November is here and I was guided to write a few insights about this month and the feelings it brings to me and maybe to you too.
You probably are aware of Samhain, a festival originating from an ancient Celtic spiritual tradition. These days Samhain is celebrated from October 31 to November 1 to welcome in the harvest and usher in ‘the dark half of the year’ (in the northern hemisphere). I believe harvesting is about clearing the field (our life) and ushering is about preparing to surrender into a new cycle. People who celebrate this believe that the barriers between the physical world and the spirit world break down during Samhain, allowing more interaction between humans and inhabitants of the otherworld (or the unseen). It is a time of honouring the ancestors, the physical body and the earth.
Many cultures have different ways of remembering the dead.
In Transylvania, a region of Romania where I was born, we used to celebrate All Saints’ Day on 1st November. It was a day of spiritual connection, a way to feel closer to loved ones that left the earthy plane and to pay respect to them.
However, here in Australia, where I now live, people celebrate ‘Halloween’ on 31st October. I found that this event here is more about community and people’s engagements with their neighbours in a specific way. It is about having fun dressing up, walking around the neighbourhood, and talking with people who usually don’t see much during the year. Children particularly love dressing up and collecting sweets.
Nonetheless, I feel this time of the year means more than participating in exciting events and celebrations. To me, November is more about remembering our true essence and the connection with Spirit. To be open fully to the mystery of life and death, understand better our purpose here on Earth and embrace every aspect of this human life. Also to honour life and not be afraid of death.
Our life is more than we think it is. Sometimes we feel life is dry, boring, depleted and filled with tasks and habits, where we only exist and do things on autopilot and are driven by familiarity. And we are most of the time living in fear of life and in a survival mode. We forgot we are here to embody our spirituality, embrace the unknown (even death), be open to all possibilities, learn and advance on our soul journey. Life is a gift, and death is a spiritual transition.
I feel November offers an opportunity to bring to the surface the hidden parts of us that we left behind and didn’t want to deal with in the past because it was too hard and uncomfortable. These parts that we were afraid of, are now ready to make peace with us, to support our evolution and to give us the completion and the wholeness we are striving for.
I believe we need to have the courage to face the darker parts of ourselves, accept and let go of attachments and old identities. To be brave, try new ways of living and take steps to do things we once were afraid to. This can be challenging for most of us, and we can easily get caught up in the story and forget who we are. And this is why we need constant reminders to trust life and our journey, to embrace change, transform and step into a new level of spiritual growth and integration.
We remember this when we intentionally spend time with ourselves in stillness. When we quiet the mind using meditation, chanting, or mindfulness and allow peace to flow into our hearts and our life. When we spend time in nature and are open to receiving healing, freshness, joy and inspiration. And when we completely surrender, start living more trustfully and have faith in the inevitable evolution of humanity.
******Daniela is a Spiritual Teacher & Mentor, Intuitive Guide, Energy Therapist and Inspirational Speaker. She runs regular workshops and courses on Personal and Spiritual development and loves being in service to others to bring more peace, love and compassion into the world.
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