Reasons Why Halloween is Superior to All Other Holidays #1: Sam Hain (Happy Halloween!)

Samhain is known by most folks as Halloween, but for Wiccans and Pagans it's considered a Sabbat to honor the ancestors who came before us. It's a good time to contact the spirit world with a seance, because it's the time when the veil between this world and the next is at its thinnest.

Myths and Misconceptions:

Contrary to a popular Internet-based (and Chick Tract-encouraged) rumor, Samhain was not the name of some ancient Celtic god of death, or of anything else, for that matter. Religious scholars agree that the word Samhain (pronounced "sow-en") comes from the Gaelic “Samhuin,” but they’re divided on whether it means the end or beginning of summer. After all, when summer is ending here on earth, it’s just beginning in the Underworld. Samhain actually refers to the daylight portion of the holiday, on November 1st.

All Hallow Mass:

Around the eighth century or so, the Catholic Church decided to use November 1st as All Saints Day. This was actually a pretty smart move on their part – the local pagans were already celebrating that day anyway, so it made sense to use it as a church holiday. All Saints’ became the festival to honor any saint who didn’t already have a day of his or her own. The mass which was said on All Saints’ was called Allhallowmas – the mass of all those who are hallowed. The night before naturally became known as All Hallows Eve, and eventually morphed into what we call Halloween.



A Time for Rest
by Angela

As the Sun God bids his last farewell, we are reminded of the cycle's end. The leaves are falling from the trees, the animals have almost completed their gathering, and the air takes on a northerly chill. Everything begins to take on a pose of rest; of death.

This is the time when the veil between worlds is the thinnest. A time when we are able to communicate with the spirits that have passed before us. If you need guidance, ask the spirits. Let them guide you on your path, if needed. Thank the spirits and then rest. Resting now allows all sensations and creative energy to integrate into every pore of your body.

In this season of death, it is an excellent time to reflect on the past year and identify all that needs to metaphorically die in our lives as well. Perhaps we need to remove addictive habits, self-sabotaging behaviors, relationships that do not serve a higher purpose, etc. Now is the time to set up a game plan on how to allow them to "die" and be discarded.

As winter approaches, and for some, snow begins to blanket the ground, summon energy to blanket you, as well. To protect your spirit as the process of hibernation begins and spiritual gestation continues. Enter your hibernation with grace.

Rest!

While in your spiritual hibernation, allow your body, mind and spirit to detox. Cleanse you aura to cleanse your spirit. Take gentle care of it. The seeds of creations are in the processes of growing. It is a time of inner nourishment.

On Samhain, the Sun God has left the spirit realm to rest and prepare for new birth. Come Yule, the first labor pains will begin for the Great Mother Goddess. She will again birth the new cycle of life for the Sun God. New life energy for all. With the spirit replenished, creative energy will slowly begin to flow again. This is a time for joining together to celebrate the coming of a new, refreshed, cleansed time of being.

Rejoice!

#2: Costumes and Trick or Treating

I like most when costumes are clever and funny. I also like when they are zombie anything: zombie girl scout, zombie mailman, etc. My best costume to date, I think, is when I was a fang fairy. Yeah, a tooth fairy for vampires. I had a long bright-red wig, a long satin white dress, wings, blood all over me, fangs, a fang necklace and a tool belt around my waist that included pliers and a wrench. No one knew what I was. It was great. Here are some from this year.


Super Tofu Man with Jennifer, the Sushi Chef


Me being a black widow. I always wanted to make this costume and was fortunate enough to find it already made this year. Yippee!


Erin, the Lady of Doom...oooh scary!

#3: Jack O' Lanterns!

We are to carry on the tradition of carving pumpkins tomorrow! Woo! In the meantime, these are pics from the last couple of years in Los Angeles. The masterpieces above are carved by myself and my trusty friends Erin, Greg, and Marcus. Me, Greg, and Marcus shown above.

#4: CANDY

All of it. Especially the kind with chocolate involved. YAY! I bought three bags early this year, and unfortunately have eaten half of it....Ooops!

#5: Cemeteries

One of my most favourite cemeteries is, Bachelor's Grove. It is one of the most haunted cemeteries in the United States. Located near the south suburbs of Chicago on the edge of the Rubio Woods Forest Preserve, in Midlothian, Illinois, the cemetery is abandoned and disheveled. The name, Bachelor's Grove, came from the fact that a lot of single men were living in the area at the time. Among the ghosts that are haunting this charming place are; a farmer with his horse pulling a plough(whom drowned in a river), the White Lady who appears only during full moon, and of course a lot of mobsters and murder victims from the 1920's, Chicago.

