Dear Friends,
This time every year I feel a longing to gather with friends in remembrance of those who have died. We, the living, need to do this.
This year I have felt extremely heavy grief. The passing of very dear ones has lead me to finally act upon my instinct and provide an opportunity for us to be together.
The Mexicans have it right: Day of the Dead is a celebration and picnic in the cemetery.
Or is my instinct rooted in ancient Samhain rituals, perhaps, when the spirits tend to be with us?
Certainly All Souls Day when we recite a litany of names…
Whatever your inclination, please join us for music, art and a simple meal as we remember those who have crossed over and celebrate life. What a gift!
Saturday, November 2, 3-6 pm, Canterbury House, 411 E. Huron, Ann Arbor
Threshold Choir
Jeanne Mackey
Steve Rush…
Rice and Beans and drinks provided
Bring a dish to pass if you like and your instrument and voice…
RSVP appreciated.
Marsha Traxler writes:
Native peoples all across Turtle Island understand that this time of year is when the veil between our world and the world of those who have passed on is at it’s thinnest. This is the time of year when people honor those who have gone before us with ‘Ghost Suppers’ and ‘Ancestor’s Feasts’.
I think part of your sense of remembering our ancestors at this time may come from the fact that you live on Turtle Island. You breathe the air, eat the food and drink the water from this part of the world and these things have an effect on us, and you are one of the lucky ones that are sensitive to these things.
The spirits of those who have been here before us are still around. Their bodies have become the soil that grows our food and the dust that we inhale. Those of us who live here are much more deeply connected to this land than we often realize. My guess is that at least part of your sense of the ‘rightness’ of remembering at this time comes from the fact that you live here.
Dear Marsha,
Thank you so much for sharing that. Another fun fact us that when I was traveling a few years ago to some native sites out west, I became very attracted to the turtle and feel that maybe the turtle is my totem, if that’s possible. That was the same summer that a turtle first visited us to lay her eggs near our back door. She has returned every year since. I understand it is some sort of blessing if a turtle chooses your soil to lay her eggs?
Anyway, peace and blessings to you.
Linda Benedict writes:
Are you aware of the Native American tradition, held after the frost as the moon wanes, to have a ghost dinner? This is to remember the loved ones who have crossed over. The favorite dishes of the guests of honor are prepared and shared with all attendees. Memorabilia- such as a photo or a pipe- is laid on a communal blanket, and ceremony is made, with drumming, prayer, singing, burning sage, and a tribal leader will speak.