How to Celebrate Hexennacht, The Witches’ Night

Hexennacht (literally “witches’ night” in German) is a somewhat-obscure holiday, relative to the widely-known eight sabbats of the Wiccan year. Exactly six months apart from Samhain (Oct 31), Hexennacht was historically recognized as a day to protect oneself against witches, and has since been reclaimed as a celebration of the witch. 

Origins and History of Hexennacht

Also known as Walpurgisnacht or Walpurgis Night, Hexennacht is the eve of the feast day of Saint Walpurga, an 8th-century Francian abbess. The holiday is celebrated on April 30th, the eve of Saint Walpurga’s canonization.

Saint Walpurga was known as a protectress among German Catholics, who believed that she fought against vermin, diseases, and witchcraft. As Saint Walpurga was quite successful in converting people to Catholicism, Catholics prayed for her intercession for protection against witchcraft, especially on the eve of her feast day. In contrast (or complement) to Saint Walpurga’s intercession against witchcraft, medieval and Renaissance folklore said that on Walpurgis Night, witches’ powers were at their strongest. In German folklore, it was believed that witches gathered on The Brocken, the highest peak in Northern Germany, to meet and cast spells. As protection from the witches, the local populations would light bonfires, dress as witches and demons, play loud music, dance, and set off fireworks to drive the “evil” away. The term “Hexennacht” originates from Bavaria, as does the practice of dressing up, dancing, and warding off witches with their revelry.

The idea of a “witches’ sabbath” on April 30th isn’t entirely far-fetched, as Hexennacht is the exact opposite end of the year from Samhain, the Witches’ New Year on October 31. It is believed that the “thinning of the veil” between the physical and spiritual worlds occurs on Hexennacht as well as Samhain, making Hexennacht a particularly powerful day for divination, necromancy, and magic.

Why Witches Celebrate Hexennacht

Reconnecting with yourself as a witch: 

While Hexennacht is not considered one of the main witches’ holidays, it’s a beautiful and powerful day to celebrate as a witch. Hexennacht is the affirmation of a witches’ existence and power in the face of discriminatory religious traditions, making it just as applicable today as it was 13 centuries ago. Hexenaccht can serve as a day of coming back to yourself as a witch: why do you identify as a witch? What does being a witch mean to you? Is it a joy, a privilege, an obligation, a responsibility, or all of the above? What places, activities, music, energies, and practices make you feel most like a witch? Hexennacht may feel like a political, spiritual, ancestral, group, and/or solo day, depending on how it feels to the individual.

Divination and Magic:

As Hexennacht is on the opposite end of the year from Samhain (exactly six months away), it is a powerful day for divination and magic. Many witches see Hexennacht as a “Second Samhain,” a day to celebrate as they would on Samhain. The enhanced spirit activity of Hexennacht amplifies the power of psychic and divinatory practices such as channeling, tarot, necromancy, scrying, and more (Note: please make sure you are being safe and careful when partaking in psychic or divination practices, and making use of personal protection, cleansing, and grounding practices before, during, and after). Many witches will also take the day to connect with and offer libations and other offerings to their ancestors, deities, land spirits, and guides.

A Farewell to the Dark Year:

In the Northern Hemisphere, Hexennacht, as the witches’ night on the eve of the Celtic holiday Beltane, is also like a last hurrah to the dark year before the light and warmth of summer fully take over. While we can honor any energies at any time of year, it is particularly special (and exciting) to revel in the finality of “the last night of silence and darkness” before bursting into the fiery, playful, sensual celebration of Beltane. Hexennacht can also be a time to ground yourself, reflect on your intentions, desires, and dreams, and spend time in silence with them, so you can leap into manifesting them with renewed energy on Beltane.

What Hexennacht Means to Me

As a witch of German ancestry, I celebrate Hexennacht as a deeply personal, internal, and solitary day. Hexennacht is a day of honoring the darkness and amplified spirit activity, showing respect for spirits, deities, and witches, known and unknown, and spending one last day immersed in the energy of the darkness before leaping into the vivacity of Beltane (another one of my most beloved holidays). Hexennacht feels similar to Samhain for me, except the anticipation of Beltane (and sharp contrast of the energies between the two holidays) feels even more exciting and energetically charged.

