A little over 4 years ago today, I sat in this swing seat and watched the sun slide into the lake. It was my very first day living in the USA, and as I watched the darkness swallow the sky I was excited … and more than a little scared.
Autumn is a time of transformation – and so it has been for me. I moved to the USA in late autumn, three years ago we moved into our new house on Halloween night, two years ago I started a new job. Every year, around Halloween, my life changes in some way – subtle or significant (sometimes both).
So it’s fitting that Halloween is the last day of the year in the Pagan calendar. The end of one cycle and the start of another.
The northern hemisphere starts the new cycle under the frozen skies, when the world is sleeping. The cycle begins with a bare bones, black & white sketch of a picture to which we add a dab of color here, and a twist of light there. Slowly, throughout the cycle, the picture develops dab by dab. Our experiences color it with blood reds and calming blues – play with each color, with shades and intensity, until we find the perfect balance and move on. As the cycle closes, we see the full painting complete – every dab of paint exactly where it should be – and the picture is glorious and rich.
For me, Halloween is a time to celebrate this completion – to reflect on the cycle past and look forward to the cycle to come. It’s a reminder to stop, and pause, and raise a glass to the experiences that colored in this glorious oil painting before we start again with a new canvas.
Happy Halloween – and may the coming cycle be filled with color.
Check out the other entries in the blogchain. The others are:
1. Lost Wanderer – http://www.lostwanderer5.blogspot.com
2. Claire Crossdale – http://theromanticqueryletter.blogspot.com/
3. Angela 785 – http://thebookshelfmuse.blogspot.com/
4. Ravencorinncarluk – http://ravencorinncarluk.blogspot.com
5. Angyl78 – http://jelyzabeth.wordpress.com/
6. shethinkstoomuch – http://shethinkstoomuch.wordpress.com
7. trulyana – http://expressiveworld.com
8. Bsolah – http://benjaminsolah.com/blog
9. freshhell – http://freshhell.wordpress.com
10. Ralph Pines – http://ralfast.wordpress.com/
11. aimeelaine – http://www.aimeelaine.com/
12. HigherEdUnderground – http://higheredunderground.com/
13. Cath – that’s me!
14. DavidZahir – http://zahirblue.blogspot.com/
That was beautiful, thanks for sharing. I like your point of view. All the very best.
Very nice. Methinks I know how you feel…
What a beautiful way to color the world!
Wonderful! Very cool that Halloween is such a great period for you. Anything big coming up this year?
Great job on your blogroll post. What great imagery!
That was a very insightful and beautiful read Cath.
I feel you in regards to raising a glass for the new, and appraising all the moments that have been experienced.