Free Online Talk · At the Threshold of the Dead: Samhain, Liminality, and the Journey Between Worlds with Mythologist Dr. Selena Madden

Saturday October 31, 2026
7:30pm ET (NYC time)
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What if the boundary between the living and the dead were not a wall, but a threshold?

Samhain arrives at a peculiar moment in the year. The harvest is ending. The days are growing noticeably shorter. The landscape itself seems to be withdrawing. For centuries, this seasonal turning has been associated with gatherings, fires, divination, the dead, and encounters with forces beyond the ordinary human world.

In this special Samhain lecture and ritual, mythologist Selena Madden, PhD will explore what it means to stand at such a threshold.

We will begin with Samhain itself, looking at its historical and folkloric roots while also untangling some of the modern ideas that have become attached to it—including the familiar claim that the “veil between worlds” becomes thin. From there, we will move into the larger and much older human fascination with crossing the boundary between life and death.

Myths are filled with people who approach the realm of the dead. Orpheus descends in search of Eurydice. Odysseus seeks knowledge from those who have died. Persephone moves between worlds. Psyche is given a task that requires her to enter the Underworld and return. These stories remind us that crossing a threshold is rarely casual. There are guides and guardians, offerings and instructions, things that must not be touched, questions that must be asked, and rules for finding one's way home.

These stories also give us a way to think about liminality: the strange state of being between one thing and another, when an old order has loosened but what comes next has not yet fully taken shape.

Our evening will culminate in a guided Samhain ritual of threshold, descent, and return. We will approach the boundary symbolically rather than attempting to summon or contact the dead. Participants will be invited to listen, remember, and consider what they themselves may be carrying into the darkness of the year—and what they wish to bring back.

No previous knowledge is necessary. Come curious. And perhaps, for one evening, become willing to stand at the door without needing to know exactly what waits on the other side.

Suggested Items:
A candle — to mark the opening and closing of the ritual and serve as a light at the threshold.
A small bowl or glass of water — representing the boundary between worlds, reflection, and passage.
A small offering — such as bread, fruit, herbs, flowers, or another simple biodegradable offering. This need not be intended for a particular ancestor or spirit.
A small stone — something tangible to hold during the ritual and ultimately carry back as a symbol of return.
A journal and something to write with — for reflection before and after the ritual.

Dr. Selena Madden is a mythologist, educator, and ritualist whose work bridges movement, myth, and depth psychology. With reverence for ancient wisdom and symbolic ritual, Selena facilitates journeys inviting participants to embody archetypal energies, rediscover their inner landscape, and reclaim the luminous threads of their own mythic stories.