My Hexennacht celebration involves a deep reconnection with my roots and magic as a witch, devotion to my deities and my own powers, and remembering who I truly am. This usually includes a devotional ritual and libation offering (usually red wine) outside at night, reading my favorite witchcraft books, journaling, and doing divination such as scrying and tarot (although I usually find myself most drawn to scrying on Hexennacht). I love honoring the simultaneous wildness and stillness that I feel on Hexennacht. Aside from my rituals, I usually keep it a pretty quiet day, sometimes even taking a devotional vow of silence while I’m not in ritual.

How to Celebrate Hexennacht

As with any spiritual practice, go with what feels right for you, and don’t force yourself to do something that you don’t have the energy or motivation for. The important thing is to honor the day only if you feel called to, and if so, in whatever way feels fulfilling for you. One practice is not “better or worse” than another, which is why I’m including activities for all physical and mental energy levels. If you do engage in any spiritual practices, remember to do your practices for protection, cleansing, and grounding, and seek out a trusted source or professional if you’re not sure how to do something safely.

Do a Ritual: If you feel spiritually inspired on Hexennacht, consider holding a ritual to your spirits, ancestors, deities, and/or yourself as a witch. Rituals can be ornate or simple; the more authentic to you, the better. My Hexennacht rituals are usually bare-bones: just me, the moon, a bottle of wine as a libation, and the devotional words I speak.

Give Offerings: If an entire ritual feels too much for you, giving an offering is a simpler devotional act that is still quite powerful. Offerings can be physical (like food, beverages, or flowers), performative (like reciting a poem, saying a prayer, or dancing), or action-based (like writing, volunteering your time, or making a donation). Consider who you are making the offering to, and what they would appreciate. In my experience, for example, Hecate likes garlic left at a crossroads, The Morrigan is pleased with a bold red wine, and Lilith appreciates volunteering at an organization for reproductive justice, like Planned Parenthood.

Divination: Hexennacht is a powerful night for all psychic and divinatory work. If you feel inspired, do a tarot reading, scrying, pendulum work, or other divinatory practice to connect with your ancestors, deities, guides, and/or higher self for any messages or guidance you seek. Hexennacht, as the halfway point to Samhain, is also a great day for divination to reflect on how your year is going so far.

Spend Time in Nature: As German witches were said to gather on The Brocken, spending Hexennacht in nature is a beautiful way to connect with yourself and with the lore of the holiday. Whether you go for a short nature walk, a day-long hike, visit a botanical garden, or spend time at a park, allow yourself to enjoy the healing and revitalizing beauty of nature. If you don’t have nature nearby, consider a meditation with nature sounds on a free app like Insight Timer.

Watch a Film: Watching a witchcraft-inspired film is a great way to honor Hexennacht while also relaxing. My favorite witch movies include Häxan (1922), Legend of the Witches (1970), The Love Witch (2016), and The VVitch (2015). Note that these are more “fun” and campy films (aka not historically accurate, with the exception of The VVitch).

Read a Book: The inward-focused energy of Hexennacht makes it a perfect day to relax with a book and a cup of tea. I love reading up on my closest deities, such as Hecate and The Morrigan, or other witch-adjacent subjects like magic, shadow work, or history. My current favorite books include Hekate: Goddess of Witches by Courtney Weber, Psychic Witch by Mat Auryn, Satanic Witch by Anton LaVey, and The Book of the Great Queen by Morpheus Ravenna.

Meditate: Perhaps one of the most ubiquitous spiritual activities, the stillness and silence of Hexennacht invites us to quiet our minds and tune back in with ourselves. Whether you choose a silent, guided, or walking meditation, clearing your mind allows you to return to yourself, and release the pressure of outside opinions and energies.

Hexennacht is a beautiful, powerful day to celebrate being a witch. Allow your intuition to guide you in honoring yourself as a witch, and returning to yourself and your magic. If you feel called to learn more, I recommend exploring my Spirituality Masterclass Bundle, Love Witch Awakening, and my new tarot course, Tarot from the Heart.

Happy Hexennacht and blessed Beltane!