Whilst running through all the social media advice for Halloween I received a timely text reminding me that it’s the Pagan festival of Samhain tonight. We always used to celebrate the Pagan vision whilst at Uni, and in many ways it still sits with me better than the overtly commercial merchandise machine of it’s modern counterpart.

To me Halloween represents the Christian faith using the old folklore as a sign of witchcraft and devilry, all being ‘rescued’ by the new religion culminating in All Saints’ Day.

Neither Mark nor I were religious people and so the concept of the barriers being at their lowest between one world and another so the spirits can move between them would appear to sit uncomfortably. It does however bring me a small comfort, a connection at the spiritual level, the hope that somewhere Mark’s spirit – the person he was – is out touching others and making their existence that much richer, as he did with mine.

Fighting back the tears with this as the agnostic in me tells me there is no such thing and it is all just folklore.

Quite odd that the final tracks on Alistair Griffin‘s latest album sit very much in the realms of reviewing a life from its end. It is a good album, well worth a listen.

I also heard that one of Mark’s friends died suddenly this week. I didn’t know the friend, but my heart goes out to the family left behind.