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"Samhain is the time of our Ancestors. [It is] a time of remembering and sharing stories of our family, our tribe, our people; a time and space when the veil between the world of the living and the world of the dead is thin. We can call upon our ancestors, whose memories reside within our bones and within our blood, . . ." Amantha Murphy
Greetings of Samhain dear friends,
The time period, between Oct. 31st and Nov. 2nd is one of the most widely celebrated ancient traditions honoring our ongoing connection to loved ones who have died. Samhain, meaning summer’s end, is the time of descent, of honoring the dark and going within. Although in our society mediums are seen as "alternative" and marginalized, calling on our ancestors is perhaps the oldest of traditions in every indigenous culture. I now have a personal relationship with this experience.
When I first tuned into the rich traditions that actively honor the ancestors, I was in the Peruvian Andes in 2012, where a Shaman kept gesturing to the mountains and showing me the ancestors, who appeared to them in the stones. At the time I accepted this as a lovely idea. I had seen a medium on two occasions to connect to my mother who died in 1998, but didn’t see myself as being able to experience my own connection.
 Over four years after Peru, I have an entirely different relationship to my ancestors. What once implied people in my lineage from long ago, currently includes those I knew in this life. It began when I started having experiences of hearing my mother’s voice singing with me when I chant or sing sacred songs. Then, my best friend and soul sister from my growing up years made her transition on September 30. I feel the presence of both of them every day. I realize it’s a choice: a choice to notice their presence, to want to feel the connection and to recognize the signs rather than shake them off as "just imagination."
I used to believe that meaning was what I learned from books and lectures. After all, I was raised as a critical thinker and rational science only accepted what was agreed upon as a solid reality. As it turns out, our imagination is everything; it is the building block of creating meaning, which coalesceses into our story. Make no mistake about it, THE STORY WE TELL IS THE REALITY WE LIVE. For me, that includes getting wise guidance from my ancestors and the closer the relationship, the easier it seems to be able to connect with them. When we are feeling negative emotional states, it is very difficult to feel them but when we are in the vibration of love, it is much easier.
Mindful Meditation is one of the easiest practices that allow us to be in that loving state. Take the opportunity of Samhain (and any time after) to connect with loved ones who have died using activities they loved, objects that are connected to them, and any other path to connection you choose and please use your imagination—it is a powerful tool.
Have a blessed Samhain,
Love, Linda
lindasavagephd@goddesstherapy.com
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