A handful of days until Samhain, All Hallow's Eve, and Allantide... Fitting that the City would revert to another primeval tradition - dancing - to ward off demonic influences. We whistle while walking past graveyards--in Mexico, skeletons dance on the Day of the Dead, while the living try to forget mortality and mock the reaper. The dancing--is it a way to stave off the twilight months of the year, when living things die, and dead things may...

Well. In the City, there's no telling.

Interesting, however, that both the traditions of dance, and the wearing of masks, came from Africa...

Ah, the psychology of masks. Carl Jung embraces the topic rather naively, in my view, with his concept of the Persona as the mask of the true Self. As I see it, the Shadow is the Self, (not its guide or antagonist). And a genuine Persona is synonymous with the Shadow. When all three are working in sync, true human potential can manifest itself in acts of genius. Good and evil, dark and light, balance and in harmony, etcetera, et al.

And all subordinate to Fear.

Recently I discovered a rather revealing study about human behavior that I believe supports my views insofar as the Shadow = the Self = the Persona.

Young children were divided into two groups for Halloween. The first group was given costumes--and masks, more importantly--told to take only one candy from a bowl (bereft of a watchful grown-up eye, insofar as they knew), and then asked their names and addresses. The second group was given costumes and masks, given the same instructions, but not asked for their names or addresses.

Which group do you think obeyed the command more often?

And bear in mind that your answers to me reveal more about you than the study, as far as I'm concerned.

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[Private to Eddie Nigma||Unhackable]

I hope you're getting along with our temporary guest. I'd like to speak with you regarding a certain ...borrowing... of my fear toxin. In my library, please.

[/Private]



[Private to Selina Kyle||Unhackable]

Settling in, I hope? I have a room devoted to... listening to the concerns of others, if you decide that you'd like to speak with me.

[/Private]