realms. Approached this turning point with anticipation and dread feeling that they would unknowingly cross paths with wayward fairies, monsters, or ancestral spirits. A particularly ominous entity was stingy Jack, whose believed to have tricked the devil for his own monetary gain because of this God bounding. Banned him from Heaven and the devil banned him from hell, falls on him to Roan earth for eternity. So for protection from stingy, Jack and other operations people in the British Isles began carving faces into. Produce particularly turnips, but in some cases, potatoes, radishes, bee root celebrants placed lit candles inside the cavities. Similar to the pumpkin jacko lanterns of modern Halloween, they believed leaving the spooky carvings outside the homes or carrying them as Lenins would protect them from harm's way while offering a flicker of light. That would cut through their dark surroundings. And so when a lot of the Irish and the Scots migrated over to America, and perhaps turnips and radishes weren't so popular there, or potatoes, they did that into squashes, into your traditional pumpkins that you see now. So whether that resonates with you or not, what I'm taking from that is that flicker of light that would cut through dark surroundings. Absolutely. And I think what we're talking about pumpkins, a couple of eco-friendly things to talk about is if you are carbon pumpkins, do take out the pumpkin seeds and just give them a bit of a rinse and then you pat them dry and then you could put some seasoning on them. So things like cinnamon or um, a little bit of sugar. Maybe even a little bit of salt and you just bake them in a, a low temperature on the oven and then you've got some really healthy, zinc filled snacks for you and your family. And I have read a couple of Facebook posts from environmentalists saying, don't drop them to your local park. Sometimes there's posts saying, drop them to your local park, and the animals can eat them, but because they're not really. Native vegetables. Um, our wild animals actually don't eat them and then you're leaving the job for someone else to clear it up. So either cut them up and enjoy them afterwards. Roasted squashes, you could make them into a lovely soup or just put them in your food waste recycling or your compost dim. Whether you are celebrating Halloween or Sowe. And first of all, with a family, which can be very high energy, it can be good fun, but it can also get a little bit hyper. It's really nice to make some time for you and how you want to connect with this time of year. S samhain, if you haven't got a family or young ones that you're going out with again, what kind of rituals are you gonna put together for you to maybe connect with your ancestors, your loved ones? Or just your spiritual witchy side. And we have got an online ceremony coming up. It's part of our cacao club, but there are ways to join this ceremony if you are not a member of Cacao Club. So if you'd like to join an online ceremony for, so aim with a couple of cacao and we create a guidebook with some ritual ideas in there, some journal prompts as well. Then just drop us a message, at hello@holistichealthcollective.co.uk and we can tell you how you can join that ceremony. So you can either do that on the 31st of October. The days following are still potent portals as well, so the first and 2nd of November. But the ceremony will actually be available a few days earlier than that as well. Yeah, we'll we are delving into connecting with your ancestors and beautiful with soul inquiries. Like how do you connect to your ancestors and where have they shaped who you are today? What gifts have you inherited from them? What strengths or qualities, but also, what can you resolve? What feels like it's in the shadow, through your bloodline that you might feel ready to shed. Really looking at ways that you can honor the darkness for you. And so remember in this dark half of the year, it is an art of shedding, letting go, allowing you to become who you really are. And this, this darkness isn't really an ending. It's kind of a beginning in disguise. Whenever there's an ending, it always clears the path for something new. So until then, let's just finish with a breath together. Breathing in. Ugh, them breathing out. See how easy that was? And so we are looking forward to seeing you for part two of the purpose of the. Thank you a million times, Ava, for joining us on this podcast episode. You can support the show by giving us a follow on any podcast platform you're listening to this on. If you already follow us, then thank you so much and maybe share this episode. If you think of someone, someone comes to mind where you think they'd really benefit from listening to this. This is one way that we like to spread the love with our friends, is sharing podcasts or playlist. So let them know that we are thinking about them. So just send it on to them with a few words about why they might enjoy it. And if you'd like to check out any of our in-person events or retreats or our online offerings, head over to our website, www.holistichealthcollective.co.uk. We'll see you in the next episode.