I loved everything about Halloween as a kid – from picking out costumes and candy to the decorations my mom put up. At four, I already knew animal print was fashionable, evidenced by this photo! (My brother looks like he is anything but pleased to be taking this picture with his kid sister, though my mother swears he was just trying to look like a “tough pirate”!)
I didn’t know then that Halloween borrows from ancient holidays like Celtic Samhain, Mexico’s Dia de los Muertos, and All Saints Day from the Catholic religion. As a kid, I only knew I liked to play dress-up … and eat candy!
Now I know: life as a Modern Goddess is a journey of honoring the wisdom and good from all eras and traditions, including the genesis of our modern day Halloween.
How Will You Celebrate Halloween?
- Will you don a costume?
- Will you doll out candy to masked neighborhood kids?
- Will you unleash the kid in you and eat too much candy corn?
- Will you trick or treat with your kids, who will eat too much candy corn?
I may dress up, I will undoubtedly enjoy a few sweet treats, but the real thrill of Hallows for me is celebrating gratitude at the end of the harvest, and honoring the Spirits of the dead in Celtic Samhain tradition.
In honoring the earth’s cycles, we get to press the pause button on the busyness and chaos of our 24/7 lives. This pause allows us collectively to catch our breath, acknowledge a shift of seasons, and look at what is happening in our inner world.
Press the Pause Button
I will gather with a circle of women in LA on October 31st. We will release the emotions holding us back and honor the souls of the dearly departed. When you press the pause button on/around October 31, with or without some of your closest friends, reflect on the following.
What is your emotional state these days? If you are a warm-blooded woman living in the Western World, you are probably experiencing some dread about the clocks “falling back” on November 6 because you already feel like you don’t have enough time in the day.
The earlier darkness provokes an anxiety, especially as we head into the “Holiday Hullabaloo” known as Thanksgiving, Christmas & New Years. Did your shoulders just get tense? Mine did, wondering how many shopping days there are. (Can we just suspend that countdown this year?)
There is a tension that builds during this time of year. The earth goes into a natural rest mode after the last harvest is pulled in. You may find you want to nest a bit and go out less right now. That’s okay and natural. It just doesn’t feel okay because the set-up of the Gregorian calendar catapults you into a frenzy of activity from November – January 1.
The earth shift from harvest to rest mode provides the opportunity to tune in to what you are really feeling. At this time of year, many clients want coaching on taking care of themselves during the upcoming Holiday Hullabaloo. We begin with the current inner landscape.
Self-Coaching
Sometime between buying tiny chocolate bars, gathering costume items and trying not to eat all the tiny chocolate bars before Monday night, sit quietly, breathe deeply and ask:
- What emotions am I experiencing right now?
- Which of these are current? Which are ancient and holding me back from living full out today? (You know what I’m talking about – generalized fear, worry about the future, regret about the past you can’t change…)
- Once you i.d. the ancient emotions it is time to release, download and listen to my quasi-famous Magic Garden meditation (found in the opt in box in the upper right column – yes, opt in!) and let the meditation do the work for you … so you can rest with the earth.
Please post your experience of identifying and releasing the emotions it is time to release. (Seriously, miracles occur for people when they do the Magic Garden meditation!)
In the next post, we will explore more about choosing your holiday experiences! Until then………
Happy Halloween / Samhain!
Cat
