Winter is Coming

I love Fall. Back to School time, cooling weather, scrunchy leaves, knowing family is coming "soon," all those chores that mean "we're going to be busy at least until the mundane new year."

And Samhain is right in the middle of it all. I've long used Samhain as a void-day, not part of either year. I don't read emails or the news or use the phone on that day if I can help it. I try to step out of the world for that day, to be someone else, or just be more contemplative.

Each year I try to clear my inbox of projects, of bills, of piled up correspondence by October 30th. It's amazingly refreshing to feel that there is a day with no "duties" waiting in the inbox. This year I wanted to finish my house remodel but I know that's overly optomistic so instead, I'm expanding my clean out process. I'm preparing for my void-day by clearing out a couple closets of stuff that doesn't need to live with me any more. I expect to experience the same satisfaction of emptying my inbox and waiting to see what new thing will come to use that new space. There's something hopefull about that blank slate waiting to be filled. It's that same expectation that Back to School time has for me. I've got shiny new notebooks for information, and shiny new pixels waiting to make emails for me. I can't wait to see what will fill the space in my notebooks. I can't wait to see what fills the shiny new space in my Life.

[Interestingly, while I was writing this I came across this article on Witchvox which is about the same kind of thing from the Pagan perspective.]