The Festival of the Dead

It's the start of the Dark Half when the boundary to the Otherworld is at its weakest. The souls of the deceased, the Aos Sí, will move more easily into our world on this night; they will return to their former homes and loved ones for one night.

Many call this night Halloween but to us, the night of Summer's End is Samhain: The Celtic Festival of the Dead.

The summer harvest festival of Lughnasadh is long behind us. On Samhain, we will offer the Aos Sí the food and drink we stored after Lughnasadh and games and music. Our tables will be laid to appease the Aos Sí. In return, they will help us through the long hard winter.

The souls of the deceased have no music where they are now. For this one night only they will have their own playlist: The Samhain Playlist.

Ghosteen - Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds

We're not going to dance at first. We need to be reflective, to remember all that Samhain really means. Beyond the costumes, trick or treat and games.

A ghosteen dances in my hand . Slowly twirling, twirling all around . Glowing circle in my hand.

Ghost, the apparition of a dead soul, and een, the Gaelic diminutive. Ghosteen, a small ghost — a child ghost.

We contemplate the return of a lost child for the Festival of the Dead. For this one night only, the young Aos Sí return to their homes.

Listen to track 1 of the Samhain Playlist - Ghosteen.

We Suck Young Blood — Radiohead

Not all the spirits that break through from The Otherworld are helpful or benign like the Aos Sí. Some are the demons that also live in The Otherworld.

Samhain is a celebration but we can't drop our guard.

Are you sweet? Are you fresh? Are you strung up by the wrists? We want the young blood

Our veins may be thin,we may have lost our innocence but we can't allow the demons to wear us down. Samhain is our time to ignore the demons, reconnect with the Aos Sí and celebrate our harvest.

Listen to track 2 of the Samhain Playlist - We Suck Young Blood.

The Ghost of Tom Joad — Bruce Springsteen

Samhain is also the time to think about the future, not just the problems swirling around us now. We're going to hunker down for the winter and the ghost of Tom Joad will guide us into Imbolc, spring. But for now, we face the cold and darkness of winter.

And the highway is alive tonight , nobody's foolin' nobody as to where it goes

I'm sittin' down here in the campfire light , with the Ghost of Tom Joad.

Listen to track 3 of the Samhain Playlist — The Ghost of Tom Joad

There's a Ghost in my House - R. Dean Taylor

The ghosts in our houses are the memories we remember at Samhain. We hear their footsteps and we feel their fingers in our hair.

But the party's picking up, it's time to dance and the words are warm memories of others long gone.

You're always in my heart , There's a ghost in my house

I can't hide from the ghost of your love that's inside

Listen to track 4 of the Samhain Playlist — Ghost in my House

Dead Souls — Joy Division

The oxymoron between the song title and the band name helps to explain the contradiction of celebrating the night with the dead souls from our past and the pain of their loss.

They still haunt us. Why? We need to let them go and allow us the joy of Samhain.

Where figures from the past stand tall and mocking voices ring the halls

Listen to track 5 of the Samhain Playlist — Dead Souls

Ghost Riders in the Sky — Johnny Cash

While we celebrate the festival, there is a warning. If we don't change our ways, if we don't consider what we do, we will be doomed forever, trying to catch the Devil's herd as it charges across the sky for eternity.

They've got to ride forever on that range up in the sky on horses snorting fire.

Listen to track 6 of the Samhain Playlist - Ghost Riders in the Sky

Kelpie — Jethro Tull

Beware the Kelpie, those malevolent shape-shifting spirits that live in the water lying in wait for unsuspecting Festival of the Dead revellers. They hide in the reeds at the edge of the rivers and lochs. Like the werewolf, only a silver bullet can kill them.

Stay away from the waters or the Kelpie will carry you to the watery depths.

Up, ride with the kelpie , I'll steal your soul to the deep

If you don't ride with me while the devil's free , I'll ride with somebody else

Listen to track 7 of the Samhain Playlist — Kelpie

Monster Mash — Bobby 'Boris' Pickett

It's the end of the Festival of the Dead for another year and all good ghouls, demons and Aos Sí will cross back to The Otherworld for another year.

But, we have one more song and it's time to party like it's Samhain with the Monster Mash. The Kelpie have gone and the demons are vanquished.

The zombies were having fun, the party had just begun.

The guests included Wolfman, Dracula and his son.

Listen to track 8 of the Samhain playlist — Monster Mash

Samhain — The Festival of the Dead

The music ends and the festival is over for another year. The Aos Sí have crossed back to The Otherworld. The nights are closing in and it's time to think about the next festival: Yule. And another playlist.