So we have finally made it to the end of another year, and I thought what better way to come back to this blog than on the Celtic New Year; the Night of Death and transformation. This night is a powerful one, and I have no doubt moving forward the dead (ancestors) should play a powerful role on any night, not just Samhain (although it is VERY important).
Tonight, just as many witches and warlocks around the world I honored the spirits of the dead, and the ancestors of my tribe. So who/what is my tribe? Well, think about who your own tribe is...who in your family or circle of friends has passed through the gates of the Underworld? In a sense, if you assume that everyone you assiocate with has endured more than one lifetime, you could theoretically say that this pretty much covers everyone in your life. On the other hand we all know at least one person who is so immature that they must certainly be on their first life, EVERYONE learns more in one life than this person! ...Then again maybe not, everyone learns at their own pace. But you get my point. Also consider which historical figures you indentify with. Do you admire a certain President/Head of State in your native country, or another country? A political figure? Philosipher? Artist? Poet? Musican? Anyone else? If so, chances are they are a part of your tribe. In simple terms your tribe is any man, woman, or child who has had a considerable impact on your life whether you knew them in the flesh or not. For that matter any guardians (personal patrons or agents of protection), gods/goddesses, spirits or entities whom you indentify with on a personal or spiritual level are also members of your tribe. When faced with this most people realize that their tribe is much larger than they originally assumed upon first hearing "tribe" ..it need not be only family members.
My own personal tribe consists of a wide range of people whom I knew in life and those I have no recollection of in life. However, many witches, warlocks, and occultists believe that anyone you associate with is someone you have associated with and made a pact with in the Underworld or on some level of the Spirit World.
Tonight we open the Gates of the Underworld. We all do this with regard to our own pantheon, our own beliefs, and where our own spirit and those of our tribe guide us. This is a matter of personal perspective, and even those who are members of a coven should have their own personal system that works best for their own practice outside of coven workings. For me this ranged from Cain - the first of witchblood. Judas...who is in my mind a mythical figure and a symbol of rebellion and liberation from the present religious dogma; that of Abrahamic origin. Also included in my own tribe are Anton Szandor LaVey..who to my own experience is a modern day symobol of previously said rebellion and liberation. I also include my departed family members, and many others who are gone that I have admired (and still do). These include Gerald Gardner (The Father of Wicca), Scott Cunningham (Promient author and practitioner of Wicca/Witchcraft), the victims of the Salem Witch Trials, victims of hate crimes such as Matthew Shepard, prominent figures in science such as Newton, Darwin, and Albert Einstein, as well as departed political figures such as John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, and Abraham Lincoln. All the ancestors of my tribe are equally important for one reason or another, and all of them are honored on this night whether their names are specifically spoken or referred to in a general group for whom I light a sared candle in their honor, and in the name of Santisima Meurte (St. Death).
In the past few moments, at just after 11 pm on this Samhain night, a departed cousin of mine is weighing heavily on my mind. I never really knew him in life, but I became very familiar with him in death. He was a rather nice looking guy, though his face was totally unfamiliar to me. But in looking at him then as well as now I can see him as one of my kindred. Some in my family suspect he committed suicide, and others say he died in a tragic gun accident. Whatever the truth is (I suspect suicide) I can see a part of him in myself. In my past and even my current struggles I can see how some are driven to suicide. I don't consider myself capable of such a thing, but it has crossed my mind at previous points in my life. Right now, I can't help but feel that this cousin (Ryan) has come through the veil between life and death in order to convey some sort of message to me. Under normal circumstances I might not feel this way, but on Samhain when one of the members of your tribe comes fourth unexpectedly you don't question it...at least not until you have further information. My goal will be to try to communicate with him through the next several days and try to get a feel for why he is visiting me at this point.
I also feel that I have confirmation tonight that "Frank" is indeed my guardian angel. He came to me tonight, completely unexpectedly and the message seemed fairly clear...he was letting me know that he is there for me, and that he is here to protect me.
The circle that was cast tonight was especially meaningful in this sense because it was so unexpected (as was the visit from Ryan), I feel that Frank is most certainly one of the dead, and a member of my tribe. And the visit from Ryan also tells me that my blood ancestors may have more to tell me..more for me to learn than I had previously thought.
This is why I feel I may have been led to a new experience this Samhain. ...The path of the dead...the path of the ancestors...those of us who seek knowledge, experience, and wisdom from those who have gone before us...as well as those aspects of ourselves from previous lives, and previous experiences via our own deaths both symbolic, and literal.
I feel it just to make the ancestors of my tribe permenant fixtures of my altar and my practice. They have much knowledge to give, and much wisdom to tell. I feel that I must also again make clear that members of your tribe can be aspects of the self from previous lifetimes. Get to know your past self and what it has for you to learn from.
In Honor of the Holy Dead, Our Dear Departed Loved Ones and in the name of St. Death, "Santisima Meurte", We Thank you for your love, and we thank you for your sacrifice...
MERRY YE MEET AND MERRY YE PART, UNTIL WE MERRY MEET AGAIN and Blessed Be!
In Holy Death,
Raven (Mortecai)
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