Halloween

Happy Halloween!
Around our house it’s like a national holiday. My youngest talks about it for six months, changes his mind about his costume 20 times, and gets ready to sit still in a chair on our balcony and scare trick or treaters .

I’ve heard my share of ghost stories this week alone. For instance one mom found an old raggedy Ann doll waiting for her on the couch when she arrived home from work. The only problem, the doll was in her bedroom closet when she left that morning. This week my good friend was in her basement when she heard the front door open upstairs and footsteps across the floor. She went upstairs thinking it was her husband arriving home, but no one was there. She later told her husband when he got home. His response, “Oh yeah, the same thing happened to me a few days ago.”
The upside to the proverbial “thinning of the veil” is that we can manage up with the dead. That’s right, the door swings both ways! First of all you can say to the pesky ghosts, “you aren’t the boss of me, I don’t care how thin the damn veil is!” This doesn’t just have to be about the dead talking to you, you can talk back!
The sweetness of this time of year is the ritual of honoring our loved ones. This week several mommy friends of mine here in Los Angeles made beautiful Dia de Los Muertos altars. They featured pictures of loved ones who’ve passed along with offerings of their favorite food and drink. Day of the Dead happens just after Halloween and is a celebration of loved ones who’ve died.
This weekend is also Samhain (pronounced sow-en), the end of harvest and a move into winter. When observed in the Celtic lands, cattle were slaughtered, bonfires were held, and the spirits of the dead were said to visit homes.
I like to think of this time as being full of spooky fun, earnest offerings to those who’ve passed, and as a time when messages from different dimensions are easier to convey and receive. I also want to put in a plug for self-care because this week will find us busy with the kids, honoring the deceased, and perhaps even feeling haunted.
This is a great time for putting your hopes and dreams on a plate with candles and ernestly talking to and listening to spirit’s messages. Also getting a new hair-do, a massage, or having a play date for yourself and the family can go a long way in reducing Halloween angst. After all, nothing is scarier than a stressed out mommy.