Ah yes, the first leaves are turning brown, the weather is getting colder, and I’ve already spotted some chestnuts on the ground. You know what this means: Hot Girl Summer is over, Witch Bitch Autumn is here!
In about a month’s time it will be Hallowe’en again, my favorite time of year. I love Autumn, or Fall, whatever you call it. I love walking through nature when you can see so many variety all around you, and the air is as crisp as the fallen leaves you step upon. Nature is beautiful and colorful, and especially so in autumn. And with the cold and rain comes the fog (sometimes, if we are lucky). To see the fields in the morning covered in pale clouds, whisps of damp smoke. It makes me feel as if I were in a dark fantasy setting, where magic and dangers are lurking just at the edges of visibility, ready to slink back into shadow.
It is also the season of goths. The dark aesthetic, witches, ghouls and vampires coming out to play, Hallowe’en. At this time we delight in all things spoopy and dark, and we are allowed to. We wear black, pumpkin orange and witchy green and purple. Now is also the time to watch all our favorite spoopy movies again. I have friends who love to watch horror flicks, but personally I’m not a fan. I love other Hallowe’en movies, like Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas (yes it’s a halloween movie), Coraline, Corpse Bride, and Sleepy Hollow, and Beetlejuice (Tim Burton is just peak goth, isn’t he?). Also you gotta love the cult classic Hocus Pocus. I’m really excited for the sequel coming out soon. Let’s not forget about the numerous vampire movies out there. From Interview with the Vampire to What We Do in the Shadows and my cool favorite Only Lovers Left Alive. And the many adaptations of Dracula, like Bram Stoker’s Dracula, the Hammer Horror films with Christopher Lee or the 1931 version with Bela Lugosi. Or even the silent film Nosferatu, the knock-off that set off Dracula on his way into becoming the most popular and well-known king of vampires (i’ll tell you about it later, i could make that a whole post on itself).
Another spoopy film I love is The Craft, following a coven of four high-school witches. For this is also the season of witchcraft. Samhain is an important pagan holiday, and I do occasionally like to read tarot cards and whisper blessings to the Moon. Here again that theme of nature, which feels like spell ingredients ready to pick off of the floor. Jack-o-Lanterns were initially used to ward off evil spirits, after all.
Thinking about it, I never actually carved a Jack-o-Lantern. That feels like sacriledge, but I guess it just isn’t really a tradition where I live (yet). Also my family definitely isn’t as spoopy as me. I do say yet because I do hope to change that and start it, for myself but also with friends there is some desire in that direction. And there is an Americanization with some of these traditions coming with the rise of social media and such. I definitely plan on carving my first pumpkin this year. I’ll let you know how it goes.
Speaking of friends, I cannot neglect to mention Hallowe’en parties. My friends and I traditionally throw one every year, and I cannot wait for it. We all dress up for it and all (well most of us). I have an awesome (but maybe a little cheap) fake leather looking witch hat that I love, kind of like the sorting hat, but nowhere near as fancy. But, this is my first dress-up party since officially coming out, so maybe I should do a more elaborate and explicitly feminine costume this year? I don’t know. At any rate, I am excited.
This season is my jam, alright?
Love,
~ Sanne