It’s Hallowe’en soon. My favourite ‘holiday’. Holiday being an abbreviated form of the words Holy day. Here in North America, children are getting pretty excited, the opportunity to get dressed up show off their ghoulish or glorious selves and to collect some of those much coveted sweets. Children aren’t the only ones who welcome this time of deepening shadows, shorter days and cool, if not frosty, nights.
It marks a time of drawing in our energies, reviewing the harvest and digesting the fruits of our efforts over the past year. It’s also a good time to compost the ideas and plans that did not take root, letting go of them to make room for new creations.
The origin of this celebration is All Hallow’s Eve. The 31st of October marks the beginning of the New year in the Celtic Calendar. The Celtic calendar actually consists of 13 months. The thirteenth month being a very short one…only three days long, occurring from Oct 31 – Nov 2. In the Christian calendar, All Souls Day and All Saints day follow on from Hallowe’en on the 1st and 2nd of November. This thirteenth month is also known to be a special time, a time when the veil between the worlds is very thin and the separation between the living and dead is almost non-existent. It is also known as the time that is no time; an opportunity to drop out of real-time and sample what it is to live beyond the limits of this world. For many it is a frightening venture because there is an element of chaos to it.
Many cultures around the world take time out to honour their ancestors and those loved ones who have ‘passed over’. This is a particularly potent time of year to create a ceremony of remembrance and to revisit a sense of contact with those who have passed on. In many traditions we are reminded that the spirits of those who have departed often like to draw near to us who are still embodied.
Now is a time when I stop and take a moment to remember, reflect upon and integrate my up-to-date self with my ancestors. A sure way to invite your loved ones closer is to make a gesture of welcome, I will be putting out some Licorice Allsorts for my Dad… oh and a pumpkin. Happy New Year All!
Workshop – Creating Sacred Space
Sunday, December 5, 2010
A day-long workshop to introduce you to the basics of creating sacred space for ceremony and ritual. There are many different uses for sacred space: space clearing, meditation, Blessings, Partings of the way, Healing, empowerment and charging of projects/dreams, and divination. All of these require safe and contained boundaries. The day will consist of an introduction to the creation of sacred space and the four directions. We will plan and make a ceremony dedicated to clearing energetic ties and clearing our auras. The day will include active participation and guided meditation.
10:00am-4:00pm
Cost: $75
Roberts Creek, BC
E-mail: info@marlowpurves.net
Phone: 604-886-8257
Coming soon to the Sunshine Coast!
Homoeopathy for What Ails You:
A series of talks on different topics including:
Flu and Colds
Homoeopathy for Travelers
Pregnancy and birthing
Menopause and Midlife
Menstruation blues
Colds and Flu
Remedies for Parent and Child
Allergies and Hayfever
Accidents and Injuries
Each talk will be 2 ½ hours in length and offer practical advice and tips on how to handle these common complaints. There will be time for questions and remedy kits will be available for sale.
Cost: $25 per session
E-mail: info@marlowpurves.net
The days are DEFINITELY longer and the earth is just beginning to emit her irresistible fragrance, JUST. Snow drops are appearing and gardeners’ fingers are itching and turning to trays of seedling hope in anticipation of a warming soil and softening in the fields. On this sunny day I look around and see evidence of the sun’s fire drawing forth the abundance of a sleeping earth. Hope surfaces, tentatively, tenderly. It is truly an exquisite time of year and in ourselves, new-born time.
marlowpurves.net 