Activities for New Wiccans who are alone on November Eve

October 31st, or November Eve, which is also (inaccurately) called Samhain, is the cusp of the liturgical year for Wiccans and Pagans who choose to follow the Wiccan liturgical year. It marks the time when the old religious year passes, and the new religious year begins.

Like other such "Year's end" holidays, in other faiths, it is a good time to reevaluate how far we've come in our personal goals and how far we have to go.

New Wiccans, who've just started in the religion, even ones who will begin on October 31st, often want to do some activities that make them feel connected to the day. This list contains some ideas that newcomers to Wicca, and even old hands, can try with little or no background information.

#1. Honor the dead of the year. Pick people you know of who passed on this past year, and even those who you didn't know but who you felt affected by, and light a stick of incense for each one. Say their name, then light the incense, then say "May you pass freely from this world into the next, and find happiness." Then stick the incense in a pot of dirt or other holder. This should be done outside. You could also light tea candles in their names, etc, but the idea is to have a votive sacrifice, something of at least small value you consume in their honor, so don't reuse the candles.

#2. Make a list of things you have done wrong in the year, and how they can be rectified. Those things that you can make amends for either make amends for (For example, if you broke a window, fix it or pay for it to be fixed.) Those things you cannot fix, find a way that you might still make it better or right. Maybe you need to tell someone you're sorry?

#3. Write a list of all the people who have influenced you, either in your life or just this past year, and why they have influenced you. What people should you cultivate in your life (people you should get closer to) and what people are bringing you down (people you should reduce contact with.) How can you improve your influences over the next year?

#4. Come up with three goals for the next 12 months- a hard one, a not-that-hard one, and a fairly easy one. Break the goals down into three sections-what you will do immediately to further them, when you will be half-way there, and what you'll want to be like just before you're finished. Revisit the goals you made last year, if any.

#5. Let "The Dead" become untrapped from your property. Open your front door and your back door simultaneously (You may have to lock pets in another room.) Say "Let those who need pass this space pass freely." After a few minutes, close the doors.

#6. Give something that is not good for you up. Write it on a piece of paper and burn, bury or tear the paper into shreds.

#7. Put on a costume and wander around, with your cell phone handy, and 'police' your neighborhood for injured kids, crime, etc. Become a force for good on a night that some ignorant people will use for pranks and vandalism.

#8. Call up a relative you have not spoken to in a long time and say hi. Relatives become ancestors faster than you realize.

#9. Visit a grave of a lost one and tell them what you need to tell them to move on with your life.

#10. Dedicate yourself to your future, and the future of our people and our planet. Make plans, set goals, and take steps.

All of the above tasks require no special rituals or training, and represent very real things Wiccans do on this holy night. Each can help you "get the meaning" of the holiday, even if it's your first one as a Wiccan.