Samhain Greetings my 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.
Samhain is believed to be the time when the veil between the physical world and the spirit world is most transparent and you can converse with your ancestors and guides, gaining valuable advice for the coming year. So much has changed since the early rites of indigenous people which included gathering at the great burial mounds and long barrows, so that families could feel close to their loved ones who were buried there. Surely our forbearers felt the loss of loved ones when they died, yet they also knew they could have access to their wisdom through the connection of love, much like the beliefs of mediums to this day.
Bird People of the Chiricahua, Jaya 2015
The beliefs of ancient people such as the acceptance of the cycle of life and the natural passing of loved ones who then became guides, were suppressed over time in favor of fear based control. Patriarchal cultures gradually replaced the earlier Earth Honoring traditions, (beginning around seven thousand years ago). Fear of death became more prevalent as there were more wars of conquest and violent deaths. Also the concepts of hell and damnation were portrayed quite vividly in paintings that instilled more anxiety about death.
The ghoulish costumes we see today are a reflection of this fear and the disconnection from knowing ancestors as beloved and trusted guides. I have had several close friends and my daughter’s beloved mare who have passed recently and I treasure the knowing that they are available when I remember them with love.
Mindful Meditation is one of the best practices that allow us to be in that loving state. Please take the opportunity of Samhain (and any time after) to connect with loved ones who have died through activities they loved, objects that are connected to them, meditation and any other path to connection you choose and allow your imagination to help you—it is a powerful tool.
Samhain Blessings, Linda
lindasavagephd@goddesstherapy.com
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