Today is my stop on The Haunting of Violet Gray blog tour, and I have an exclusive Halloween Guide, written by the author, Emily Sadovna. Check out her fantastic guest post below.
Emily Sadovna’s guide to Halloween
My six year old has been excited about Halloween since November 1st last year, I think mainly for the bucketloads
of sweets she collects out trick or treating. The other day, she asked me why people dress up in spooky costumes
at Halloween. I much preferred this question to the dreaded, “Mummy what is Brexit?’ she asked last week. I told her
Halloween is a magical day where you remember people who have died and you look back to the good and bad things
that happened in the last year.
of sweets she collects out trick or treating. The other day, she asked me why people dress up in spooky costumes
at Halloween. I much preferred this question to the dreaded, “Mummy what is Brexit?’ she asked last week. I told her
Halloween is a magical day where you remember people who have died and you look back to the good and bad things
that happened in the last year.
I have a number of traditions that I like to repeat each Halloween with my family. The part my six year old enjoys
the most is lighting a candle and making a wish for the year ahead. You pick any colour for the area you would like
to focus on, for example pink for peace or red for passion and ambition, and then make a wish. Once the wish
is made, you blow out the candle and wait for it to come true. Today, I will be burning a yellow candle for the realisation
and manifestation of creative thoughts, mental clarity and bringing plans into action.
the most is lighting a candle and making a wish for the year ahead. You pick any colour for the area you would like
to focus on, for example pink for peace or red for passion and ambition, and then make a wish. Once the wish
is made, you blow out the candle and wait for it to come true. Today, I will be burning a yellow candle for the realisation
and manifestation of creative thoughts, mental clarity and bringing plans into action.
For me, Halloween is also a time for scrying, looking for messages and hints at the year ahead. I like to do a twelve card
tarot spread this time of year. The first deck I ever owned, I bought when I was working my Saturday job at John Menzies,
it would have been around 1992. I now have two decks, I have a beautiful Brian Froud Faerie oracle which was a present
from my good friend Jo. She is a fellow believer in faeries and has created a magical world of her own @deerlittle forest
and @floraofthe forest. She was also my makeup artist on the shoot. My other set is a traditional deck of Rider Waite
Tarot cards which I bought during a Tarot evening at a workshop I attended in Worcestershire where I was living at the
time. It is straight forward and easy to interpret.
tarot spread this time of year. The first deck I ever owned, I bought when I was working my Saturday job at John Menzies,
it would have been around 1992. I now have two decks, I have a beautiful Brian Froud Faerie oracle which was a present
from my good friend Jo. She is a fellow believer in faeries and has created a magical world of her own @deerlittle forest
and @floraofthe forest. She was also my makeup artist on the shoot. My other set is a traditional deck of Rider Waite
Tarot cards which I bought during a Tarot evening at a workshop I attended in Worcestershire where I was living at the
time. It is straight forward and easy to interpret.
And of course, Halloween is all about feasting! Apples always play a significant role. Homemade toffee apples
for my daughters. For myself and husband, mulled cider with slices of apples dunked into a cheese fondue while
watching a spooky movie by candle light with cinnamon oil burning in the background.
for my daughters. For myself and husband, mulled cider with slices of apples dunked into a cheese fondue while
watching a spooky movie by candle light with cinnamon oil burning in the background.
Speaking of films, my favourites to re watch at Halloween are The Craft and The Shining. I also love the original
version of The Wicker man. You can see nods to all of these films in The Haunting of Violet Gray.
version of The Wicker man. You can see nods to all of these films in The Haunting of Violet Gray.
What to wear on Halloween? I wish I could carry of the romantic hippy pagan look such as Harmony Nice, although
I tend to reach for the black. I have just bought a new moon pendent which I will be wearing at my book launch
and Halloween.
I tend to reach for the black. I have just bought a new moon pendent which I will be wearing at my book launch
and Halloween.
How do you celebrate Hallowe’en, do you have any traditions? Comment on the blog post or tweet us at @EmilySadovna and @zcollins1994. Check my Twitter for an exclusive Halloween giveaway!
Emily Sadovna is the author of The Haunting of Violet Gray, available now (ISBN 9781527230019).
Blurb:
Cat is inexplicably drawn to a beautiful mansion where she is seduced into the world of modern witchcraft.
Upon discovering a witch’s journal, Cat anchors her mind to the summer of 1940 where she witnesses events
that lead to a secret occultist ritual. Plagued by the paranormal happenenings of the house and the desperate
whispers of a long-dead girl, can Cat piece together a series clues to prevent a repeat of the disastrous ritual?
What terrible price must be paid to stop it happening again? This time, on a devastating scale, engineered for
the twenty- first century...
Cat is inexplicably drawn to a beautiful mansion where she is seduced into the world of modern witchcraft.
Upon discovering a witch’s journal, Cat anchors her mind to the summer of 1940 where she witnesses events
that lead to a secret occultist ritual. Plagued by the paranormal happenenings of the house and the desperate
whispers of a long-dead girl, can Cat piece together a series clues to prevent a repeat of the disastrous ritual?
What terrible price must be paid to stop it happening again? This time, on a devastating scale, engineered for
the twenty- first century...
Author bio:
Born in Essex, Emily Sadovna grew up near Oxford. Trained in fashion journalism, Emily’s career began as a window dresser and freelance stylist. Later, Emily launched her own deli and catering business and learnt the art of chocolate making. She went on to qualify as a food and nutrition teacher at a secondary school and now teaches primary school children to cook in afterschool clubs.
Emily’s pen name originates from her Polish grandfather. Her imagination derives from a line of formidable women all with wonderful stories to tell. She lives with her husband and their two daughters on the edge of the New Forest in Hampshire. The Haunting of Violet Gray is her first novel.
instagram: EmilySadovna
Check out the other stops on The Haunting of Violet Gray blog tour here:
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