Honoring Ancestral Wisdom

As I sit to write this, the approaching holiday for the veneration of our ancestors’ approaches. For those who are not familiar, Halloween is the eve of the Day of the Dead that falls within the time of November 1st-2nd. This is a time when we see altars that have photos of family members who have died with offerings of food, libations and other possessions that belonged to the dearly departed. It is an entering of the dark and quiet season, where we feel the energies of death and rebirth strongly. The veil between worlds is said to be thinner and we can commune with those loved ones much easier at this time of year. It can be as simple as making a cup of tea and sitting with a photo of someone who has passed. You can use your imagination and begin an internal conversation with them, consciously inviting their presence into the space.

With this big rebirth energy available to us, we can go begin to “clean up” any old habits that are no longer of service to us. For me, it has been my self-image and understanding that I have come a long way, and to celebrate it instead of continuing to strive for the next accomplishment. I was stuck in a loop of who I once was instead of embodying who I am now. I watch old parts die so that the healed self can inhabit both my conscious and subconscious minds. Death is never the end and the cycles of nature prove this. We can either hold onto a dying part and suffer, or let it fall away to compost into something new and evolved.

I wish you cozy nights and crisp mornings filled with lots of good company.