I’ve always loved Halloween. As a kid, it was a great excuse to hit up your neighbors and the next few blocks of people you didn’t actually know for what you hoped was good candy. Or at least candy you could eat with braces.
As an adult, it took on new meaning. Pagans believe that the veil is thinnest between the worlds of the living and the dead this time of year, so Halloween, or Samhain, is a time when we can look to our dead relatives and friends for guidance. We put out food offerings – carved pumpkins now, hollowed out turnips originally (Gods know I don’t want to eat the turnips, I’m all for carving them) – in return for their help and advice.
And it’s a time to let go – of our weaknesses, our bad habits, of the losses from the past year that linger over us. If some losses are too fresh – a friend who recently passed away (this year, unfortunately), an accident the week before Halloween (last year, for me) – those can hold for the next year. Death, however unfortunate, is a natural part of our life cycle.
This is a time of rebirth for Pagans, as we recognize the losses from the past year and look forward to what may come. That next year is unknown, no matter what your plans, the year will probably surprise you. Celebrate these changes. A year ago, I couldn’t have guessed where I am now, yet I am happy with how things have changed.
Tonight, I will have a giant spider web strung up across my doorway with treats attached, with a giant spider looking on. I will light the jack o’lanterns I carved, and walk from door to door with my daughter as she asks strangers for candy. And I will release things that need to be let go, and hold onto some losses that aren’t quite ready to leave yet.