As we enter the winter months we are invited to focus on the development of our own light bodies, the eternal part of our True Nature. When we take time to honor our ancestors, we make space for new seeds to germinate within us. Dressing up tonight in a disguise that haunts you can be beneficial. In ancient cultures this was the time of year when women dressed up as the Calleach or hag goddess, which over time
degenerated to the ugly witch. We all are aging and this type of play helps us laugh at ourselves when we see the emergence of the crone or elder. Or perhaps we might call forth another aspect of the subconscious, such as a monster or demon. When we are familiar with these aspects of ourselves, they are less likely to take us by surprise.
At this time when the veil is thin between our world and the realm of spirit,
I have the good fortune to be visiting the city of Asheville, North Carolina with my beloved husband. It is a city filled with lively artists, musicians, crafts people and spiritual seekers. We are enjoying the brilliant reds, golds and yellows of the autumn foliage. My grandfather Cates was from this State. As I walk the mountain ranges largely settled by men and women from Scotland and Ireland, I can sense how deeply my ancestors loved
these mountains and that this land also loved and nurtured them. There is a gentleness to these ancient hills that must have reminded many of the lands they had left behind in Britain and Europe. Today is a wonderful time to give thanks to our entire lineage, to forgive them for any errors they may have made in their lives, so that they are free to move lightly between the stars.
One way to celebrate All Hallow's Day, also known as Halloween or Allhallowtide, is to create an altar with pictures or drawings of our departed loved ones. When we light candles in their names we may listen to any messages they whisper to us. Sending loving light to our ancestors frees us on our journey. This type of contemplative meditation helps prepare us for our eventual walk to the
Otherside.
While Halloween was embraced as a holiday by Christianity, it also has earlier origins. Two thousand years ago the Gaelic Celts called it Samhain (pronounced 'Sah-win') which marked the end of harvest and the beginning of the year's night. According to Irish mythology, Samhain was a time when the doorways to the Otherworld opened, allowing the spirits to come into our world. This is a time when our
ancestors can whisper between the veils and, if we listen carefully, we may hear them. Remembering our place in our family's lineage, honoring our ancestors, sending good wishes and offering our forgiveness for any perceived error, can relieve our departed ones of concerns that they still carry and also free us. When we release the burdens of the past we liberate ourselves.
All Hallow’s Day is a wonderful time for deep reflection and
cleansing. As we purify ourselves, we become less focused on the dramas (the monsters) that previously consumed our time, energy and thoughts. When I had my three days in the light experience, it became clear that while the body is mortal our soul is eternal. Our ancestors live in us, and we continue through one journey of transformation after another until we eventually return to the Light, the Solar Logos, and become part of that great Oneness again.
If you would like a limited edition copy of Three Days In The Light: Blessings For Our Lives, or the CD of Maria Cristina singing blessings from this book on "From The Heart," follow this link. These make beautiful holiday gifts, for they offer a transmission of Light: http://ayncatessullivan.com/my-books/.
May you and all of your ancestors be
strengthened by your emerging wisdom.
Love & Many Blessings,
Ayn
