Yuletide thoughts so soon?

I have heard more than one person say that this year has flown. I cannot believe it's November all ready, and I bet you can't either. Didn't we just send the kids back to school and start to ease into the fall schedule of practices, recitals, and busy, busy moms and kids?

I know I about fainted when I saw holiday decorations as early as September. Sheesh! Talk about put away the back to school displays and bring out the jingle bells. And secretly, my favorite holiday is Halloween, or Samhain in the pagan faith. I like the solemn night when the veil is the thinnest to take time to remember those who passed on. This year was particularly poignant for me because I'd had a senior kitty put to sleep just a couple of weeks prior, and I have to admit, I'm not taking his loss well, even though we had two more years than we'd expected with him. But I digress...

So today for the first time this fall/winter season, we had something not-rain falling from the skies. I know, I know, the northeast had their big storm; I saw it on the Weather Channel. And like them, I thought "isn't this early"?

But, you got to admit, when the white stuff (or the "s" word as it's known around here) starts falling from the sky, it puts you in a certain mood. November is the month when the Halloween decorations come down and it's still kind of early to break out the tree. (In my case, the fiber optic fake one, because the kitty mentioned above, dashed all my hopes for a big tree in my own home fourteen years ago when he thought it was a riot to swing from the 6' tall fake fir and bat my perfect little apple ornaments all around the apartment.) I'm kind of getting in the mood for the holidays though. We might not have big presents, but I am all about the joy, and the happiness, and the giving. My guy already knows I'm redoing his website for his gift, and he's mighty thankful. My mom, well, I told her she was still with us, and doing well, getting clean bills of health from her doctors -- what more could I ask for? (Okay, some tickets to the rodeo that's going to be in town on my birthday would be nice.... LOL!)

But yeah, I'll admit my little secret. I'm having yuletide thoughts. And you know, that's okay. Just don't forget to pass the turkey in a few weeks, and I prefer pumpkin pie, thank you.

(If you, too, are in a yuletide mood, then check out my holiday book, This Divine Night.)

Thinning of the Veil...

Autumn is such a poignant time of year. It marks the end of the summer and the beginning of the holdiays, starting with Halloween and ending with New Years Eve. But what many of you may not know, is that for some, New Years comes on October 31st. All Hallows Eve. Or in the Wiccan Tradition...Samhain. Most people, (including the popular ebook publisher that shares its name with the holiday), pronounce it 'SAM- HAYNE'. But the correct pronunciation is 'SOW-EN', and it is the Witch's New Year.

It is one of the major fire sabbats on the wheel of the year for pagans everywhere, and represents the time of year when the veil between the worlds is at its thinnest. The time when we can best communicate with the spirit world. Samhain is a time of transition, as the earth prepares for winter’s rest and we prepare for our journey through the dark of the year. Samhain is a time to reflect and remember loved ones who no longer walk this earth. To honor our ancestors and our past. It is a time to gather around the hearth fires and dream of spring and new beginnings. Just as Persephone descended to the Underworld to guide the spirits of the departed, so we descend into ourselves to find the path our spirits need to follow. Pomegranate seeds, candles and sprigs of bittersweet are just some of the elements used in rituals honoring this time. The year has waxed with the fullness of life and now wanes into shadow. Our souls take rest in the dark as the seasons make their final turn into the fallow and prepare for the return of the sun.

So as Halloween approaches, while we watch our scary movies and dress up as whatever it is we want to be, give a thought to the loved ones we've lost, say a prayer and whisper their names to the wind. Trust me...they'll hear you.

A Blessed Samhain to you all, and a Happy Halloween!

Marianne Morea