It snowed on Sunday in Edmonton.

My husband and stepdaughter were thrilled. They predicted three feet.

I was grumpy, and therefore so not impressed.

I wasn’t surprised at all. I’ve always lived places where it’s more likely to snow before Halloween than not. In fact, growing up, we always made sure we could fit our winter jackets under our costumes. I remember several years trick or treating in several feet of snow.

Fortunately the three foot prediction didn’t come to pass, and after a good night’s sleep I woke up on Monday feeling a little less resentful, but I was still feeling a lot of resistance to the cold. I had been putting off shopping for a new winter jacket for awhile, but I figured it was time, so I headed to West Edmonton Mall after work, and found myself in a wonderland full of warm and fuzzy things. I’m not normally a fan of shopping, but seeing all the scarves, toques, mitts and fuzzy blankets reminded me of the joys of the colder days.

I came home with two fuzzy blankets, a faux fur headband and a winter jacket that is damn well going to keep me warm. Waterproof, windproof 650 fill down, with this crazy silver Omni Heat (TM) on the inside that will reflect my own body heat back to me. I was suddenly at completely at peace with the changing of the seasons. I felt kind of  like a squirrel, stashing all those nuts away, totally prepared for what is to come.

Of course, as per usual, as soon as I surrendered to what is, instead of fighting against it or resisting it, a weight was lifted from me and I felt fantastic, which is perfect. Just in time for one of my favorite holidays, Halloween/Samhain.

The cross quarter point between the autumnal equinox and the winter solstice, it’s the last harvest festival of the year and the beginning of the darkest six weeks of the year. It’s the time when the veil between worlds is the thinnest, which can be spooky, or sweet, depending on how you perceive it. It’s a fantastic time to honor your ancestors, and to reflect back on where you’ve come from, and appreciate the bounty of what you’ve harvested this year. It’s also a great time to release whatever you don’t want to carry with you anymore, creating room for whatever you want to grow in the next season. This is time to reflect on that, so  at the winter solstice, we can plant the seeds for your next creations.

It’s also really a time of celebration! Halloween is a ton of fun! Enjoy the craziness, the costumes, the fun!

I’ll be spending the afternoon hooping at an elementary school as a purple tiger, and then it’s off to trick or treat with the kids.

I’m going to make sure to enjoy no matter how cold it is.

Happy Samhain/Halloween!