Season of the Witch

Enough of this darksider doubt. The season of the witch is nigh. The cackling leaves, rustling darkness, and harvest moon conjure spooks and spirits of all stripes. Most of us call it Halloween. Some, All Saint's Day. The witches and pagans call it Samhain, also known as the Witch's New Year.

"This is the time of year when the veil between the worlds is lightest," Mahan-Miller says, "the veil between the other side where people go when they pass on and the world as we have it now. It's the best time to contact your ancestors, to do divinations, to remember those who have passed on and those who are to come.

Jim Walsh

Go ahead and try to land a flying house on my head. I dare you.

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"You'll also hear witches and wiccans say that at this time of year, their dream work is the strongest. The dreams are fast and they're heavy. I know for me, in the next couple weeks, I'll be dreaming constantly."

So whatever does the good witch Anna have planned for October 31? What dark spirits will she conjure, what spells will she cast, what black magic doth she bring? Verily, what primordial universal truths will she tap into?

"I'm giving out candy," she says, with a smile that could raise the dead.

Jim Walsh can be reached at 612.372.3775 or jwalsh@citypages.com