Halloween: Inspire Your Sabbat, Spook Your Socks Off, and Lift the Veil

It's only August, but the days are already getting shorter, the sun a little lower in the sky, and the breeze cooler. Before you know it, Halloween will be here! The time is at hand to begin planning for both business and home, and for us at Llewellyn, that means books. Sabbats and spirit communication...and a lot of spooky, all-too-true tales. Behold the spectacular selection of titles new and old that will inspire your Sabbat, spook your socks off, and lift the veil.

To Harness the Eerie Power of Halloween Every Night of Year:

Each of the 36 richly illustrated cards of The Halloween Oracle has an accompanying meaning in the guidebook , which features rhyming couplets like those used in ancient storytelling as well as a message of divination for you based on an aspect of Halloween tradition.


To Empower Your Sabbats:

Now in its sixth year, the Sabbats Almanac features a wealth of recipes, rituals, craft projects, and lore. Filled with over fifty articles by your favorite Wiccan and Pagan writers, Llewellyn's 2015 Sabbats Almanac provides welcome ideas and insights into each holiday on the Wheel of the Year. Plan spiritually uplifting celebrations and family activities. Perform sabbat-specific rituals and world folk rites. Whip up tasty treats and crafts as reminders of the season's gifts and lessons. Also featured are astrological influences to help you plan rituals according to cosmic energies.



To Celebrate Those on the Other Side of the Veil

Join renowned Druid priest Kristoffer Hughes as he explores the three realms of existence—the realm of necessity, the realm of spirit, and the realm of infinity—and illuminates the essence of grief, mourning, and spiritual continuation. Challenging many status quo beliefs about the afterlife, this book provides exercises, meditations, rituals, and thought-provoking questions designed to bring you on a journey of discovery through the most profound of all human transitions.

Filled with insight and practical guidance, The Journey Into Spirit shows how to honor family and friends in spirit, discover life-affirming aspects of every state of existence, and move beyond the fear that surrounds death.


To Scare Your Socks Off:

Lving with a paranormal storm looming on the horizon, constantly feeling the darkness trying to penetrate his soul, Steven LaChance has discovered that the aftershocks of a demonic possession can be more dangerous than the initial haunting itself. Marked by the supernatural trauma inflicted by the Union Screaming House—as chronicled in his first book, The Uninvited—Steven and his family find that no matter where they move, no matter what they do, they are still vulnerable to otherworldly attacks.

As malevolent forces continue their relentless assaults, violent outbursts erupt among the close-knit community that has been touched by unspeakable evil. Fighting for his sanity and his life, Steven records in Blessed Are the Wicked how repressed horror and pain nearly tore his world apart.

A Round-Up of Fall Paranormal Titles

Editor's Note: This was originally posted in Llewellyn's Paranormal Blog.

Fall is my favorite time of year for many reasons: football, cooler weather, my birthday, the colorful fall leaves, and Halloween. It's my favorite holiday, and what goes along with Halloween? GHOST STORIES! And do we ever have some fabulous books debuting this fall.

Being the paranormal editor here, I read a lot of spooky things. I'm a bit immune to getting freaked out (I thought Paranormal Activity was boring, in some parts inaccurate, and shut it off after the first half hour), so when I AM freaked out when I read a proposal, that really speaks to me. I clearly remember the day I read the proposal for Restless in Peace by Mariah De La Croix. I read the section that involves spirit graffiti, turned to my coworker in the cubicle across from me, and stated, in a shaky voice, "I just read a story from a psychic mortitican and I'm really freaked out! I have goosebumps!" Yes, you read that right: psychic mortician. Mariah has tales that will scare you, warm your heart, and make you laugh. Her book really has it all, and it's such a fascinating book that you absolutely must read.

Another ghostly tale that will make you hide under the covers is In the Presence of Spirits by Barbara Parks. Imagine how terrifying it must be to be the focus of poltergeist activity as a teenager and to be absolutely petrified when someone you know passes away because you know they will visit you and say goodbye. Barbara has had paranormal experiences ever since she can remember. Spirit encounters have always left her terrified and caused her to shut out her abilities. This book is a chronicle of her life through the terrifying experiences, but she has learned to embrace her abilities, which have helped many (including herself) deal with grief and be comforted with the fact that loved ones are always around us. Barbara is such an excellent storyteller, you will get so wrapped up in this book you will not want to put it down!



If you love ghost stories and want to search out ghosts yourself, So You Want to Hunt Ghosts by Deonna Kelli Sayed will arm you with all the information you need to know in order to investigate haunted locations and form a team. Deonna is a member of Haunted North Carolina and has been investigating for many years. Her expertise and excellent perspective is exactly what you need in order to get off the couch and be proactive when it comes to ghosts.


True Casefiles of a Paranormal Investigator by Stephen Lancaster relays some of the most amazing and scary investigation that Stephen Lancaster has conducted over his years as an investigator. The Brentwood Wine Cafe, which is a chapter in this book, was featured on Bio's My Ghost Story. Stephen was interviewed for the segment as the paranormal investigator.


If you want to discover and explore some haunted locations, why not go to your local college or university? America's Haunted Universities by Matthew L. Swayne roams the halls of higher learning and unearths some spirits that are still bound to their alma mater. Check to see if your local school has some spirits that are still hanging out on the campus mall.



As the temperature drops, curl up on the couch with a steaming cup of cocoa and a spooky tale or two from Llewellyn. If you are like me, you'll have a black cat perched beside you as a sentinel to keep you safe as you read some truly hair-raising tales.