Anyone could see that the wind was a special wind this night, and the darkness took on a special feel because it was All Hallows’ Eve. – Ray Bradbury, The Halloween Tree
It’s upon us again: my very favorite of days, Halloween. This would have been a glorious year for trick-or-treating; the weather was already cool by the first, an autumn cold snap arrived on the sixth and the weather has been quite lovely since then. The leaves turned gradually and gloriously over the course of the month, and best of all we’re only barely past the full moon! It would have been a fine night for trick-or-treating, if I were a third of a century younger and our culture not afraid of its own collective shadow. Even so, I’m looking forward to a lovely evening of movies and stories with my loved ones, as I described in my recent “Halloween Favorites” column.
This is actually my second attempt at writing this column; the first time I was moved by the Muse in a completely unexpected direction, and before I knew it I had produced tomorrow’s column (which is a lot more sober and serious). That isn’t to say it came from some gloomy mood; far from it, despite the black subject matter. Death and I are old dance partners, and he knows I won’t play hard to get when he eventually comes to claim me. However, few people are as comfortable with the topic as I am, so I felt it best to simply rewrite the introductory paragraph and move it to tomorrow, which is El Dia de los Muertos anyhow. For today I really wanted something much more in keeping with the witchy joy I generally feel on Halloween, so I’ve decided to point y’all toward a few older columns which may help you to get into the Halloween spirit. “Halloween”, “Samhain” and “Moondance” all discuss my own feelings about the season, and “Saint Death” introduces you to Mexico’s Santa Muerte, patron goddess of death. “Mass Hysteria” compared the “sex trafficking” panic to that attending the famous War of the Worlds broadcast in 1938 (and links a recording for your listening pleasure), and “October Miscellanea” contained an item about horror comics and a listing of shows featuring vampire whores. Finally, a number of my fictional interludes include horror themes, including this month’s “Pandora”, “Friend” from August, “Dry Spell” and “Pearls Before Swine” from previous Octobers, and also “The Trick”, “Painted Devil” and “Ripper”.
Happy Halloween, Dear Readers, and Blessed Be!
Happy Halloween and Happy Birthday, Maggie!
Happy Birthday, Maggie – and thanks for all you do.
(Totally awesome that your birthday falls on Halloween – I hate you!)
>”Death and I are old dance partners, and he knows I won’t play hard to get when he eventually comes to claim me.”
Oh I intend to! I’ll make the old reaper chase me all over, and give him the finger at the last.
Have a great Halloween.
Amen! Since he only has to win once, he should have to work for it.
Comixchik,
I can never hear that phrase without thinking of this image from the 1970’s.
PS. I searched for the image and don’t endorse the political philosophy of the webpage that it’s on.
That’s a good’un. I like this one too.
God, I’d forgotten that one! I guess it’s an even bet as to which one passes out first. Strangulation vs suffocation! The Cage Match of the Century!
Of course, if the stork passes out first, he’s gonna drown. So – advantage Froggie.
Happy Birthday and Happy Halloween!
Happy Birthday and Samhain!
On a darker note, while death isn’t to be feared, the process of dying might well be.
Happy Birthday. And thank you so much for all your work.
Happy Birthday. Happy Halloween.
Now you’re as old as I am. 😉
‘Appy ‘Alloween, lovey.
(Do the English celebrate it like we do?)
According to this Brit, Halloween in England is an crucible of real terror!
(I LMFAO!)
Happy birthday, and Samhain!
Happy Birthday!
When I was a girl, Halloween wasn’t celebrated at all, really, at least not in the north. 5th November was our day to go begging, a “penny for the Guy!”, Guy Fawkes night. Bonfires, too.
Halloween in the UK now is sort of an excuse for bad behaviour and chavs out of control. I was over a few years ago, during Halloween, and it wasn’t pleasant.
Belated Happy Birthday, Maggie !
Completely spaced on Halloween also being your birthday. Doh! Hope you had a good one and many more to come!
Thanks to one of Maggie’s previous mortality posts, chased giggling throught the garden by Death [Bill Door], I now always picture her as this Lady from Terry Pratchett’s Reaper Man: Renata Flitworth. She’s a farmer too :
“However Renata spurns Bill’s [Death’s] offer to take her anywhere because it’s the village dance, and she’s never missed one. So they go, and they dance all night (Death doesn’t need maracas!) – until she is surprised that she’s not gasping for breath. In fact she’s not breathing. Bill didn’t give her a start when he turned up – he gave her a stop. Her life had ended, due to her lending some of it to him, but Death travelled the length of the space-time continuum to speak with Azrael, the Death of Universes, who granted him some extra time with her as a reward. ”
Renata was laughing while dancing with HIM too. xxx ❤