This year, October 31st is the night of the full moon. It's also a blue moon, meaning it's the second full moon of this calendar month. This alone, to those interested in the folklore of autumn, is a very significant event. In fact, it crosses over between a number of very interesting seasonal occurrences. In the Christian world, this night is the eve of the day devoted to All Saints. While it's usually celebrated on the closest Sunday, it's rare for All Saints Day to happen on an actual Sunday. According to legend, the eve of All Saints (All Hallows' Eve, or Hallowe'en) is the night when the veil between the spirit world and the living world is at its thinnest, and spirits "leak through" to our side. Black cats and Jack o' Lanterns are supposed to repel these spirits from the home, but the victory of the saints is what really protects humanity through the winter. Of course, this is one of those fusions of traditional paganism with early Catholicis