Halloween
-
Season of the witch
“Witches are outsiders, and those among us who have been bullied and ostracized can relate to their plight. Part of our fascination with witches is that they are the only female mythic figures with power. These are women who don’t need to be rescued by a prince or a king, but, instead, can save themselves.” ~Alice Hoffman, from the 25th anniversary edition of Practical Magic The spooky season is here. Several homes around my neighborhood are decorated with life-sized witch figures, some flying on their brooms in the trees or circling plastic cauldrons on front lawns. My fascination with the history of “witches” began early. Indulging their interests in early…
-
Celebrating October
“October is the month of painted leaves.Their rich glow now flashes round the world.As fruits and leaves and the day itselfacquire a bright tint just before they fall,so the year near its setting.October is its sunset sky;November the later twilight.” ~Henry David Thoreau, Autumnal Tints I copied today’s quote in my journal, years ago, after reading Thoreau’s Autumnal Tints during my first fall semester at college. Today, it’s still my favorite tribute to October. As Thoreau observed, this beautiful month begins the end of the year and reminds us to take stock of our previous seasons. October is the soul of autumn, a harvest of remembering. It inspires fall color…
-
Do you believe in magic?
“Surrender to the way things want to happen next, even though this often involves a vast and terrifying loss of control. Trust the magic that was born into your soul.” ~Martha Beck, Finding Your Way in a Wild New World Now that it’s October, my email is brimming with lists of the best spooky movies I can watch this month, from Alfred Hitchcock classics to Practical Magic and John Carpenter’s Halloween. Get the popcorn ready — I’m in! Some folks don’t enjoy scary films or ghost stories — or anything else in which events are manipulated by unseen forces. Are you one of those people? According to research, if you…
-
My Halloween story in Bella Grace
“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 Bella Grace is the first magazine I reach for when I want to calm down, escape the hard news, and tune out the white noise around me. I often refer to it as a grown-up picture book, with dreamy images that never fail to transport me to another place and time. So, you can imagine how thrilled I was to get my work published in the Autumn 2021 issue (Issue 29). My essay, “I’ve Never Outgrown the Magic of Halloween,” is featured in…
-
Be who you are
“Don’t you ever let a soul in the world tell you that you can’t be exactly who you are.” ~Lady Gaga Halloween is twice as much fun now that we have a grandchild who’s old enough to enjoy the festivities and spooky decorations. Last weekend, we took three-year-old Liam to the Zoo Boo event at the Detroit Zoo, where he could show off his costume for the first time in public. This year he chose to be “Super Liam,” drawing inspiration from his favorite superheroes. The costume was his own idea, and with a little help from his parents he sported a purple cape, a mask, and green suit complete…
