Samhain Altar: Pumpkins, Apples, and Ancestor Photos

BY NICOLE LAU

Creating a Samhain altar honors ancestors, acknowledges death, and creates sacred space for working with the thinning veil. This guide teaches you to build an altar that captures the festival's themes of spirit communication, transformation, and the sacred darkness.

Altar Placement and Timing

Location: Quiet space facing west (direction of the setting sun and the Otherworld)

Timing: Set up before sunset on October 31st, maintain through November 1st, can keep year-round as ancestor altar

Essential Altar Elements

1. Ancestor Photos

The centerpiece of any Samhain altar.

Who to Include: Deceased family members, beloved friends who've passed, spiritual ancestors, pets

Arrangement: Center back of altar, elevated with respect

Frames: Black or dark frames, or no frames for a more intimate feel

2. Black Cloth

Covering the altar surface.

Symbolism: The underworld, death, the dark half of the year, the void from which all emerges

Alternative: Deep purple, dark orange, or autumn-colored cloth

3. Candles

Sacred lights in the darkness.

Colors:

• Black (the Crone, death, underworld)
• White (spirits, purity, the dead)
• Orange (Samhain, autumn, the veil)
• Purple (magic, spirit communication)

Arrangement: Multiple candles creating pools of light in darkness

4. Pumpkins and Jack-O'-Lanterns

Traditional Samhain symbols.

Carved: Jack-o'-lanterns with candles inside to ward off harmful spirits and guide beneficial ones

Uncarved: Whole pumpkins representing the harvest and autumn

Symbolism: Protection, guiding lights for the dead, Samhain tradition

5. Apples and Pomegranates

Sacred fruits of the dead.

Apples: Traditional Samhain fruit, used in divination, symbol of the Otherworld

Pomegranates: Fruit of the underworld (Persephone's food), death and rebirth

Arrangement: Whole fruits or cut to show the star inside apples, seeds of pomegranates

6. Offerings for the Dead

Food and drink for ancestors.

Traditional: Soul cakes, bread, wine, mead, favorite foods of the deceased

Personal: Specific foods loved by your ancestors

Placement: On small plates before their photos

7. Incense

Purifying and spirit-calling.

Types: Mugwort (psychic opening), wormwood (spirit communication), sage (purification), sandalwood (sacred)

8. Flowers of the Dead

Blooms associated with death and remembrance.

Marigolds: Traditional flowers of the dead in many cultures

Chrysanthemums: Funeral flowers, honoring the dead

Dried flowers: Representing death and preservation

9. Symbols of Death and Transformation

Imagery representing the festival's themes.

Skulls: Memento mori, death's reality

Bones: What remains after death

Veils: The thinning boundary

Mirrors: Scrying, seeing beyond

Keys: Unlocking the gates between worlds

10. Personal Items from the Deceased

Objects that belonged to ancestors.

Examples: Jewelry, tools, books, clothing, anything that carries their energy

Color Scheme

Primary colors: Black (death, underworld), orange (Samhain, autumn)

Accent colors: White (spirits), purple (magic), deep red (blood, life force), gold (the Otherworld)

Altar Arrangement

Back Row (Highest):

• Ancestor photos (center, elevated)
• Large jack-o'-lantern or pumpkin
• Skull or death symbols

Middle Row:

• Candles (black, white, orange)
• Incense holder
• Flowers of the dead
• Mirror for scrying

Front Row:

• Offerings (food and drink for ancestors)
• Apples and pomegranates
• Personal items from deceased
• Small pumpkins
• Divination tools (tarot, etc.)

Special Touches

Veil Representation

Drape sheer black fabric behind the altar, representing the veil between worlds.

Autumn Leaves

Scatter dried autumn leaves around the altar, representing death and the season.

Written Messages

Notes to the dead, placed on the altar for them to receive.

Spirit Plate

Empty plate and cup set for any ancestor who wishes to visit.

Daily Altar Practices

Morning:

• Light candles
• Speak to ancestors
• Refresh offerings if needed

Evening:

• Light all candles
• Burn incense
• Sit in meditation with the dead
• Perform divination or spirit communication

Samhain Night:

• Full ceremony with all elements
• Dumb Supper if practicing
• Extended time with ancestors
• Veil-crossing work

Ritual Uses

Ancestor Invocation

1. Light all candles and incense
2. Stand before altar
3. Speak: "Ancestors, beloved dead, I call to you across the veil. On this night when the boundary thins, come to this altar. I honor you, I remember you, I welcome you. Share your presence, your wisdom, your blessings."
4. Name each ancestor whose photo is present
5. Sit in silence, feeling their presence

Offering Ceremony

1. Prepare food and drink
2. Place on altar before photos
3. Speak: "I offer this to you, beloved dead. May it nourish your spirits as you once nourished me. Accept these gifts with my love and gratitude."
4. Leave overnight
5. In morning, return offerings to earth or leave for animals

Scrying at the Altar

1. Sit before altar in dim candlelight
2. Gaze into mirror or dark bowl of water
3. Ask ancestors for visions or messages
4. Notice what appears
5. Thank them for communication

Modern Adaptations

Small Space: Windowsill altar with one ancestor photo, black candle, small pumpkin, apple

Minimalist: Focus on essentials—ancestor photos, candles, offerings

Travel Altar: Portable kit with photo, tea light, small offering, pocket mirror

Digital Element: Use tablet to display photos of multiple ancestors if space is limited

Activating Your Altar

Once set up, activate your altar:

1. Light all candles and incense
2. Stand before the altar
3. Speak: "On this Samhain night when the veil is thin, I create this sacred space to honor my ancestors and the beloved dead. This altar is a bridge between worlds, a meeting place for the living and the dead. May it be blessed, may it be protected, may it be a place of communion and love."
4. Place offerings
5. Sit in meditation
6. Feel the altar come alive with ancestral presence

Maintaining the Altar

Samhain Night: Full rituals, all offerings, extended time

Through November 1st: Keep candles lit, refresh offerings

Ongoing: Can maintain year-round as ancestor altar

Weekly: Light candles, speak to ancestors, make small offerings

After Samhain

You can either dismantle or maintain:

Dismantling:

1. Thank ancestors for their presence
2. Return offerings to earth
3. Extinguish candles with gratitude
4. Clean and store items respectfully
5. Keep photos in honored place

Maintaining:

• Keep as year-round ancestor altar
• Refresh on death anniversaries, birthdays
• Use for ongoing ancestor work
• Rebuild fully each Samhain

The Living Altar

Your Samhain altar isn't just decoration—it's a living bridge between worlds, a sacred space where the dead and living meet, a focal point for honoring ancestors and working with the thinning veil, and a reminder that death is not the end but a transition to the Otherworld from which our beloved dead can still reach us, especially on this sacred night.