This weekend we celebrated Halloween, also known as All Hallow’s Eve, or Samhain.  For my children, it was very exciting to dress up, and go from house to house collecting candy and goodies.  We didn’t see many trick or treaters at our house this year…it was windy and rainy.

My Grandparents Young Again

For me, though, the highlight of the celebrations was remembering the dead, the loved ones who have past this year.  My favorite grandmother graduated last spring. In meditation at one celebration that I went to, we visited with loved ones who had passed on.  I saw my grandmother as a young woman, on the arm of my grandfather, who passed many years before her.  Both were smiling and laughing, and clearly very happy to be reunited.

After the trick or treating, we went to a bonfire at a local park.  We offered sticks tied with scraps of cloth to the fire in honor of our ancestors and in memory of those who passed this year.

Halloween Bonfire

It’s no coincidence that we honor veterans at this time of the year, with Veteran’s Day in the US and Remembrance Day in Canada. Many cultures around the world honor their dead at this time of year, when the Earth around us seems to be dying as well. This is the time of year when the veil between the worlds is thinnest, and we are most likely to be able to reach our loved ones with our thoughts and memories.

Remember them.  Honor them.  Then let them go in peace with love. I love you, Grandma!

Blessings,

Mary

Happy Summer Solstice!

On Sunday, my spiritual circle held a potluck at the beach to celebrate the Summer Solstice.  Before we dug in, we did a short ceremony to heal the waters.  With the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico growing daily, many groups and individuals all over the world are turning their focus to healing the waters.  I’ve gotten many emails over the past few weeks from different organizations planning events to heal the water, as well as ideas for planning your own event.

This is what we did:

I filled a bucket with water from the ocean.  I reminded everyone that just as we are all One, from the same Source, water is all One, and it all connects.  So what we do to our bucket of water resonates out to water everywhere.

I had a rock that had the word “Peace” inscribed on it, and I dropped that into the bottom of the bucket.  Dr. Masaru Emoto has proven through his photography of water crystals that words and intentions have a definite effect on water.

Water Crystal exposed to the words Love and Thanks

Then I poured in water that was collected from a similar ceremony nine years ago, water that was collected during a full moon eclipse in 1996 and 2007.  (I’m a Pisces, and the energy of water fascinates me!)  We then had everyone put their hands on the bucket (or at least direct their hands towards it), and sent healing thoughts and energy to the water.  I asked those who have had Reiki attunements to send Reiki to the water.

We repeated a tradition I have with my family.  Each day, as we leave our neighborhood, we face the ocean before turning on to the main road.  We all say, “Hello, beautiful water! Thank you! I love you!”  Our group said this together three times.  And we sang a song honoring the ocean.

The ocean is the beginning of the Earth.
The ocean is the beginning of the Earth.
All life comes from the sea.
All life comes from the sea.

When we dipped our hands in the water after singing, it was very soft.  It was salty, but there was no sting from the salt.  I pulled out a small jar of the water to carry forward for the next time I do this, and then we went to the water’s edge, singing again, and poured the newly charged water into the ocean.  I asked everyone to visualize the healing rippling out farther and farther, to touch all the waters of the world.

You don’t have to do anything as organized as this.  Blessing and thanking your tap water before you drink it is a small thing you can do every day.  Visualize the water, particularly the Gulf of Mexico, clean and pure.  And you can support the efforts of companies like Natural Solutions North America, Inc, as they work to clean up the Gulf Oil Spill.

Blessings,

Mary

I just got this movie in my inbox, and I had to share:

Watch the Magic New Year Movie here… and know that I wish the same for you!

Blessings,

Mary

Whether you celebrate Christmas, Yule, Hannukah, Ramadan or Kwanzaa,
May the growing Light bless you with Peace, Love and Joy this holiday season.

Want to learn more about these different holidays?  ReligiousTolerance.org has a great write up describing the different celebrations at this time of year.  You can read about it here….

Blessings,

Mary

A new guided meditation is now available!