The History Behind the Tradition—and What It Might Mean for Your Intuition
Every October, you'll probably hear someone in the spiritual community say:
“The veil is getting thinner.”
But have you ever stopped and wondered what that actually means?
What veil?
Why October?
And where did this belief even come from?
I love exploring the history behind our spiritual traditions because sometimes we repeat things for so long that we forget to ask where they started.
And this one has a fascinating history.
What Do We Mean by “The Veil”?
When spiritual people talk about “the veil,” they're generally referring to an unseen boundary between our physical world and the spiritual world.
The idea that this boundary becomes thinner at certain times of the year is a spiritual belief—not a scientifically established phenomenon.
But it isn't a new idea.
People have been observing this time of year as spiritually significant for centuries.
One of the traditions most often connected with the idea of a thinning boundary between worlds is the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain.
Samhain marked the end of the harvest season and the beginning of the darker part of the year. Historical accounts and later folklore describe this seasonal transition as a time when the boundary between the human world and the Otherworld was believed to become more permeable.
Think about that for a moment.
They were standing at a threshold.
The harvest was ending.
Winter was beginning.
Light was giving way to darkness.
One cycle was ending while another was beginning.
And spiritually, that threshold became associated with the boundary between worlds becoming less defined.
Some of Our Halloween Traditions Have Very Old Roots
This is where the history gets really interesting.
During Samhain, traditions developed around the belief that supernatural beings or spirits could move more freely between worlds.
Food could be left as an offering. People disguised themselves, and later traditions of “guising” involved people going from house to house in costume. Over centuries, practices like these contributed to traditions that eventually developed into parts of the Halloween we recognize today.
So when children put on costumes and knock on doors asking for candy, there are echoes—although greatly transformed—of customs that are hundreds of years old.
I think that's fascinating.
Something we now associate with costumes, pumpkins and candy carries pieces of a much older human relationship with the changing seasons, mystery and the unseen.
Then Christianity Added Its Own Traditions of Remembrance
As Christianity spread through Europe, early November also became associated with Christian observances honoring saints and remembering the dead.
November 1 became All Saints' Day, while November 2 became All Souls' Day—a day specifically associated in Catholic tradition with remembering and praying for those who have died. The formal observance of All Souls' Day spread through monasteries and eventually more widely through the Church.
That gives us an interesting collection of days:
October 31 — All Hallows' Eve
November 1 — All Saints' Day
November 2 — All Souls' Day
Different beliefs and practices developed across different times and communities, so we shouldn't simply treat them as one tradition.
But there is a beautiful common thread running through many of them:
Remembering those who came before us and acknowledging something beyond our everyday physical lives.
And Then There Is Día de los Muertos
Around this same time of year, communities in Mexico celebrate Día de los Muertos—Day of the Dead.
It is important not to simply call Día de los Muertos “Mexican Halloween,” because it has its own cultural and spiritual history.
UNESCO describes the Indigenous festivity as a tradition in which families commemorate the temporary return of deceased relatives and loved ones. Families may prepare altars and place flowers, candles and favorite foods as offerings. The modern tradition reflects a blending of Indigenous pre-Hispanic practices and Catholic religious observances introduced after Spanish colonization.
Again, we find this idea:
The living remembering the dead.
Love continuing beyond physical presence.
A time intentionally created to acknowledge those who are no longer physically here.
Different cultures. Different beliefs. Different traditions.
Yet humans across generations have found ways to honor that connection.
So...Is the Veil Actually Thinner?
Here's where I'm going to give you the very Kara answer.
I don't know.
And I'm okay with not knowing.
There isn't a scientific instrument that measures the thickness of a spiritual veil.
What we do know is that people have associated this season with the spiritual world, ancestors, death, transition and mystery for a very long time.
And when millions of people throughout history have stopped during this season to remember, pray, honor, celebrate, reflect or listen...
I think that's worth noticing.
You don't have to decide exactly what you believe in order to become curious about what you experience.
Could Your Gifts Feel Stronger?
This is where I want you to pay attention to you.
Maybe October comes around and your dreams become more vivid.
Maybe your intuition seems stronger.
Maybe you're thinking about someone just before they call.
Maybe you're sensing energy more easily.
Maybe you're receiving images during meditation.
Maybe you're hearing that quiet inner voice a little more clearly.
Or maybe you don't notice anything different at all.
All of those experiences are okay.
Spirituality isn't supposed to be a performance.
You don't need to have a supernatural experience simply because someone told you the veil is thin.
But if you are noticing something?
Don't immediately dismiss it either.
Get curious.
This Is Also a Beautiful Time to Understand Your Clairs
One of the biggest things that can get in the way of developing our intuition is expecting our gifts to look like someone else's.
Maybe you don't “see” anything.
But perhaps you feel everything.
Maybe you don't hear messages.
But you have moments when you simply know.
That's where understanding the Clairs can help.
Clairvoyance is often described as clear seeing.
Clairaudience as clear hearing.
Clairsentience as clear feeling.
Claircognizance as clear knowing.
And there are additional Clairs associated with other ways of intuitively perceiving information.
You may work through one strongly or experience several.
That's one of the reasons I teach The Clairs — What Are Mine?
The goal isn't for me to tell you what your gifts are.
It's to help you begin recognizing how your own intuition communicates with you.
Because the more you understand your own spiritual language, the easier it becomes to recognize when something is actually coming through.
Try Something Different This October
Instead of spending October asking:
“Is the veil really thinner?”
Try asking:
“Am I listening more closely?”
Take a few minutes to sit quietly.
Journal your dreams.
Notice your intuition.
Pay attention to repeating thoughts or synchronicities.
Remember someone you love who is no longer physically here.
Light a candle.
Say a prayer.
Sit in gratitude.
And most importantly, don't force anything.
Maybe the veil is thinner.
Maybe we're simply more willing at this time of year to acknowledge that there are things about life, consciousness, love and spirit that we don't completely understand.
Either way, there can be something beautiful about becoming still enough to listen.
Keep shining your joy,
Kara
The Joyful Healer
Shifting Souls Metaphysical St