Sask. witch priestess celebrates Samhain: the end of harvest, start of winter

Ave Riddler says she grew up wondering where exactly she fit in.

Raised without any particular religious leaning, in high school she began asking what might suit her and decided to explore a number of religions.

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“I started reading about alternative religions. Not enough to know a lot about, but enough to know if that was what I was looking for,” she said.

None of them struck a chord, until a friend told her about a book called ‘The Mists of Avalon,’ a historical fantasy. As she read the book, she said she had a feeling of “home.” So much so that her next step was a deep dive into the Wiccan religion.

“The further into the path I went, the more I stopped asking the questions. I stopped needing the answers. It was solace, comfort,” she said.

Riddler distinguishes herself from simply a “Wiccan” witch because she believes it doesn’t cover all of her beliefs, but she does observe Wiccan holidays and other significant days.

“It’s a faith, but it’s also very limiting. I don’t like being limited in my actions with the divine,” she said.

Her beliefs also extend into other religions like Buddhism, broader paganism and Celtic gods. For Riddler, many of her spiritual beliefs are about connecting with nature.

“Life. My life is my worship. So when I’m going for a walk, that’s part of connecting to my temple, which is nature. Breathing the air, feeling the wind, splashing through puddles… finding the moments of wonder and ‘wow’ that are to be found,” she explained.

Witches and Samhain’s significance

The Celtic wheel of the year is divided into the solar holidays, including both the summer and winter solstices and the spring and fall equinoxes.

In between them are four additional holidays, including Imbolc, the coming of spring; Beltane, the coming of summer; Lughnasadh, the first harvest; and Samhain, the end of harvest and coming of winter on Oct. 31. It’s also the considered the witches’ New Year celebration.

“It’s a time of honouring your ancestors and honouring your past. Giving thanks and being grateful for the abundance of the harvest,” Riddler said.

“The belief is that it’s a good time for communing with the spirits, if that’s what you do.”

Riddler said there are plenty of witches whose power is dark, gothic and black, and who use their knowledge or “powers” for nefarious purposes on Oct. 31, or any other time of year.

“Just like any other religion,” she added. “I wouldn’t do it, ’cause I don’t want the karma.”

She emphasized each witch or warlock has their own “powers” for good, evil, or for something else. For her, crystals and rocks hold power. Riddler said her gift is hearing messages from stone. Sometimes they’re healing, she said, and sometimes they’re messages of hope. Other times, she said they may be directions for the stone’s owner to pay attention to their health or personal life.

“Ever since I was a small child… I thought there was something special about crystals and stones,” she explained.

Riddler’s home is full of rocks and crystals, along with other symbols like the Phoenix. (Lara Fominoff/650 CKOM)

Part of being a witch is not being afraid to be unique, Riddler said.

“There are still a lot of unfortunate understandings,” she said. “The number of times I get asked about Satan, the devil, evil… do you think a tree is evil? Do you think that bird is evil? Those are all things I worship.”

Spells can be like prayers, Riddler explained. They can be good or bad thoughts, trying to manifest something you hope will occur, or formal events.

“It doesn’t have to be 25 days after the full moon, during the dark of the moon cycle and you’re banishing this thing counterclockwise, but you can do that too,” she said.

Riddler said she thinks there needs to be a public face for witches, because there are a lot of misconceptions about what and who they are.

“We are not what you think we are from TV. I pay my bills. I go to work. I cook my own meals,” she said.

“I don’t have the winning lottery numbers in my back pocket… all I want to do is live a good life, try not to hurt anybody.”

Riddler said many witches are very private, and may or may not associate with a group or even speak publicly about their beliefs.

“One of your best friends could be a witch, and you wouldn’t even know,” she said.