When the Veil is Thin

Every year around Samhain, we hear the same phrase again and again: “The veil is thin.”

But what does that really mean — and what are we meant to do with it?

Spiritually speaking, the veil is the boundary between the world of the living and the world of spirit. It’s the gossamer space between what we can touch and what we can only sense. Around this time of year — as autumn deepens, as leaves decay, as daylight wanes — that boundary begins to soften.

In many traditions, it’s believed that during this liminal season, the two realms become more permeable. Communication with ancestors, spirits, and the unseen becomes easier. Dreams grow vivid. Signs appear in everyday places. You might feel the air itself humming with memory.

For those who work with death — whether through deathcare, grief tending, or ancestral practice — this is not superstition, but a sacred rhythm.

The veil reminds us that death is not an ending, but a transformation.

The bond between the living and the dead is not severed; it only changes form.

When we tend to that connection — by lighting candles, speaking names, offering food or flowers, or simply pausing to remember — we strengthen the thread between worlds.

So as we move beyond Samhain and into the quiet dark of November, take a moment to listen.

What do your dead want you to know?

What wisdom lingers in the thinning light?

Reflection Prompt:

What signs, dreams, or sensations have you noticed as the veil thins this year?

Share them in the comments or tag @deathcraft_org on Instagram so we can hold space together across the veil.