A lot of strange paranormal phenomena has been reported, such as actual apparitions, unexplained sights and sounds, and even glowing balls of light. But even during the day, one can feel some kind of presence. The haunted history of the Bachelor's Grove cemetery began in 1844 when the area was left behind as a burial ground, first called "Everdon's". It was actually the first burial in the cemetery and had been used until 1965, when things began to drift off until 1989, when another burial occurred, and the ashes of a local were interred.

To enter Bachelor's Grove cemetery, you have to take a small gravel trail away from the turnpike -- are you sure you want to go there? It is on this small road that people have reported that they saw a white farmhouse that appears and disappears. The house is always described in the same way by visitors - a white house with porch pillars, a soft light burning in the window, and a swing - but it never stays in the same place. The house has been seen during daylight and night, but there is no historical record stating that a house was ever built there. I have seen this. Also, while walking down this trail, a Screaming Banshee passed through my ex boyfriend.....I heard and saw it. He felt it as a freezing sensation going through him. No kidding.

#6: Haunted Houses

If there's anyone that's been reading, I apologize for neglecting Halloween for the last few days. Life got in the way. My sister is very sick right now and in the same breath has decided at this time in her life to ostracize me because I'm not a Christian. This has happened before, but this time I will not stand for it. I am proud of my beliefs, I am what you might call a Buddiccan or, Buddhist with a little Wiccan. We were raised in a haunted house of Catholicism where ghosts and demons of our mother would constantly tell us how we were going to hell. I will not take this from my sister, at the same time, I still love her and accept her even though she doesn't accept me. This is not the time to fight, so it's been taking a lot of my energy to process and smooth this over.

Now, back to our regularly scheduled program. Haunted housing has been a tradition of mine since I was 18 or so, and had moved out of all the haunted houses of childhood. During the month of October, my friends and I tried to go to as many haunted houses as we could. Maybe so we could laugh at the fears and demons that plagued us in the real haunted houses of our pasts. That's what you do when you have a fear, you face it head on so that you aren't afraid anymore. Of course, we were smart back then, but not that smart; this was a purely subconscious attempt at catharsis.

The best haunted houses were those that were full of mystery and darkness. Buildings with mazes, twists and turns, that led you to a wrong door or a dead end. The fear of not knowing where you were going and then the shock of some spooky thing popping out or lurking around you was the best kind of scare. One particular haunted house like this, still exists in Chicago. The place included a fun-house effect in one of the areas, where you end up walking through one of those revolving tunnels over a bridge in complete darkness with fluorescent paint in spirals around the tunnel like in Vertigo or the part of Willie Wonka when they were on the boat. There was a room that was painted white with black spots where spooky clowns camouflaged in the same design would slowly emerge from the walls. The scariest moment only happened once, a guy in zombie getup jumped down from the ceiling while we were walking down a dark corridor. I still don't quite know how he was up there, he was attached to the wall like Spiderman.

Making haunted houses is also awesome. When I used to nanny for two little boys in Chicago, we decorated their guest room with all sorts of scary. Plastic spiders, webs, kleenex ghosts, skeletons, etc. Then we invited their little friends over (the oldest was 5) and scared them. Well, Andrew thought he scared them but, his timing of "BOO!" was after he already stood up from behind the bed and smiled. Haha, so cute.

LA has shitty haunted houses. Erin and I found a halfway decent one in Old Pasadena, but not one I'd have to go to next year. It was pretty contrived, but better than most. I'm not one for bloody gore either, which is what a lot of the haunted houses here prescribe to. A haunted house with chainsaws, Freddy, Jason, and mad scientists do not scare me...they just disturb me. I want to be surprised and startled, or I want to laugh at how fake the scenes or costumes look. Anyway, that's my opinion and I'm sticking to it.

Philosophy Break.....

Some people believe that each of our days were planned, Divinely Ordered, before we were born. God knew, they say, and planned exactly what was to transpire.

Others suggest we chose, we participated in planning our life - the events, the people, the circumstances that were to take place, in order to work through our issues and learn the lessons we needed to master.

Whatever our philosophy, our interpretation can be similar: Our past is neither an accident nor a mistake. We have been where we needed to be, with the necessary people. We can embrace our history, with its pain, its imperfections, its mistakes, even its tragedies. It is uniquely ours; it was intended just for us.

Today, we are right where we need to be. Our present circumstances are exactly as they need to be -- for now.

--The Language of Letting Go Melody Beattie

#7: Music with a spooky theme

And now a word from our sponsor....

Enough Halloween for a second. Let's take a moment to wax poetic.

