Day of the Dead - Animated Video

Happy Dia de los Muertos one and all!  There are many reasons to love this Mexican celebration....the color, the flowers, the candles, the sounds, the lights, the fiesta, the sugar skulls, the skeletons....need I go on??  It's a lovely heartfelt celebration of those family and friends that have passed on to the other side.  And although it's a celebration of the dead, it's also very much a celebration of life, a remembrance of those lives that touched ours.  This is how death should be celebrated if you ask me...piercing the veil through space and time to reunite with those whose lives touched yours!  Please enjoy the animated short "Dia De Los Muertos" from Whoo Kazoo!

Jack O'Lanterns and Ghoulish Gourds

© Pinterest via Erin Bourassa

Jumping Jack O'Lanterns Ichabod...it's almost Hallowe'en!  My, my, my.... how the magical month of October seems to fly by so fast!  Wish it would linger for awhile.  Speaking of Jack O'Lanterns, for today's Halloween Countdown post I thought I'd share some images of my favorite Jack O'Lantern's that I've found on the internet.  I'm of the belief that every Jack O'Lantern, just like every person.....has their own unique personality!  And although I have never met a single Jack O'Lantern that I didn't love...I do tend to favor ones that have a mischievous, primitive or grimacing gaze to them.  And although I do love the traditional Orange Pumpkin, I must confess that I'm actually more smitten with the Green and White varieties, especially if they have lumps, bumps, stripes and warts!  Call me odd...but I can't help what I find fascinating, and for me....the uglier the Pumpkin, the more I seem to adore it!  So without further adieu...I present my favorite Ghoulish Gourds.

 Oh...and one more thing....because I would be remiss if I didn't give The Pumpkin Man his due each October....at the bottom of this post for your squeamish pleasure....please enjoy another rousing Annual Rendition of "The Pumpkin Man Dance"!

© Pinterest via Jay Knioum

© Pinterest silver-fish Hub Pages

© Pinterest via Kat DeBlois

© Ed Conroy

© susannassketchbood.typepad.com

© leya curiousbird.typepad.com

© marthastewart.com

© Skull-a-Day

© Martha Stewart.com

© Pinterest gypsymare.blogspot.com via Chadds Ford Great Pumpkin Carve

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this Hallowe'en Tree Jack!

And of course The Annual Viewing of the Pumpkin Man Dance!

Oh Yeah...It's THAT time again!

Okay....well it's that time again folks!  Yes, those of you whom I've tarried with here for many years will unfortunately know what I mean.  You will roll your eyes and let out a groan...but you know you want to it watch it again, because it's just so hard to turn away!  And besides...it is a TRADITION here now on my Hallowe'en Blog, so you'll just have to humor me!  For anyone new here....well let's just say you are in for a very special treat...or NOT!  

To know him is to loath love him....so without further adieu, it's time for the....
Annual Pumpkin Man Dance!  And this year I'd like to throw out the challenge that if any of you are REAL Halloween Heads...then you will stand up where you are and dance along with me and the Pumpkin Man, in the Spirit of Hallowe'en Fun!  If you refuse...then you deserve NO treats this Hallowe'en!  For those of you who are FUN, have a WARPED SENSE OF HUMOR, and are without doubt, THE GOOD HOUSE on the block...BUST A MOVE!  :o)

It's Time for the Annual Pumpkin Man Dance

Okay....it's October, and Halloween is just weeks away....so you know what that means right? It means it's time for the annual 'Halloween Tree' viewing of the Pumpkin Man Dance! Those of you who've followed this blog for a while will no doubt remember this video from Halloweens past. In fact, once you've seen it, it's kind of hard to scrub it's ookiness from your memory bank. And although at the first few viewings, I found it somewhat disturbing....it has somehow managed to grow on me. Thus, I have since reversed my position, and now find great twisted joy in viewing this video every Halloween Season. For you new Halloween Heads who may not have seen this already....well you are in for a real treat!

I'm not quite sure just what his allure is....it could be the way his torso is shaped very much like the Grinch Who Stole Christmas, or perhaps it's his convulsing 'Joe Boxer does Vogue' dance moves, or even the repulsive sheen of his spandex body suit that makes one unable to look away. But no one should be deprived of viewing this dance macbre at least once, if not every Halloween! (Be sure to turn the music up on the first video and down a bit on the second.)

