Samhain... :)

Celebrated on October 31, Halloween (also known as Samhain), is the Witches' New Year's Eve [this is taken from a Wiccan book - it's also the Celtic New Year!] and third harvest. It is a time to play with our shadow selves and sit in the woods between the worlds of light and darkness, knowing all things are possible. Nature is recessing into the quiet barrenness of winter. It is a season to acknowledge that both light and darkness are necessary to our growth. Remember departed loved ones and their gifts, harvest strength, trust the mirror reflecting your light, salute health, believe in enchantment, and tell stories as the veil between the mundane and magickal worlds is at its thinnest. Symbols of the holiday are pumpkins, skeletons, marigolds, fall leaves, pomegranates, and witch hats. Herbs and other plants associated with this sabbat include apple, broom, milk thistle, mint, mullein, nutmeg, oak, sage and wormwood.

Well, I have to say, for our Samhain, it wasn't the kind of day that really got me thinking all sorts of eerie, spooky thoughts. It was a bright, sunshiny day, plus 16, and beautiful outside. I ended up missing the bus home and didn't get home until after 6:00, but it wasn't too late to hand out a few treats to the 20 or so kids we got. I just closed the lights and hid the pumpkins as the older crowds are now coming to the door, and the last ones were eyeing our 'masterpieces'... Come to think of it, I didn't even take pictures of our pumpkins this year! Luc made a great one, sewing the eyes and mouth with gardening twine, to look like a kind of Texas Chainsaw Massacre doll head.. Pretty freaky.

We had a good Halloween gathering on the weekend though, just a small group of us got together, but we all got dressed up and had a little too much fun with the camera.. ;0) The picture above is of our Halloween feast, complete with a "brain" (shrimp), spiders, worms in dirt (candy worms in oreo cookie crumbs), and roasted pumpkin seeds. We served our guests a nice desert of cat poop to finish it off... :)

Even 'Jiggs' got in on the fun. :)

Anyway, tonight I wish I could have a bit of time to 'ring in' the "mini new year". However, I'm stalling because I have to get through a horrendous pile of work first. Ick.

While I do still celebrate the New Year on January first as my main 'starting over point' (as we basically celebrate the end of the year with xmas and New Years parties, going out with a 'bang' and then starts my 'quiet month' where I'm not allowed to start anything new), I do still like to acknowledge the 'change' I feel at Halloween. Last night, Tigger and I were walking through the neighbourhood, and it was like my whole 'being' just took a great big siiiiigh.. The air was still, the trees were dark and still, everything had a slightly surreal peacefulness hanging over it, that seemed to just slow down whatever crazy ticking time-keeper is always driving me mad inside. It was really nice and I thought to myself 'thank goodness we're finally in a resting period'. Not that we actually are, but there's something in the stillness that I find so calming.

Our lives are anything but calm at the moment, but it's a good busy, not a stressful busy. Luc just accepted a new job in Ottawa, which he's busy studying for, so that marks a rather large change in our lives. He's going from the job he got out of college, in the tiny town of Shawville, to a job in a mid-sized, faster-paced international company based in the city. It will hopefully offer him rewarding challenges, better benefits, and he'll be closer to home (though with the traffic, the commuting time doesn't actually lessen very much!). So we're pretty excited about that, though I know he'll be sad to leave where he works now, and they'll miss him a lot.

We also sold the car, last Thursday, which happened in the blink of an eye (after about 8 months of waiting). So far, it hasn't had a negative impact on us having one car again, so hopefully we'll be able to make it through to next Spring and get some of our debts paid off. My poor cavalier can't keep being treated like an suv for much longer - she hauled two bales of straw home on Monday night, which was quite the 'endeavour' (for the car, and for ME!)

I'm already turning my attention to the xmas 'season'.. Sick eh? ;) I bought a present for my sister the other day. I can't wait to dress up the house for it. We have a million other things we have to do first, but it's fun to think of where I'll put the tree. :)

Anyway, guess I better go get this work done, so I still have a job!

Happy Halloween everyone - enjoy your evenings, be safe, and remember to take some time out to reflect on your year, what you 'harvested' and revel in the glory of having a quiet moment to take it all in before the craziness starts again. :)

S