Robert Johnson made the old southern folklore famous when his song, Cross Road Blues (better known as Crossroads) became one of the most famous delta blues songs in history. Rightfully so, too, as there’s nothing more supernaturally delicious than the sinister sounds of lonely, Mississippi pain. 

But what really made the legend persist to this day? There are countless songs based on folklore and ghostly things, yet there is none more famous than Cross Road Blues. The quick answer is that his short success and very obscure death gave us a great excuse to believe his song was true. Here’s some obscure guy who’s rumored to have been annoying everybody with his terrible guitar playing, he disappears for six months and comes back a skilled musician, records a couple of records, mysteriously dies at 27, and somehow, this little known musician’s song ends up in the Blues Foundation Hall of Fame. Today he’s recognized as the King of Delta Blues and his legend lives all over the world. It’s a pretty good story.

So let’s say you want to go ahead and visit a Mississippi crossroads on a moonlit, crispy night to make a pact with Ol’ Scratch. Halloween’s just around the corner, so let’s get cracking. That is, if you don’t have a problem taking a high risk gamble. You still want to come out of it okay. 

The Devil is well known for his love of debauchery, rebellion and schemes with a twist. He doesn’t like boring. So the first order of business is to take an open minded attorney with you. The Prince of Darkness is curiously immune from most legal conflicts, so you’ll need the best. Dealing with the Devil is no small feat. 

After you’ve scored your villainous counsel, focus on attraction. Use Beezlebub’s tricks against him. He loves glamour spells. He’s gonna see you coming anyway; might as well dress for the occasion. He’ll respect the ecclectic attire. Contrary to popular culture, Satan actually likes fair play. He enjoys a challenge. He’s not an anarchist—chaos is where his mother comes from, and she’s one dark woman. So don’t even hint that you want anything to do with chaos.

The best lawyers, manipulators and mobsters know that organization is the best played secret. And the devil likes to play.  After you get your deal in writing, most likely written in some form of blood from whatever’s on hand, you’ll want to get out of there promptly. Time is your enemy now. Ol’ Scratch is watching you. Impress him. Live every day for the rest of your short life like royalty, no apologies. You wanted fame—so be a rockstar. 

Whatever you decide to do this Halloween, do it with conviction! And have a safe, but devastatingly good time. 

Happy Holiday!