Halloween, Dia De Los Muertos, and All Saint's Day 2009

by Robert Wilkinson

Every year at the end of October, the Sun in Scorpio gives us a blessed time where we may honor our Eternal connection with those who have died before us. This time, known in many lands as "Dia de los Muertos," or "Day of the Dead," is a period dedicated to celebrating life and "all our relations." If you want to know more about this sacred moment in time, please read on.

This year I have quite a few recently deceased to remember, celebrate, and memorialize, so it'll be an interesting weekend for sure! Rather than try to compose something new this year, today we'll revisit what I've already written about this very special day.

This is about "sacred mythology." Here we commune with both the dead and living, and can remember our Eternal nature and connectedness with "All-That-Is." This time is consecrated to honoring those who have passed before us and a true celebration of life.

It is an incredible experience to enter into, and helps our inner nature remember that it's okay to celebrate the dead as well as those of us in a body. I picked it up through living in Texas, where it is one of the most amazing celebrations of the year. Already started many places from here to everywhere, take a moment to honor and thank your dead for being there for you to love.

This is one of the more profound times of the year. The ancient Chinese thought this was the season of "cutting and destroying," where the leaves fall, the fruits are available, and the life force begins to go dormant for its Winter rest in the Northern Hemisphere.

This period at the end of October, known by many names, is a time to honor the dead. The "Day of the Dead," or Dia de los Muertos, is more than a day. It is a period of depth communion with those who have passed away before us. It is a time to honor our connectedness with our departed but not forgotten loved ones.

The original intent of this sacred time had nothing to do with giving the candy industry a boost between Columbus Day and Thanksgiving. I've always felt these last two were very peculiar "holidays," since the former celebrates the beginning of enslavement and disease of the original inhabitants of this continent, the latter a distorted excess complete with Aggie and Longhorn football. This time also has zero to do with fear of ghosts, real or imagined.

We inherited Halloween, All Saints Day, and all Soul's Day (often forgotten) from our ancestors, but their true meaning has been ignored by our market-driven culture. In the year cycle of light and dark, manifestation and rest, this is a time of love and celebration WITH the Spirits of those no longer in a body, our loved ones across space and time.

I first learned of this profound time in Texas many years ago. I was taught that it is a celebration of community, a time of the year to light candles, create altars and shrines to honor the dead, and celebrate the omnipresent power of the Eternal Life. I learned feel the global reality that we all do eventually re-join our loved ones, and in our honoring of the dead we enter into a timeless stream that will be honored in future "Dias de los Muertos" by those we leave behind. It is a time to celebrate continuity and connectedness of life.

Though many feel sorrow, it is not a morbid time. It certainly should not be a time to create fear in children through "scary" horror stories or the bizarre associations with deviltry and ghosts and haunted places. The deeper meaning of this time of year we enter a collective zone where we can honor our timeless bond of love with those who have departed this Earth. It is a time to grieve AND celebrate.

We can open to experiencing more fully our eternal nature in a profound on-going moment of connectedness with where we came from and where we're going, and the life and love we all are together. It's a great time to re-experience that we are Eternals, having human experiences. We have a body, we have feelings, we have a mind, but we ARE Souls, and our nature is Light-Love-Life.

So over the next few days, while others are eating candy, shopping, or talking about the white noise of life in this 4 dimensional reality, take a moment (or three) to light a candle, remember your loved ones, and celebrate the eternity of life, light, and love. It'll help you feel that you're very, very alive, and always will be!

Many blessings on all our loved ones. May those who have passed over never be forgotten, and may they rest easy in the frequencies of the Heaven world, secure in the lap of Divine Mother. Aum Namah Shivaya!

© Copyright 2009 Robert Wilkinson

Comments

[Valerie]

Great article Robert, and good to remind us of matters greater than candy. It doesn't happen every year but this week, on different nights, I dreamed about my mother (passed this last Feb. 16) and my favorite grandmother (passed Oct. 16, 1986) Also I've had many vivid and fascinating dreams every night this week. I think it is because of Halloween... this is usually an interesting time of year for me. It is mystical, spiritual, psychic, sensual, etc.

Thanks and Namaste... :)

[WarriorLady]

Thank you, thank you! Hope you had a wonderful Halloween. I, too, see it as a day of celebrating and boogieing with all those who've passed on thanks to the teachings of my mom (who was Mexican).

Sending all swirls of orange, yellow, gold, brown and black confetti and sweet memories of deceased loved ones!

[Robert]

Hi Valerie and WarriorLady - Yes, this is a time of remembrance and solemnity, as well as celebration, closure, and hope for the future. Very deep feelings going on right now.....