Southern Alabama has not been very welcoming to Fall this year it seems. We just experienced another hurricane due to the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico, and temps are still in the mid-80s. It’s more like early summer rather than Autumn. Still, even with soaring mercury levels, the veil is thinning across the cotton fields…

Working in my yard I can feel them watching and wondering. Unseen eyes upon my back as I go about my day-to-day routines. Even walking through the house late in the evening, I know that I am not alone. The lines between realities are blurred, each world crossing into the other as only it can during the in-between time of the harvest season.

For those who are more sensitive to the changes in the hedge, the quote “stay sane inside insanity” from The Rocky Horror Picture Show comes to mind. As the veil continues to slowly thin, can you be certain of what world you are actually in? Is the person you exchanged pleasantries with on the sidewalk of this world or that? The shadowy figure you saw out of the corner of your eye, it is an illusion or some dis-incarnated being wondering who you are? While driving you notice a strange looking tree or building that you swore was never there and that you would have known it was there because you’ve driven this road countless times. Well maybe they exist in the other world and you’ve found a very thin spot in the veil.  This can be a confusing and uncertain time for many, causing even the sanest among to question whether they should seek medical help. No, you’re not crazy, delusional, nor has your eyesight failed you. It’s the season of the witch my dear, and things may not appear to be as they are.

For me, my dearly departed loved ones are heavy on my mind as Samhain approaches.I speak with and work with them all through the year, but Samhain is like Thanksgiving for spirit workers and witches- you tend to go all out!  I have lost so many family members and friends during this dark year. I will honor all of their memories by candle light, sweet offerings, telling stories about their lives, and reflecting on all the lessons each one taught me. My ancestral altar is sure to be packed this year. Always remember that your loved ones who have passed are never too far away. Speak to them often, leave them little gifts of their favorite candies or whiskey, ask them for guidance and protection- they loved you then and love you still now.

So, if you find yourself walking some darken lone path around midnight and you hear the racket of the Wild Hunt or a phantom black dog happens to start trailing you, whisper a few words of protection and make sure you have a piece of iron in your pocket, you know just in case. Or if it’s dear Aunt Susie who passed last May, invited to stay for a spell and catch up, I’m sure she has some stories to tell!

-The Witch