Thin Places: October 29 - November 4

Halloween is based on the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain. Samhain was the division of the year between the lighter half (summer) and the darker half (winter). At Samhain the division between this world and the otherworld was thought to be at its thinnest, allowing spirits to pass through. In the Christian tradition, November 1 and 2 celebrate All Saints Day and All Souls Day to remember our deceased loved ones.

“I imagine that one of the great storehouses of blessing is the invisible neighborhood where the dead dwell. Our friends among the dead now live where time and space are transfigured. They behold us now in ways they never could have when they lived beside us on earth. Because they live near the source of destiny, their blessings for us are accurate and penetrating, offering a divine illumination not available according to the calculations of the given visible world. Perhaps one of the surprises of death will be a retrospective view of the lives we lived here and to see how our friends among the dead clothed us in weave after weave of blessing.”

John O’Donohue

johnodonohue.com

Practice

All that we love is never lost.

Love just changes form.

Visit your favorite thin place either in person or in memory. Call to mind your loved ones who are no longer physically present but who continue to hold a place in your heart. Make room for love and loss in this safe haven. Sit in silence. Remain as long as needed.