A Spell for Making Halloween Magical Again

Andreja Morrison
Oct 30, 2025
3 min read

Somewhere between the aisles of pre-packaged candy and the endless scroll of “sexy [insert normal profession here]” costumes, Halloween has lost a bit of its magic. Maybe thats just growing up, but what used to feel like a night steeped in mystery, imagination, and transformation has become… let’s be honest—a little commercial, and a little predictable. But I’m determined to prove that it doesn’t have to be. With a few intentional touches, you can bring back the wonder and weirdness that made October 31st so special in the first place.

Here's how to do it:

1. Reclaim the Ritual

Halloween has always been rooted in ritual: the thinning of the veil, the honoring of ancestors, the celebration of change. Instead of rushing into a party or scrolling TikTok between doorbell rings, slow down. Light a few candles, brew something spiced and warm, and take a moment to reflect on the year that’s passed.

If you want to get super witchy with it, write down what you’re ready to let go of, then safely burn the paper (in a fireproof dish, of course). Or take a midnight walk under the moon, noticing how the air smells different in October. Rituals don’t need to be elaborate—they just need intention.

2. Curate an Atmosphere

Magic thrives in atmosphere. Create one. Turn off the overhead lights and live by candlelight for the evening. Queue up an old-school Halloween playlist (think The Cranberries, or Stevie Nicks). Fill your home with scents of pumpkin, cedar, or clove. For décor, skip the cheap plastic skeletons and go for items that feel a little more… timeless. Dried flowers, old books, amber glass bottles, moth-eaten lace. Think more “witch’s cottage” than “party store.”

3. Dress with Intention

Instead of buying a costume in a bag, make one. It doesn’t have to be fancy or expensive, it just has to tell a story. Maybe you become a ghost of your former self, wearing something you once loved but no longer do. Or a woodland creature. Or a forgotten movie character.

The point isn’t perfection—it’s transformation. Remember what it felt like to become someone else for a night? Chase that.

4. Bring Back the Storytelling

Before streaming marathons and social media posts, Halloween was about sharing stories. Ghost stories, urban legends, family myths. Gather your friends around a candle or a campfire and tell one. Or write your own—something eerie, something beautiful, something that could only happen on a night like this.

If you’re alone, read The Legend of Sleepy Hollow or a short story by Shirley Jackson. Let yourself be transported.

5. Feed the Spirits (and Yourself)

Bake something from scratch! A loaf of pumpkin bread, caramel apples, a pot of soup. Offer a plate to the “spirits” (a charming nod to tradition), and another for yourself. There’s a quiet kind of spell in cooking; After all, alchemy of the simplest kind of magic.

6. Believe in the Possibility

The real trick to making Halloween magical again? Let yourself believe, just a little. Believe that the veil between worlds really is thinner. That your intuition means something. That a gust of wind or flickering candle could be more than coincidence.

Because the truth is, Halloween isn’t just for kids or costumes. It’s an invitation. To play, to wonder, to connect with mystery again.