Welcome back to White Rose of Avalon, my Darlings.   Today’s Femme Fatale Friday post is about embracing the energy of the Bean-Sidhe (or Banshee) for Samhain Season!   

Now, I know you may wonder, do I want to embrace the energy of the Bean-Sidhe?   Is that not a sad or painful energy to embrace?   The simple answer to this question is that, yes, the energy of the Bean-Sidhe is a very sad and often painful energy, for she foretells deaths and weeps for the loss.   However, there is something powerful, potent, and beautiful about actively working to embrace the energy of this Faery Woman.

Samhain Season is, at its heart, all about honoring the Dead, both those whom we have lost and also the dying of dreams once held close.   Therein lies the true power of actively tapping into the energy of the Bean-Sidhe.   Of course, you can embrace her energy by working with the Bean-Sidhe.   Working directly with the Bean-Sidhe is powerful, but remember that she is a very strong Faery Woman, so I would not call her forth lightly.  As with all of the Fae, you must approach her with love and respect, and this is possibly of higher importance given how often maligned the Bean-Sidhe is.   

This is why I will focus on a simpler way to embrace the Bean-Sidhe and what I am recommending for everyone.   That is to allow yourself time and space to mourn.    Mourn for whatever you have lost, mourn for loved ones gone too soon, mourn for things that have ended in failure, and mourn for the happy times that have passed.    Yes, it is true that we can mourn for happy times, because they are but a memory now.    This form of mourning is truly mourning who we used to be, as each of us is forever evolving and changing!

If you want to delve deeper into embracing the Bean-Sidhe after you have mourned and gotten a lot of emotion out, crying, I would recommend delving deeper into Shadow Work.    Now, I want to state that Shadow Work is sometimes very overwhelming for people if they are still in the midst of fully grieving their pain, so move forward slowly.    Begin with the mourning, as stated above, then maybe add in some meditations to journey into your Shadow and discover where you are being triggered and why.   Once you have some root causes of your pain illuminated, it is time to journal.   Write out all of your feelings, and cry some more if you need to!   After that, you will likely feel such a profound sense of relief.

If you still do not feel relieved of burdens, you can also do a Fear Releasing Ritual by burning a paper on which you have written down your fears.   But no matter where your Shadow Work concludes, I recommend lighting a candle or incense in gratitude to any Faery Queen Goddesses you may have worked with, and to the Bean-Sidhe (especially if you chose to work more directly with her energy)!

These are some simple, but very potent, ways to release any pent-up grief you may be holding onto.   This is an ideal way to unburden yourself at Samhain, to move into the next months with a cleared energy.   I hope that you have enjoyed reading this short post about embracing the Bean-Sidhe for Samhain Season.   What is your favorite form of Shadow Work?   Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!

Note on Image: The image at the top of the post is a Banshee artwork by John White.   I found the art on http://johnwhiteillustrator.com/portfolio/banshee-horror-book-illustration/.       

LINK TO AVALONIAN ROSE FAERY MYSTERIES PATREON: patreon.com/AvalonianRoseFaeryMysteries 

Further Reading

• A New Dictionary of Fairies by Morgan Daimler
• Encyclopedia of Spirits by Judika Illes
• By Blood, Bone, and Blade: A Tribute to the Morrigan by Bibliotheca Alexandrina
• Of Blood and Bones: Working with Shadow Magick & the Dark Moon by Kate Freuler (If you want to know more about Shadow Work practices, this is a fascinating read, and I value it for the knowledge, even if I do not use it much, if at all, in my own practices.   I would suggest approaching some of the material with caution and using nuance and discernment to make sure you are following your own ethical values.   The book even begins with a disclaimer for this reason.)