"So we reach into the raging chaos, and we pluck some small glittering thing, and we cling to it, and tell ourselves it has meaning, and that the world is good, and we are not evil, and we will all go home in the end."

--J.D. Salinger Catcher in the Rye

#8: Bats

I just think they're amazing.

#9: Halloween Movies

In no particular order:

1. Ghostbusters
2. Goonies
3. Shawn of the Dead
4. The Shining
5. Mary Shelly's Frankenstein
6. Queerwolf
7. Nosferatau
8. The Nightmare Before Christmas
9. It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown
10. Dracula (1931-Bela Lugosi)
11. Night of the Living Dead
12. Young Frankenstein
13. Groovie Ghoulies

#10: Vampires

Especially this one.
I don't like when vampires are portrayed as evil demons, like in that new movie that is out, 30 Days of Night. I like them good and romantic, with special attention to their tormented souls, and a sprinkle of offbeat quirkiness.
Certain authors like Anne Rice and Poppy Z. Brite, have a certain knack for romanticizing the vampire. Poppy Z. Brite's novels in particular, immerse the reader in erotica and passion. I like that too. One of the reasons I moved to New Orleans was in hopes to meet a vampire. Did I succeed? I'll never tell. Now come closer......

#11: Halloween Decorations

Will someone please tell the people of Los Angeles that fake spiderwebs alone, do not constitute "Halloween Decorations"???!!! Really, you are insulting Halloween.

#12: Ghost Stories and Legends

Booooooo! What would a sleepover be without ghost stories, seances, levitation, and Ouija boards?




Some good ghost stories:

The Tale of the Missing Liver and The Golden Arm

The Backseat Murderer

The Hitchhiking Woman

The key to making these stories most frightening is to: 1. Be in a dark tent or room with only a flashlight. 2. Be able to use timing and tone of voice to make the story sound good. 3. Have a prop of some sort to throw at/taunt/touch someone at the end. I was 9 when I first heard these on a camping trip with my friends, Karen and Laura Wally. After they scared the living daylights out of me, they proceeded to tell me dirty jokes - and so the perversion was born.

Another fave pastime of ours was dabbling with levitation....which started when I was around 8. The chant we found most effective was "Light as a feather, stiff as a board," and it almost always worked. Once, a friend, whose name I can't remember, got so freaked out after we lifted her a few feet, that she fled the room crying and her parents had to pick her up and take her home. Baby. Her parents made her stop hanging out with us because they thought we were demonic witches or something. Fools. The trick, although we didn't know it at the time, is actually quite scientific and has nothing at all to do with the paranormal: See for yourself.


After we sent the wimpy babies running home, we'd dare each other to go to the mirror and chant, "I believe in Mary Worth" 13 times.

Variations:
· The avenging spirit goes by many names: Bloody Mary, Bloody Bones, Hell Mary, Mary Worth, Mary Worthington, Mary Whales, Mary Johnson, Mary Lou, Mary Jane, Sally, Kathy, Agnes, Black Agnes, Aggie, Svarte Madame.
· Summoning Mary requires the right chant. "I believe in Mary Worth" is the key phrase according to one version, but others require the shouting of "Kathy, come out!" or the repetition of "Bloody Mary" into the mirror as many times as the ritual demands. (Sometimes Bloody Mary gets more of a script and is summoned by calls of "Bloody Mary! I killed your baby!")
· The precise requirements of the ritual vary. Some specify that the mirror must be illuminated by a single candle; in others, there must be a candle on each side. In some versions, the message to Mary is repeated by just one girl who is either a volunteer or one selected by the others to summon up the mirror-witch. The number of chants needed to fetch Mary also varies.
· What the mirror-witch does upon arrival varies too. She may strike her summoner dead, drive her mad, or fiercely scratch her face. She may merely peer malevolently out through the mirror, or she may drag one of the girls back through it to live with her.

Check out the origins of Bloody Mary.

#13: My Beloved Familiar

"Throughout history people have linked cats with things they don't understand. In earlier times cats were associated with deities. Later they were thought to be allied with devils." ~ John Richard Stephens, author of The Enchanted Cat


The Familiar: The definition of the word familiar according to Webster's New Collegiate Dictionary is: an intimate associate, COMPANION; to be frequently seen with; a spirit often embodied in an animal and held to attend and serve or guard a person.

See more about the lore of the black cat: here





Draven has been with me since he was a baby, and is turning a ripe 15 years of age on October 31st. Of course. He is not doing so well right now, and I fear that he is not long for this world. Please keep him in your kitty prayers. He has served me well, my heart will have a new break that may never heal.

#14: Pets in Costumes

#15: This

And this.