But wait, there's more....this year I am presenting, not only the irreplaceable original, but also a catchy lil' remake to a more current pop song...."TiK ToK" by Ke$ha! It's amazing how well this dance syncs to the song! I present these nonsensical videos first and foremost to appease my own warped sense of humor, and secondly to spread Creepy Halloween cheer and befuddlement across the blog-o-sphere....ENJOY! :o)

When the Skeleton in the Closet Rattled His Bones

Hey, hey, hey....just a few more days until October...woo hoo! So I thought I'd share this lil' video clip to get your bones moving.

Do you have any Skeletons in your closet? Arguably some have way more than others. But what do you think happens when you let those Skeletons out of the the closet? They 'bust a move'....that's what they do. Watch this video as this lil' BoneJangler shakes, rattles and rolls his bones through a blues laden Danse Macabre in front of a street corner audience.

If this doesn't make you smile, then there is no hope for you! Beyond the coolness of watching this little Skeleton shaking his groove thing, is the fact that the puppet master here is extremely talented and deserving of much kudos! Be sure to watch the whole clip to fully experience the humor and art of this Deadly Duo's Dance show. :o)

BellyDance and Blue People

Well with a new year, (as per the 'wheel of time'), I figured it was time for me to begin something new as well. There was something that I had set out to do a year or so ago, but something else came up and I never made it, so I let the goal sit idle. But in order to overcome my disappointment at another year having flown by so quickly, I decided to revisit my goal. So I can now proudly say, that I have officially begun taking Bellydance lessons! Hooray!

I love everything about the dance, from the beautiful movements, to the exotic costumes to the international flavor of the music. In fact, my house is decorated in an Eastern/Gypsy vibe with Moroccan lanterns, scarves and Buddas....so it was only natural for me to gravitate towards that style of dance. It is sensual, but more than that....I find it expressive and feminine! And I have to admit that it is not easy. My body is a bit sore, but it's worth it.

While doing some research on Bellydancing, I came across something new, that I found rather interesting. Apparently in Morocco, there is an ancient form of the dance called 'Guedra' which is about "Spreading soul's love and peace to the beat of the heart." And to my surprise, I found that it has a few things in common with 'Witches' or perhaps Paganism in general. First of all, a 'Guedra' is actually a cauldron, over which an animal's skin is stretched, to make it into a drum. 'Guedra' is also what the dance is called, and the dance itself is actually a sort of ritual, performed by a female, also known as a 'Guedra'. The word 'Guredra' appears to be quite versatile and multi-functional here.

This dance ritual belongs to the "Blue People" of the Tuareg Berbers in the Sahara desert. They get the name 'Blue People' from the indigo dyed garments that they wear. And they just happen to be a 'Matriarchal' society, which is rather rare in that region of the world. The women go unveiled, while the men cover their faces, due to the belief that evil spirits can gain access to them through the mouth and nose. Women however, already knowing the 'secret of life' because they are the only ones who can conceive and give birth, are assumed to have a natural protection against the evil spirits. The aim of the Guedra is not to exoricse evil spirits, but rather it is to envelop all present with 'good energy', peace and spiritual love, transmitted from the depths of the Guedra's soul through her fingers and hands.

Guedra is a nighttime ritual performed around a fire, under the light of the moon. It is most often performed in a circle to a backdrop of drums, throbbing in a heartbeat rhythm, clapping and chants. The Guedra salutes the four corners with hand to head motions...North, South, East and West. This is followed by obeisances to the four elements....Fire (the sun), Earth, Air and Water. She then touches her abdomen, heart and head, and quickly flicks her fingers towards all present, in life or spirit, sending blessings to them from the depths of her soul's energy. Time is a circle. And the Blue People consider Guedra their direct contact with the elements, spirits and universe.

Of course there are many more elements to this dance and ritual, but essentially, dance is a way of life for them, as it is with many people. They use dance to pray and send blessings, to celebrate harvests, holidays, seasonal changes and births. Many also use dance to meet and court, challenge one another and seal marriages. Dance is assimilated into the normal course of family and tribal life. And it is the ultimate form of the soul's expression. I will enjoy learning this new art form and I will also attempt to envision it as another form of my own soul's expression. Happy Hump Day Everyone!
Photos © Wendy A. (All Rights Reserved)