The Library Vault

Have you ever noticed that point in late summer when the lush abundance of the natural world reaches a tipping point, and begins to decay? The perfume of Fall starts then: as the blossoming flowers over-ripen, their edges just starting to curl, releasing intoxicating scents. The gardens and woods ferment in their own beauty — life and death intertwine, like vines, growing together, attempting to choke the other. The death-like sleep of winter dominates until the return of Spring.

We sense, this too: we always have. We instinctively know, like the animals all around us, that it is time to prepare for the winter. As the nights become colder with quick ferocity, our bodies tell us to eat as much as possible – particularly sweets. In pre-industrial societies, many foods could not be stored the entire winter. You had to store the nutrients in your body to survive the cold months when nothing could be grown to feed you. The more fat on your belly, the more likely you would live to see the Spring.

From this tipping of life into death developed the harvest festivals all around the world that we still celebrate today. In every society, Wise Ones in every culture rose up to help others with their nature-grown remedies and poems (shall we say spells?) to help others remember the ways. Originally, these Wise Ones were revered by the others. But as society developed, politics and religion arose, and the search for power by some led to the persecution of others who retained the Old Ways. In Europe and early America, this battle for control turned into Witch Hunts. Even then, the harvest festivals survived in new forms. The old, natural, ways became folklore and superstitions. They survive even now in the forms of Jack-o-lanterns and “Christmas” trees: ancient symbols of magical protection, subverted into harmless decorations.

From Fall through New Years, we’re all surrounded by ancient symbols of life, death, and magic. Most of us remain unaware. So if you love Halloween, or simply love knowledge, read these books to take your Spooky Season to the next level.

Llewellyn’s Little Book of Halloween by Mickie Mueller

Have you seen The Little Golden Book children’s series? Llewellyn’s Little Book of Halloween is the grown-up version. Instead of fairy tales and super hero stories, you can read in-depth accounts of the history of Halloween, going back thousands of years to the original European pagan harvest festival called Samhain (pronounced saw-in). But that’s just part of the book.

I learned from the book that, in Celtic societies, at Samhain they would extinguish every single hearth fire in a village. They would then gather together and build a large bonfire for their celebrations. At the end of the feast, each family would light a log from the bonfire and take it back home to reignite their own hearth. Thus, everyone in the village shared the same fire. They were never truly alone, even in the dark. Isn’t that beautiful?

Much of The Little Book of Halloween is filled with stories and poems like that one. It’s an enchanting read, perfect for a dark October night before Halloween. Other parts of the book resemble a witchy Martha Stewart version of party planning, recipes, and home decor. It’s a charmingly simple book without frills or fancy illustrations. If you like the movie Practical Magic (confession: it’s one of my favorite Halloween films), this feels like the Do It Yourself textual accompaniment – in a good way. Just skip the chapter on divination and spirit communication, unless you want some new party games or truly believe in magic.

Halloween and Other Festivals of Life and Death ed. by Dr. Jack Santino

Most cultural and historical tidbits I read in Llewellyn’s Little Book of Halloween, I had previously read about in much further depth in Halloween and Other Festivals of Death and Life. Though technically written by a professor of folklore and published with an academic press, this book remains in print over thirty years later because of its accessibility and mass appeal.

Whether you know it or not, you probably celebrate a harvest festival in your home every year. Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Eid, Dia de los Muertos, Diwali, and All Souls Day are some of the most widely celebrated ones. What ties them together? Why are harvest festivals so ubiquitous? Why do they also celebrate death at the same time? What’s to celebrate about death? In these times of great division, it’s comforting to read about what we have in common.

Now for the Fiction books. My colleague wrote a blog post last week about the library’s witchy holdings. Here are two more that I love. Both are about secrets kept by witchy women.

Conjure Wife by Fritz Leiber

A hotshot anthropologist returns from studying abroad to teach at a small college where competition rages between the professors … and their wives. Originally written in 1943 with the British film released in 1962, Conjure Wife ranks as a forgotten classic. The science-based professor denies to his students any existence of the supernatural, only to accidentally discover that his wife is helping his career with secret witchcraft in their own home. He tries to force her to give it up, with almost disastrous consequences.

I love this book (and film) because of its “What If?” every day possibilities. This story could happen in any modern home of the last century. There’s nothing overt or grotesque here, nothing obvious or unquestionable. Everything could possibly be in the minds of the participants. Could there be a magical charm hidden in your lamp shade that you don’t know about, helping or hurting you? Does it have the power to do so if you don’t believe?

In the Company of Witches by Auralee Wallace

A perfect Halloween read for mystery lovers, In the Company of Witches combines Practical Magic-style witchcraft with a cozy – but not too cozy – mystery. If you want to immerse yourself in a quaint Connecticut village with a weekend at a charming bed & breakfast in a beautiful Victorian mansion, look no further. Murder, ghosts, mystery, and magic unite in this fun and fanciful read. Like with the Spooky Season itself, death and life weigh in equal measure.

If you like the first book, you can binge read the second book in the series, When the Crow’s Away. Same witches, same Victorian mansion, same quintessential New England town, new mystery. New possibilities. Both books were written within the last several years, so I have hopes for additions to the series.

Like witches but not mysteries? No problem. The author’s latest book, The Late Night Witches features a vampire and parenting challenges, but no murder mystery. Happy reading.