Witches, Ghosts and Black Cats...Oh My! IWSG, Origins,

Posting the First Wednesday of every month, the Insecure Writer's Support Group, is the brainchild of Alex Cavanaugh. YOU can sign up HERE to participate.

Every month a question will be posed that may prompt you to share advice, insight, a personal experience or story. Remember, the question is optional. You can write about anything that relates to your writing journey.

Let's give a warm welcome to our co-hosts:   Nancy Gideon, Jennifer Lane, Jacqui Murray, and Natalie Aguirre!

This month's question is: Ghost stories fit right in during this month. What's your favorite classic ghostly tale? Tell us about it and why it sends chills up your spine.

To be honest, I'm not a fan of horror or ghost stories. I don't like being frightened or the way it disturbs my psyche. That said, here are a few that have given me the creepy-crawlies. "The Mask of the Red Death" and most anything else by Poe, "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" by Washington Irving, and Tales of Horror by H. P. Lovecraft. Humorous and not so scary favorites are "The Canterville Ghost" by Oscar Wilde and the ever and always classic "A Christmas Carol." As a child I adored a large hardbound collection of Charles Addams' Addams Family cartoons. AND, I have written my own ghost story (based loosely on personal experience) called The Bowl and the Stone.

Origins: 

Is a recurring post in which I delve into the history of a word or phrase. Today's phrase isn't a phrase, but an animal. Because it's October, I thought I'd delve into Black Cats and their history. 

First off, cats have been domesticated and worshipped since the days of the early Egyptians and just about every country has it's mythology and superstitions. You can find out more HERE.

At one time in England and among the Celts black cats were considered good luck. However among the Irish and Gaelic people it was just the opposite.

Unfortunately, with the rise of Christianity in the Middle Ages, superstitions began to arise that black cats were evil and associated with the witches and the devil. There's a whole tangled up history with single women, cats, and witchery which I won't go into, but it's true. And even today in the 21st century, sad to say, some people still have odd beliefs about single women with cats. 

In the Middle Ages cats -- not just black ones -- were thought to be the cause of the Black Death and were systematically hunted and killed. This, of course, only exacerbated the problem because the rat, which WAS the cause, lost it's main predator.

Here are the origins of a few good and bad superstitions about black cats.

• The fear of black cats first arose in Europe in the Middle Ages. As their numbers grew within the cities, they were seen as pests.
• Cats are nocturnal and roam at night; thus, their agile movements and eyes that “glowed” at night became the image of darkness, mystery, and evil.
• When a cat would find shelter with an older woman living alone, the cat became a source of comfort and companionship (as they do to us all!) If someone mistreated her cat, the woman might very well curse that person! If that person then became ill, the “witch” and her cat were blamed.
• 
  If a black cat walked into the room of an ill person, and the person later died, it was blamed on the cat’s powers.
  
• If a black cat crossed a person’s path without harming them, this indicated that the person was then protected by the devil! To reverse the “bad luck,” it was said you should walk in a circle, then go backward across the spot where you crossed paths with the cat, and count to thirteen. Whew!
• Freya, the goddess of love and fertility, rode a chariot that was pulled by two black cats. The cats were turned into swift black horses, possessed by the Devil. After serving Freya for seven years, the cats were rewarded by being turned into witches, disguised as black cats.
• In Britain, wives of fishermen believe that their husbands will return safely if a black cat is kept in the house.
• 
  A black cat in the audience on opening night foretells a successful play.
• According to local superstition in the south of France, black cats bring good luck to owners who feed them well and treat them with respect.
• English sailors believed that keeping black cats happy would ensure fair weather when they went to sea.
• To cure a stye on the eyelid, rub it with the tail of a black cat. (Or that might just result in an eyeful of cat hair and an angry cat…)
  
  

Today's Weird Word is: Brouhaha I thought this might be a good word because of all the brouhaha about black cats and single women with cats. As most know it means, "hubbub, uproar, confused and angry scene." It comes from the 15 century French word brouhaha, which in medieval theater was "the cry of the devil disguised as clergy."  There is also the possibility that it's origin is older and comes from the Hebrew barukh habba meaning "blessed be the one who comes."

Quotes of the Month

"Believe nothing you hear, and only one half that you see." Edgar Allan Poe

"Villainy wears many masks, none so dangerous as the mask of virtue." Ichabod Crane, "Sleepy Hollow"

"I'll stop wearing black when they make a darker color." Wednesday Addams, "The Addams Family"

"When black cats prowl and pumpkins gleam, may luck be yours on Halloween." Unknown

Being Thankful

Let's be thankful for what we have. My heart aches for all those affected by Hurricane Helene. If you can give a little money follow the links below for lists of reputable charities.

USA Today

NC Flood Victims

Charity Watch

If you want to find out if a charity is reputable check out these sites.

Give.org

Charity Navigator

Guidestar

and Charity Watch, link above.

Having gone through the anxiety of the aftermath of Hurricanes Irma and Maria that devastated the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico in 2017, I can't stress enough how giving a little money can go a long way towards helping people NOW. If you can donate directly to a specific community, town, city, county, that's better than donating to a general fund that covers a whole state. Eventually government funding and aide will get to where it needs to go, but in the mean time people need water, food and shelter, NOW.

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What are you thankful for? Do you have a favorite ghost story? What's your favorite thing about Halloween?