Speaking of Spirit

 Photo credit: LMRN © 2015 - Through Love's Eyes   The celebration of a wedding anniversary is as important as the actual wedding day.  On this day, couples have the opportunity to stop and reflect on their love for each other. Many times on significant anniversaries like the 10, 25, or 50th, couples have a re-commitment ceremony in which they renew their vows. This renewal or re-commitment allows not only the couple, but family and friends the space to remember why these two people came together in the first place.  They are reminded that marriage isn't all sunshine and roses.  There are plenty of valleys to walk through and mountains to climb; however, when the couple is mindful of their love and dedicated to each other, no valley or mountain stands in the way. So, in celebration of anniversaries, I offer this prayer: May the renewal of your life together be blessed, in order that you may continue to bless others around you - May your love b...

At this time of year, our ancestors would gather the harvest into root cellars, barns, smoke houses and larders.  They fought against time and the seasons, hoping to get everything put up before the killing frost and the first snow storm.  This was a great time of community.  Neighbor helping neighbor. Those who had been blessed with plenty, sharing with those who where not able to do as well. There were circles of women knitting, sewing, weaving and creating clothes, blankets and items to keep the family warm during these months.  When all was done, families gathered together in celebration, but also to offer thanksgiving. Our ancestors saw the autumn as a time when the veil between this world and the next was thin. They knew how quickly Death could come at this time of year, snatching away a field of ripe squash, whisking away a loved one too frail to battle illness.  Gatherings reflected this dichotomy of joy and heartache and fear. Today, we have com...

Our ancestors left us so much wisdom...understandings of life and the world around us that, as we "developed," we negated. Interestingly enough, much of that wisdom has been re-discovered by scientists who now can prove the truth of what was once known. In studying about my ancestors and the wisdom that comes from the various cultures in my family alone, I have realized that as humans gained more knowledge and abilities, they lost something.  I lost the teachings of my Eastern European, Irish, German, Welsh and Indigenous ancestors because my ancestors were so indoctrinated into modern society, they did not want to pass the old-fashioned ways onto their children and grandchildren.  In some cases, they were ashamed of what others looked on as backwards beliefs. So, we stopped planting by the Moon.  We stopped nursing the babies in favor of bottled milk.  We stopped growing our own fruits and vegetables in favor of packaged food. We stopped talking to Creato...

The belief that our ancestors watch over us after death, often protecting us from harm and guiding us on the path is not new.  For many years, in many cultures, ancestor veneration was part of everyday life. From every continent, people prayed to their ancestors, believing that those they loved who had passed through the veil could intercede for them here on earth.  In our modern society, many people have lost this connection. But, many others are seeking to reconnect with this belief. For those seeking reconnection, it is their hope that the ancestors will help them and that with that help, the seeker will be able to heal his or her self as well as their community and the world. Recently, I took a online workshop with Gemma Benton , a Native American artist and healer. In the workshop, she used art to reconnect us to our ancestors. We spoke often (online), meditated and created. In the end, we each had a lovely work of art that spoke of and to our ancestors. My piece ...