A Spread for Looking Ahead

‘Whenever you interact with people, don’t be there primarily as a function or role, but as a field of conscious presence.’

Eckhart Tolle.

As I write this we have just celebrated Samhain.

I hope you enjoyed the festivities! It’s always fun to get dressed up and pretend to be the scariest ghoul ever. I think that to some degree it’s healthy to do this as it gives us the chance to explore the deepest darkest shadow side of self and to enact the murky myths of other realms. It can break the spell of medieval superstition that controlled the masses in our gothic past. It is interesting to see how the Ghost in the past is being shaped as the Ghost in the future.

Halloween is a remembrance of our ancestors.

We are a product of a long lineage of consciousness that emerges in us. If humankind is to practice theurgy then All Souls’ Eve is the right event; we should honour our heritage and birthright even if our history is troubled. There is no such thing as good or bad, only energy, and we all have the choice of how to live that. We are life force and each of us plays a part in the evolution of the planet we inhabit.

As a society we focus a lot on death.

Movies constantly show us people dying, ranging from the very gory to the more sedate. But it is all a tragedy as it misrepresents the idea that death is a part of life and does little to diminish the fear of the unknown or the possible painful endings that death presents.

I prefer to see the archetype of death as rebirth; a movement from one state of being into another.

So, for me, Samhain is extra special, as it was in ancient times. It commemorates the passing of an old year and a new one begins. The celebration of Samhain, the commencement of new year, can be traced back to the expulsion of the Milesians from Ireland by the druids which resulted in their death and so death was viewed as a liberating force, a freedom from unwanted forces. We can see how symbolically death has become a signpost for transformation and transition which is to be welcomed no matter how difficult.

Samhain means summer’s end.

The winter cycle is definitely upon us. As the long nights loom ahead it is good to be prudent and to ensure that we have all that we need in every way to come through the cold months. Metaphorically speaking, it is about us preparing ourselves for going within and letting go of who we were in the summer. It is a time for processing our experiences so that we are shaped and we can create a vision for the springtime ahead when we come into the light of our existence.