I live in a part of Toronto where the ratio of crack houses to young couples renovating their first home is shifting slowly in favor of our investment. My partner Colin was at a “meet the neighbors” pot luck a while ago, and he introduced himself to a new addition to our street, a seemingly handy guy doing some great work to the front of his house. The new guy tried to figure out which house was ours, based on Colin’s description. After a few wrong guesses, his eyes widened and he said:

“Oh! Are you guys the ones right next to that crazy Halloween house?”

Colin smiled. “Nope, that’s us. We are the crazy Halloween house.”

It’s true. And you should know that not all Crazy-Halloween-People are created equal, in fact, that’s kind of the whole point.

There are many threads leading back through history about Halloween and it’s origins, but there is one thing that stands out for me about Halloween as we know it here in North America: Halloween is a celebration driven by the creative energy of the people.

I see Halloween as a giant creative force absorbing traditions, beliefs and influences as it rolls through our culture. For a historical understanding of Halloween’s subversive evolution, I recommend Nicholas Rogers book, Halloween: From Pagan Ritual to Party Night. I don’t have many history books in my collection, but I felt it was my responsibility to read up on a celebration I make a huge deal out of. Know the rules before you break them, and all that.

So, now that I’ve introduced myself as an official Crazy-Halloween person, let’s hook this up with the power of creativity, and what it can do for you. Specifically, let’s talk costumes.

Your New Identity

There is huge power in imagining the you you wish to become. The idea of faking it until you make it has been put forth by many champions in the personal development field, such as Jack Canfield, Martha Beck, Louise Hay and Shakti Gawain, to name a few. I’m not suggesting that dressing like a blood sucking postal worker will help you become one. It’s about the quality of your new identity, and what it allows you to express.

An invitation to a Halloween party is an invitation to explore what the darkness conceals in everyday life, including those parts of you that are often left unexpressed. It may surprise you to consider that what lies in the dark is not always demonic and ugly.

Let It All Hang Out

Every year someone jokes that Halloween is just an excuse for women to dress like strippers. Is this because the majority of commercially available costumes for women are tiny provocative spandex interpretations of “woodland fairy” or “pirate” or “cowgirl”?. This is a chicken or the egg kind of question, but certainly the trend to let it all hang out at Halloween is undeniable. I find that fascinating. Clearly, there is some kind of permission being given to express sexuality that is just not acceptable say, at work or even out in most bars on a regular night. Whether enforced by social culture or self imposed, we have limits on who we allow ourselves to be at any given place.

If you are one of these women who break out the fishnet stockings, boots and animal parts once a year, let me ask you this: How does it feel?

I’ve orchestrated enough Halloween parties to witness some inspirational behavior. Once someone puts on a wig, slips on some fangs, holds a sword, or straps on some wings, something inside them comes to life; something is liberated under the safety of not being “themselves” for the evening. I’ve seen people I know very well behave in dramatic, secretive or flamboyant ways that I never would have expected.

These are the most popular qualities I see explored at Halloween:

• Sexuality
• Extreme Masculine or Feminine
• Evil and Dark Spirits
• Death
• Things that are messy
• Things that are childish
• Things that are boldly political
• Magic
• Royalty or Rock Star status (read: shining really brightly)

Revealing Costumes

The qualities that are not always met with open arms by those around us are often the ones that are dying to burst out and boogie when Halloween provides a perfect cover. I think that under the safety of playing dress-up, our impulses provide us with insight to where we can tap into something powerful; something that can cause a shift in our everyday lives.

Think about what you gravitate towards when it comes to costumes. Now think about what you secretly wish you could pull off. If you were all alone in an amazing costume shop where you were free to try on anything and everything, just for fun, what do you see yourself reaching for first?

How does it make you feel?

If you carried a tiny piece of that feeling into other parts of your life (like your work, your communication, your wellness, your relationships) what might be available to you?

I’m thinking about bringing that luscious femininity into your communication, or bringing your samurai warrior into work. How about introducing your white hot rock star into your wellness? What about infusing your relationships with a little magic?

Have you already had this experience? I would love to hear about a Halloween costume you wore that rocked your world and woke you up in a delicious way. Maybe you wear this same costume every year? Do share!

Embodying a quality that is crying out to be expressed in your everyday is a powerful thing. If you are headed to a Halloween celebration this year, take a moment to relish the thrill of expressing your shadow side, really let it seep into your pores. This is your little secret. Enjoy all the room you have to play with here, and notice that the energy you tap into does not leave when the party is over.

It is tradition that I don’t reveal my costume before the night of our party, but I will tell you one thing: this year, I’m kicking ass.

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Photo courtesy of Danette Relic