Week One – 1st of November: Remembering the Ancestors
Yesterday was Halloween, but Samhain was never meant to be a single day in the calendar. The peak astrological energy of Samhain occurs when the sun is 15 degrees Scorpio, or around November the 6th. The Gaulish Coligny calendar places Samhain at the second new moon after the autumnal equinox, which is November 20th. If you spent October 31st, at celebrations with your kids or your friends, you haven’t missed this important spiritual marker. Halloween is for the living. Samhain season is the time to honor the dead.
Do you know the names of your grandparents? What about your great-grandparents? Did they share family stories with you or your parents? If there’s anyone in your family who might know, drop them a message this week and ask. Better yet, plan an afternoon visit and don’t forget to record what they tell you.
If this is a dead-end for you, don’t despair. Research. There are free genealogy resources online that should help you find the names and dates of at least a few generations before you. Start with yourself and see how far back you can name your ancestors. Then, research the history, geography, and folklore of the places they lived. Their history is your history. What you learn, whether by speaking with your family, or researching long dormant records, will almost certainly surprise you.
Still don’t know much about ‘your’ people, or maybe you’d rather not connect with them? Remember that there are different kinds of ancestors. In addition to blood (or adopted) family, there are ancestors of place. Who lived in your house two generations ago, or on the land before that? Honor the people who spent their lives where you are now. Imagine what life was like for them, as well as those before them. If you live in a newer home, then visit a local cemetery. Spend time reading the headstones and envisioning their lives between the dashes.
We all want to be remembered. It’s possible to do this while also meeting them for the first time.
Mantra for the coming week:
“I remember and honor those who came before me.”
Meditation exercise:
Draw the Ten of Pentacles from your tarot deck (optional). Settle into a comfortable position with your feet grounded on the floor and take several rounds of four-square breathing. Visualize your ancestors standing behind you, offering strength. Sense their presence and thank them for the gift of your life, through their DNA which resonates through your physical body, with gratitude. You may experience deeper communication during this time. Sit with them for as long as you feel the connection, which will fade away as they release you back to the current time.
Until next week,
Mary
If you would like to know more about my ancestral connection work, my Daoist path, or my other offerings such as tarot readings and classes, spiritual guidance, and mindset mentoring, you can find more detailed information by using the drop-down menu on my website: https://the-mystics-parlour.ghost.io.
This coming February, I’m presenting a workshop for the Tarot Association of British and International members (TABI). The topic is: Romantic Archetypes of the Tarot. The fee is very reasonable, with a recording of the workshop if you can’t attend the live session and all proceeds will be donated to the animal sanctuary The Misfits Coven in Pennsylvania. More information will be available on the TABI website soon.
You can also contact me via email at themysticsparlour@gmail.com and I’m @themysticsparlour.bsky.social on Bluesky and @the.mystics.parlour on Instagram.
I appreciate your continued support and encouragement.