#16: Spooky Art

Andy Warhol The Kiss

Tim Burton Mummy Boy

#17: All Things Pumpkin

Pumpkin Pie - Pumpkin Bread - Pumpkin Cheesecake - Pumpkin Cookies - Pumpkin Ice Cream - Pumpkin Lattes - Pumpkin Lights - Pumpkin Candles - Pumpkin Cookie Jars - Pumpkin Butter - and Just Plain Pumpkins. Don't worry, Jack-O-Lanterns will have their own post.

#18: Son of Svengoolie

Son of Svenghoulie aired on WFLD in Chicago from June16, 1979 until January 25, 1986. The host, played by Rich Koz, emerged out of a coffin in full Dracula regalia and presented horrible b-horror movies from the 50s-70s, it was wonderful. The show was canceled when WFLD joined the Fox network, feeling that it was not an appropriate fit for their new affiliate status; but returned in '94 to air on WCIU, and WMLW in Milwaukee.

A running gag throughout the series is the repeated utterance of the word "Berwyn", the name of a Chicago suburb where I was born. Another recurring gag involves rubber chickens being thrown after a particularly corny joke is told, usually at the end of the closing sketch of each episode. It was campy in the worst of ways, but god we loved it! Just watch for yourself:



In his "Son of Svengoolie" persona, Rich Koz is also known for the early 80s 3D broadcast of Revenge of the Creature (the sequel to Creature from the Black Lagoon) that resulted in a civil action lawsuit by people who felt they didn't get enough 3D for the 89 cents they laid out for the cardboard glasses. Rumors that the broadcast included an accidental pornographic image are totally false.

#19: Being Scared

Yes, being scared is an unbeatable adrenaline rush. So what scares you, my beloved, invisible readers? I'm not talking about general fear, like fear of losing your job, or fear of intimacy, or fear of being alone- most people are riddled with those kinds of fears. I'm talking about being scared, to the extent that your heart races and your whole life flashes before your eyes.

Right now I am terrified. I am sitting home on a Saturday night and am drunk on two glasses of wine. What's scarier is that all of my friends are either sick or not in the mood to do anything, so I have been reduced to trying to complete online traffic school while drunk on two glasses of wine. Did you know that in the state of California, it is illegal to ride in the trunk of someone's car? Yes, as of January, 2007, any passenger riding in the trunk of someone's car can be found guilty of an infracture. This is eloquently called "trunking":

Trunking- (CA Vehicle Code Section 21712)

Effective January 1, 2007 CVC 21712 states it is a misdemeanor violation for any driver to knowingly permit a person to ride in the trunk of a vehicle. Additionally, any passenger found guilty of riding in the trunk is guilty of an infraction.

Just how many people have been found riding in trunks lately? And was it really their own choice?

Now, that's scary.

#20: C.I.A. in LA

CIA (California Institute of Abnormal Arts) is a venue in North Hollywood that is jam-packed to the rafters with curios and oddities.

Floor tiles and walls bear skulls and wide, high-colored pinstripes, displays are formed from siamese twins and mer-men in jars, shrunken heads, abnormal brains, circus signage, fucked up doll-heads, man-eating monsters, and decaying body parts; while pirates, mad
scientists, and cut-throat clowns lurk around every corner.

There is a wild bar also covered in death imagery and freaky-ness, as well as a garden with screens showing warped clips of bad sci-fi and horror films and video projects that resemble the worst mescaline trips, dotted with occasional performances from Tom Jones and Gary Glitter mainlined into the mix for fun.


Among the greatest treasures are the skull of
of the smallest freemason, the preserved body of a‘fairie’ from England, and most impressively and creepily, the hermetically-sealed corpse of a failed U.S. clown leased by the owners, still in greasepaint and a shiner’s cap. Clearly, one of the best places to visit in LA especially around the month of October. For more info, check out: CIA

#21: All Things Gloomy

Gloomy Forests......

Gloomy Bear...

Feeling Gloomy...

Etc...
Gloominess is more than accepted this time of year. No one has to try to be happy, or look like they are fine. No one has to put on a good front and pretend they are in some happy fucking holiday spirit. The only pretense is the costume.

#22: Caramel Apples

Not the fancy shmancy ones coated with chocolate, peanuts, coconut, m&m's, or any extraneous bullshit like that. I'm talking about straight up ooey gooey apples covered in caramel... only caramel. There was a brand that we used to use when I was a kid, I think it was called Affy Tapples or something like that. It was basically a package of 12 sheets of caramel. You just wrapped a sheet around each apple, stuck a Popsicle stick in, and put them in the oven for a few minutes. They were the best. If anyone remembers the name of this delicacy, or better yet - knows where to find something like this, please let me know....I'll repay you in popcorn balls!!!

