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mads churchhouse 🌞's avatar

Beautiful, really made me smile on Halloween night. My fave holiday of the year!! Going to do that place setting tradition in future x

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Selkie Grove's avatar

I hope you had a lovely Hallowe'en, its one of my favourite nights of the year! 🍂🦇

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Kerani Arpaia's avatar

So much of this post resonates with me. I wasn't as into Halloween as a child, but as I grew older and become more connected to paganism/witchcraft, I began to feel more connected to the holiday. My connection though has never felt inline with the traditional, American take on Halloween. For me, it's not an excuse to dress up or party (as it was for many of my friends). The day has always felt sacred, a transitional time, a descent into the underworld, a time to reflect on the previous year. Now, my celebrations are much more centered around this feeling and my home. I like to done a mask and a simple costume to greet trick or treaters at my door, and my husband and I have a rotation of movies we'll watch (The VVITCH and Paranorman being two of my favorites). But I'll also spend some quiet time cooking pumpkin seeds and connecting with my tarot deck, as I do for every point on the Wheel of the Year. I like the idea of leaving out an extra place at the table - I may do that tonight with some of the seed I bake!

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Selkie Grove's avatar

Your Halloween traditions sound calm and grounding, Kerani ❤️ I've always felt that transitional descent too and the need to make my home more cosy for the coming winter.

p.s. The Vvitch is one of my favourite films!! Have you seen Robert Eggers other films? I enjoyed The Lighthouse a lot

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Kerani Arpaia's avatar

Yes! The Vvitch is still my favorite, but I've enjoyed all of them. He has such an atmospheric use of sound and color in his films! I love how symbolic they all are.

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Wayne Bromiley's avatar

Wonderful as usual and educational too! Thank You Kate.

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Selkie Grove's avatar

Thank you, Wayne. Appreciate your support here!

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Lynden Wade's avatar

Funnily enough, I'm reading this having left a social gathering early, and feeling a bit rude for it. I'm much older than you, Kate, and just coming to terms with being like this. It's good to remember that it's just as valid to be quiet as to be a party animal!

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Selkie Grove's avatar

I used to feel guilty for slipping away, but I'm getting better at protecting my energy - which depletes fast in social settings!!

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Stephanie Ascough's avatar

Ah, I love this post! The were-bat is absolutely brilliant.

As children, we had ‘fall festivals’ as we weren’t allowed trick-or-treating. I’m making up for that as an adult, with my own children. Though I’m very glad other adults will be helping with the festivities since keeping up with all the people-ing is very draining for me too.

I love the idea of setting an extra place. Recently I’ve tried to share stories of my & my husband’s grandparents with our kids, especially this time of year, as a way of honoring those who’ve passed and keeping their memories alive.

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