I have to say that this is my favourite time of year. I am all about Halloween and all of the spiritual significance of that time. Some of you may not know what I mean by that, so I will briefly explain it. Halloween is based upon an older tradition, called Samhain. How that is pronounced varies depending upon what area of the world you are in. I say it “Sah-Main”. This is the time of year that, in the Northern Hemisphere, the veils between this world and the “other” worlds are the thinnest. It begins thinning around mid-late August and then, after about the 1st week of November, the veils begin to thicken once again until close to Yule (December 21st).
What this means is that the connection between us and “them” is stronger during this time…generally speaking. In this case the “them” means “spirit” or “ancestors” or whatever you may want to call it. Now, truth be told, I am constantly connected and in relationship with those who do not have a physical body ALL….THE…..TIME. I am one of THOSE folks. A shaman has to get used to walking with one foot in this realm and the other foot in the other realms on a daily basis. I have been this way since I was a small child. It really is no wonder that later in life I was “chosen” to do shamanic work. But at this time of year it is an easier connection. Think of it as the difference between when you are calling someone on your cell phone with one bar verses 4 bars. The connection is clearer and without “interference”.
This is the time of year that I actually enjoy walking through grave yards. Yes, they are peaceful any time of year, but at this time they are also a bit more like crashing a spirit party. Not that the spirits are necessarily anchored to their graves or anything. But they, too, like to visit the graveyard at this time and so there is a large gathering that takes place. So I get to talk to them…and have a lot of fun doing so. I actually made an “ironic” graveyard out of my garden boxes this year and, surprisingly, walking through that also brings me a great sense of peace and fun. I know…the shaman is off his rocker. I don’t care. I like to have fun with things like that.
My house, although you would not necessarily be able to tell from outside, is decorated to the nines on the inside with skulls, sugar skulls, jack-o-lanterns, skeletons and all sorts of other stuff. My partner, whose birthday is on October 31st (yes, he is a Halloween baby! Go figure the shaman would find a partner with THAT birth date) enjoys the fact that I get so into decorating for this time of year. He sees it as me also decorating for his BIRTHDAY MONTH. This, to me, is absolutely adorable, and so I go all out.
While I enjoy the excitement and the festivities of the season, I am also deeply conscious of the fact that I am in deeper and richer communion with the spirits. My ancestral spirits are hanging around, guiding me and clarifying things for me as I go. They share wisdom and treasures that will serve me for the rest of the year…the rest of my life. I feel so honoured and blessed to have that connection.
This is also the time of year when the rest of the world around me will start seeing shadow figures all about. I often get panic phone calls from people who think that they are either being haunted or that they are losing their minds. I assure them that it is neither of those things. They are simply more aware of what is around us all the time. And what is around us all the time holds no malice towards us. We are all simply becoming more aware of their presence. So I share ways of communicating and how to relax with the entire process. It becomes something that is deeply rewarding for all parties involved.
This is my favourite time of year!