#23: Autumn Leaves

Blankets and blankets of multicolored leaves that cover endless unraked lawns and unswept sidewalks. The month of October is the best time to experience this. Enough brightly colored orange, red, and yellow leaves have just catapulted themselves into the array of crunchy brown ones to keep people from wanting to clean up such beauty. Nonetheless, as kids, we were not only willing to help people rake their leaves, we would often knock on doors and beg to do it...for free. This gave us a great opportunity to achieve the goal of making the biggest leaf pile on the planet. We would often take a leaf pile from one house and transfer it over to the lawn next door, combining as many piles from the surrounding neighbor's yards together as we could. The best part about leaf piles is throwing your body onto the crunchy goodness of them, I would imagine the sound and the sensation is very much like belly flopping into a bowl of cornflakes.

Living in LA, I am deprived of this experience, and while I can happily do away with the season that follows, I can't help but miss the familiar snap, crackle and pop of Fall under my feet. *sniffle* *sniffle*

#24: Popcorn Balls!

Really, what more need I say about this? They are fun to throw at people, and they taste good too.

Candy Corn Popcorn Balls

8 cups popped light butter microwave popcorn (about 1 [3-ounce] bag)
1 cup candy corn
1/4 cup butter
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 (10-ounce) bag

marshmallows
Cooking spray

Combine popcorn and candy corn in a large bowl.
Melt 1/4cup butter in a large saucepan over medium heat; stir in 1/4 teaspoon salt and (10-ounce) bag marshmallows. Reduce heat to low; cook for 7 minutes or until the marshmallows melt and the mixture is smooth, stirring frequently.

Pour marshmallow mixture over popcorn mixture, stirring to coat well. Lightly coat hands with cooking spray; shape popcorn mixture into 20 (2-inch) balls.

#25: The Spider and the Fly

by, Mary Howitt
With special dedication to those who have found themselves in the position of the fly, and likewise to all those "spiders" who have helped us learn our lesson...at Halloween time and always.

"Will you walk into my parlor?" said the Spider to the Fly-
"Tis the prettiest little parlor that ever you did spy;
The way into my parlor is up a winding stair,
And I have many curious things to show you when you're there."

"Oh, no, no," said the little Fly, "to ask me is in vain,
For who goes up your winding stair can ne'er come down again."

"I'm sure you must be weary, dear, with soaring up so high;
Will you rest upon my little bed?" said the Spider to the Fly.
"There are pretty curtains drawn around, the sheets are fine and thin,
And if you like to rest a while, I'll snugly tuck you in!"

"Oh, no, no," said the little Fly, "for I've often heard it said,
They never, never wake again, who sleep upon your bed!"

Said the cunning Spider to the Fly: "Dear friend, what can I do
To prove the warm affection I've always felt for you?
I have, within my pantry, good store of all that's nice;
I'm sure you're very welcome-will you please to take a slice?"

"Oh, no, no," said the little Fly, "kind sir, that cannot be,
I've heard what's in your pantry, and I do not wish to see!"

"Sweet creature," said the Spider, "you're witty and you're wise;
How beautiful are your gauzy wings, how brilliant are your eyes!
I have a little looking glass upon my parlor shelf,
If you'll step in one moment, dear, you shall behold yourself."

"I thank you, gentle sir," she said, "for what you're pleased to say,
And bidding you good morning now, I'll call another day."

The Spider turned him round about, and went into his den,
For well he knew the silly Fly would soon come back again;
So he wove a subtle web, in a little corner sly,
And set his table ready, to dine upon the Fly.

Then he came out to his door again, and merrily did sing-
"Come hither, hither, pretty Fly, with the pearl and silver wing;

Your robes are green and purple, there's a crest upon your head;
Your eyes are like the diamond bright, but mine are dull as lead!"

Alas, alas! how very soon this little Fly,
Hearing his wily, flattering words, came slowly flitting by;
With buzzing wings she hung aloft, then near and nearer drew-
Thinking only of her crested head-poor foolish thing! At last,
Up jumped the cunning Spider, and fiercely held her fast;
He dragged her up his winding stair, into his dismal den,
Within his little parlor-but she ne'er came out again!

And now, dear little children, who may this story read,
To idle, silly, flattering words, I pray you ne'er give heed:
Unto an evil counselor close heart, and ear, and eye,
And take a lesson from this tale, of the Spider and the Fly.


WORD.

#26: Monster Finger Puppets and Spider Rings

Yeah, that's right....AND Zombie Finger Puppets.