|
Samhain "Summer's End"
|
|
By Sharon Freewoman |
| Endings and beginnings. The end of summer and the beginning of winter. Samhain (generally pronounced sow-in) is the Gaelic/Irish name for this holiday that is usually seen as the Celtic new year and which we call Halloween. The translation of Samhain literally means "end of summer" and was celebrated on the astronomical occurrence of a "cross quarter" day which is the halfway point between the Autumnal Equinox and the Winter Solstice. The ancient Celtic peoples would celebrate this last of the three major harvests before winter set in. The festival of Samhain stood between the ending and beginning of their year and was considered a time when the borders between the world of matter and the world of spirit were allowed to merge. Ancestors and other "spirits" were allowed to move more freely into the mortal realm.. Many of our "Halloween" traditions come from this sacred time when death and the dead are honored as part of this life. There are many books and websites to tell you of the customs and celebrations of this time of year and to dispel many of the misconceptions about this holiday that abound. I would however like to take this moment to relate a more personal story that I have heard reflected in recent days and believe is more to the point of this holiday. Just this week I found out that my father's brother and sister had both passed from this life earlier this year. My father had crossed over from this life five years ago and before he passed I had gotten in touch with his brother with whom he had not spoken to in some 30 years. My uncle seemed very pleased to be in touch with our family again and came out for a truly touching visit with my father before he died. My father was not in touch with his sister either and my uncle told us that he was also no longer in touch with this sister who lived in the very next town from him. After I called and told my uncle my father had passed I thought he would be eager to stay in touch with us but he never returned our calls or letters so contact was lost again until this week when I found out he was also gone from this life. How sadden I was and wondered if he had anyone there with him in his final days. How I had wished that he could have been more open and willing to forgive whatever he felt held him back from communicating with his family. What a lost opportunity to heal these family wounds that were so old no one even knew why they weren't talking anymore. Clients have also been coming in with stories of falling out with their loved ones and not knowing what to do to heal the situation. I believe this time of year, when we feel the pull to move inward and reflect on what has happened to us throughout the year, is the perfect time to take stock of our families and friends and to make sure we have done all that we can to clear the air over misunderstandings and show how much we love them. This is the time to not only honor those who have passed before us but to honor those still with us by communicating our hope for a renewed relationship. Each emotion we have is a gift to be experienced and learned from. The reflection on the wisdom of our choices in a calm not reactionary manner is called for so as not to drown in our emotions but to experience the joy of our lives in relationship to others. Now could be the new beginning of love found refreshed and made whole. I have found that most of the people who do not communicate with their family or friends because of some minor squabble that has now turned into icy silence have not been able to let go of their egos need to be "right" and so miss out on incredible opportunities to show compassion and forgiveness. Our world right now needs these two very important ingredients to be able to move forward into a more positive outcome. If we are unable to show compassion and forgiveness to our loved ones then how can we believe things will be better in the larger context? I urge everyone in this coming holiday to "sweeten" their lives not with the outrageous amount of candy available but with open and forgiving hearts towards those you have not spoken with and are holding on to some perceived hurt that needs healing. Before it's too late, as death can overtake us in any moment, make amends so when our time does come to move on from this life we leave knowing that those left behind feel how much we really loved and cared for them. Make this Halloween a new beginning, a new year as the Celts believed, and forge ahead with renewing relationships long thought dead. See how you can change your own world for the better and thereby change the whole world for the better. No tricks just lots of lovin' treats! Happy Halloween/Samhain! Sharon Freewoman |