The poem in the image is one I wrote years ago, and included in my short collection, Shadow Flow: Seasons of Love & Loss (but edited slightly for this post). It feels appropriate this time of year. I’ll paste it in here, as well, to make it a bit more readable, just in case. Hopefully, it isn’t a repeat from another blog post here? I don’t believe I’ve shared it before, but apologies, if I have.
Candle Magic by: Michelle Engel
Light a candle tall and black
To get the devil off your back.
Light a candle milky white
To call to spirits at midnight.
Light a candle of deepest blue,
And good fortune’s sure
To follow you. Light a candle
Brown as dirt for money
Troubles to avert. To wither the
Jealousy of those that preen,
Light a candle of brightest green.
If you wish for great success,
A copper candle will that address.
If true love you seek to chance,
A pale pink candle draws romance.
For truer vision into one’s own soul,
A violet candle pays the toll.
If seeking help with inspiration,
A yellow candle aids concentration.
To kindle the fires of fertile passion,
A red candle draws the blood to action.
To celebrate a fruitful day of fun,
Burn a candle orange as the sun.
To draw down blessings from
The moon, light a silver candle
Etched with the Mother Rune.
(Below: Just a found image from Pexels, but I think it adds a little something to the poem’s vibe).
Halloween is just a few days away! Of course, I firmly believe it’s a season, not just a day. Last night, I watched It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown. Apparently Apple TV owns the rights to all the Peanuts specials, but I had a DVD copy on hand. Surprisingly still in decent condition, even after life with a child LOL. She’s an adult now, so I can say that. Kids are sticky creatures.
Anyway, the DVD only seemed to kind of hesitate once, briefly flickering “snow” on the screen.
I followed that up with another more Spooky Season-adjacent movie, which doesn’t involve Halloween directly, but is kind of creepy. Still PG rated, and animated, though I find the rating a bit dubious. It’s a movie I once screened while working at a video store, having forgotten some of the more ludicrous “crude humor” cited with the rating. Not entirely family friendly.
Not that I mind, when it’s just me. Or even that I minded when it was me and my own child. Hell, we watched Sex and the City and Queer As Folk. It just felt a bit awkward at work. I’m notoriously squeamish about the least bit of impropriety when customers are around, and even generally, when they aren’t. Work-me and day-to-day me vary considerably in that regard.
Maybe that’s why my current coworkers were shocked that I had extensive tattoos. They said I didn’t seem the type. I confessed that to an old friend from high school. “They don’t know you very well, then,” he’d said.
I’ve also been reading lots of spooky or Autumn-themed things. Just started Anne Bishop’s Written in Red, after having finished the copy of her novel Crowbones a friend gave me some time ago. And, I read a light vampire romance, a small-town fall romance, and a couple cozy mysteries, one of which took place in October.
Moving on.
I’ve been coping with bad back pain the past 5 or 6 days. Plan to head to Urgent Care today and positively BEG for a muscle relaxer since for WHATEVER reason, they declined to give me one last time, even though I had also asked for a fresh referral to physical therapy. I had let the last one lapse because it was getting into wintertime, and I am VERY scared of driving any more than is absolutely necessary, in bad weather.
They told me they would try to fast-track my physical therapy request, but my initial consultation was cancelled and rescheduled at the provider’s request. And even that appointment hadn’t been immediate.
By the time I did get into physical therapy, I had already largely recovered, even if I had to kind of watch how I lay in bed, etc. I got some new exercises to do to help limber up my back muscles. But lately, nothing seems to be helping.
I’ve tried doing the exercises to loosen up before work. I’ve tried skipping the exercises before work. Over the counter pain pills. Walking. No walking. I suppose I could try heat or Icy Hot again.
The last time I used a heating pad on my back, however, I scarred myself. The metal on one of my bra straps heated up and burned me. I knew I felt hot but thought nothing of it. Now I have a permanent mark, where the skin blistered and never fully healed.
So, I’m a little leery of heating pads.
I’ve tried hot showers. Maybe those help? The difference isn’t very noticeable either way. And it’s sometimes painful to maneuver in the shower. But the positions and movements that cause the pain vary. Sometimes, it hurts to stoop to lather up my legs, and other times, it doesn’t.
But I would like this resolved in some way before Halloween. And I still have to go back to work tomorrow, even if I’m off today (and, blissfully, on Halloween).
We left things in regards to physical therapy with my provider saying we could pause since I seemed to be doing okay; he added I should call again if there was any physical activity I was prevented from doing because of my back, or any other pain.
However, it isn’t so much that there is any one thing or combination of things I can’t do. Sometimes, I can bend down to grab things off the floor. Other times, I can’t. Sometimes, I can lean to one side or the other while sitting down; other times, that causes intense pain. And so on.
It happened repeatedly at work, while I was moving merchandise across the counter while checking someone out, and when I was hoisting my cross-body purse up and over my shoulder. But it didn’t happen during every transaction. And the next night, I was able to shoulder my purse, no problem.
Anyway, that will be today’s main event, I think, and tidying up some at home. The cat has been campaigning pretty fiercely to get me out of the computer chair, so I’m guessing she’ll be quite content to have it back once I’m done here. It’s one of her favorite napping spots.
Anyway, wish me luck asserting myself.
Happy Spooky Season!
And if I don’t pop in again before or on Thursday, Happy Halloween!!!
SO SO SO thankful I can celebrate it with my family.
I’m also trying to talk my mom into going out for a bite with me, post-handing out candy, with me still in costume, since I likely missed the weekend fun around town. I’d like to be seen in my costume at least a little bit more, before the holiday is done. Not counting dressing up for the trick-or-treaters and their parents.
My mom dug out a glittery spider web cloak I wore when I was “Little Dead Riding Hood,” and said maybe she could dress up, too. We shall see!!!
Wish me luck on that, too. I think a late night appetizer or dessert run in costume would be AMAZING!!!
All the Bright and Sparkly Things 
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