We have made it to a new magical year. Happy New Year! We have harvested everything from the field and put them to rest until spring. Carved our Jack – O – Lanterns, tricker treated, and even had our parties. Know with all of that completed we have some time to welcome and honor our ancestries.
Most people think that October 31st is the only day we can do that. In reality, yes the 31st is the day we celebrate as Samhain if you take an astrological approach (which the Celtics were very versed in) then you will celebrate Samhain on November 7th when the sun is 15 degrees from Scorpio. Add in the Dio de los Murtious celebration you can honor your relatives who have passed starting on the 31st and continuing to the 7th.
A great way to do this is to create an ancestor altar. Personally, I have one up all the time and if you do as well this is a perfect time to decorate. When setting up an altar in this way or shineas some will call it a great start is gathering pictures of everyone you wish to have on the altar. If you don’t have a picture a small gift they gave you or something they owned that you inherited that is a link to them or even both. This can be done on a table at different heights or a wall shelf in both cases you will need to have an area for offerings a space on the table or an empty shelf.
If you are planning to keep this up all year then having candles, and a glass of water (change the water frequently every third day), if you like to place offerings for them this can be done on birthdays, full moons, festivals, and celebrations. For Samhain, since this would be considered their feast day you can go all out for them.
A very Mexican thing to do is decorate with marigolds a few years ago I had grown some in my garden that survived the early fall frost and used them to decorate the altar it just popped. You can also use any flowers you wish or their favorites or a combination it is fall. Some other things you can add are some games you like to play with your relatives if they smoked their favorite cigar or cigarette (get new ones every year) their favorite beer, wine, alcohol, and of course what celebration wouldn’t be complete without food. Adding their favorite foods is a wonderful treat for them. If you are a person that likes to make a meal for them you can do that and the next morning take the plate outside or just take it outside after you made it to welcome them in.
After all of this is done the best way to commune with them is to just talk to them. You will be surprised that they will answer you not in the ways you may expect you will get answers. After the festival is over you can take it or as mentioned you can leave it up all the time and comune with them all year.
Death is a very hard thing for us to process and this is a very easy way to keep in contact with all your loved ones.
Blessings
High Elder Redhawk
