On this rather cold and, dare I say it, wintery afternoon my daughter asked if I would like to go shopping with her. It was a totally unexpected pleasure and, as much as I would have liked to get on with some writing, I wanted to spend some time with her. She had unfortunately been involved in a car accident some days before, which had served as a sharp reminder of how vulnerable we all are.

We walked around happily glancing at odd clothes begging to be bought, but resisted their temptations. We stopped for a coffee and chatted about her friends before my daughter quite suddenly said ’What is Halloween?’ I tried to explain, in my very limited ability, about how the veils between this world and the spirit world were considered to be thin at this time of year, allowing spirits to gain entry. She listened for a while before she quite emphatically said that I sounded mad. Used to this kind of comment from her, I gentle went on to remind her that not so long ago, before she chose to shut out this gift, she could see souls waiting to continue on with their journey.

It made me realise that no matter how ‘normal’ many traditions are, there is always that different perspective. We have happily fallen into the tradition of dressing up and trick-or-treating. It is fun and a little scary for some to believe that spirits, ghosts and witches run riot tonight, but with a more level headed approach it is totally feasible. Let us not suppose that this is all for menace, there are after all many good souls on the other side that are there to assist us. Let as hope that this coming together on the eve of All Saints Day, a catholic festival, is a firm reminder that we all, in whatever capacity we chose, have a sense of incredulity towards spirits.

So for now I respectfully challenge all non believers in the spirit world, that no matter your perspective, just a little bit of you wants to believe in the supernatural aspect of Halloween. God Bless