HALLOWEEN 2020 ~ a preview of what’s to come…

Halloween is possibly my favorite holiday! It’s the one time of year when we aren’t expected to be overly cheerful, and it’s even socially acceptable to go crazy!

They say that during Halloween, “the veil between this world and the underworld” is at its thinnest. This means that spirits are more likely to come through and haunt us — which is a slightly frightening thought. However, it also means that we are most connected with those we have lost — which is actually a very comforting feeling.

Halloween is the honoring and celebration of the dead. It’s time to withdraw from day-to-day activities and think about all of the many lives that have passed. Most cultures see “death” as a transition into new life. Our American culture tends to avoid the topic of death and pretend it doesn’t exist, because it makes us too uncomfortable — but this unhealthy tactic only makes the act of death that much more tragic. We are one of the rare, few cultures that tries to avoid the unavoidable — and to me, that is true insanity.

Halloween is the midway point between the autumn equinox (when darkness takes over) and the winter solstice (when darkness peaks.) And so, this is literally, the darkest time of the year that we are about the enter. The best way to deal with darkness, is not to run from it, but to embrace it. In darkness, we see a truth that the light has blinded us from seeing. And often, we prefer to live in our own illusions, rather than facing the truth.

And the truth is that, there’s so much about this world that we don’t know, or can’t understand. The truth is that we all live with so much fear and anxiety. And rather than covering it up like we do in the spring — the fall has us telling ghost stories, watching scary movies or murder documentaries, listening to eerie music, hanging up creepy home decor, and thinking about all the things that scare us.

And in a strange way, this is comforting. Because once you confront your fears, you laugh at them, and wonder why you were so scared in the first place. We can all admit that even the scariest movies are actually pretty cheesy and predictable. As “spooky” as Halloween may seem, it’s actually a time of silliness and laughter, because we realize that running from the darkness is much more haunting than facing it.

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This week, I am looking forward to sharing many Halloween posts!

Halloween playlist

I have been working on coming up with 147 songs for Halloween! Five categories — witchy, spooky, chilling, bloody, & trick-or-treat!

Scary stories

“The Green Monster” — newly weds move into a haunted house… what’s the worst that could happen? Soon they will learn that jealousy is lethal — as wife, Adrienne, becomes possessed with paranoia and goes on a murder spree.

“Vampires in Love” — Violet has a secret — she’s a vampire. For her own protection, she lives a secluded life in total isolation. Loneliness persuades her to adopt a dog, a beagle named Boo. After meeting a mysterious man at the dog park, she wonders, could he also be a vampire?

“The Witch’s Ghost” — Faye is an elderly woman who spent her whole life doing psychic work for others. Although the witch has helped many people with love, she has never been in love herself. That is, until she finds out she has a secret admirer — a ghost! But what will it take for this incredibly shy ghost to finally reveal himself?

Media reviews

Podcasts, music, and more…

Recipes

Going to take another shot at classic Halloween recipes…

Poems

Halloween poems coming soon on lotuspoems.wordpress.com

History

& some research on the history of Halloween…

& More

Perhaps a photoshoot? Maybe?

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For now, you can take a look at previous posts!

• Autumn Playlist — songs for fall
• Autumn Playlist (Side B) — more songs for fall
• Autumn inspiration — a lil pep talk
• A spooky photoshoot — I had a lot of feelings going on and this was the only way I knew how to express them
• Photoshoot: *season of the witch*
• Fangs (poem)
• Murder scene (poem)
• Caturday ~ The Black Cat — learn all about “the black cat” and how it became a symbol of Halloween
• QUIZ ~ What’s my spirit animal? — Perhaps a costume idea?
• Halloween recipe: Soul Cakes
• Halloween recipe: Irish Griddle Cakes
• Dollar store haul ~ HALLOWEEN decor
• Try-it Tuesday ~ Halloween kandi bracelets — DIY craft!
• 21 SIMPLE and NON-CONFORMING ways to Celebrate Halloween — So many ways to celebrate Halloween, other than the average American way of going trick-or-treating or going out partying and drinking. This is especially revenant if you are staying covid-conscious — you can still celebrate this year by staying home and safe — EVERYONE should take a look at this!
• Mystery Monday ~ Vampires
• Mystery Monday ~ Werewolves
• Try-it Tuesday ~ EAT BRAINS!
• Wish Wednesday ~ My Dream Haunted House
• Graveyard Walk (poem)