Samhain Eve and New Beginnings

At the beginning of the year, I thought my Life was going in one direction. Oops. No, it hasn't quite turned out like anything I planned. Life just kind of chewed up and spat out my Plans for World Domination like chewing tobacco. I was left looking at that horrible brown goo at my feet, scratching my head.

It's fine. I can take a hint.

It's clear that whilst I love doing different things, there is just one thing that never goes away. I am a writer. I've been a writer since I was a child. The problem has been my lack of commitment to it. I have been saying to myself since I finished my Creative Writing degree that I have projects, but no commitment. How lame, eh?

Well, I've had a long think. It's time to step up.

If this is my Bliss, then it's about time I lived it.

At the moment, I'm taking some time to re-energise and re-balance myself. The last six weeks have been hard: work and money-wise. My house is crying out for some attention and we won't even talk about my administration. It's fine. It can wait for a few days more. 

Tomorrow is Samhain. It's the biggest festival in the Pagan calendar. It celebrates the start of the Wheel of the Year; it's the last harvest festival before winter and it's the time of reflection and divination. The veil between the worlds thin, if we listen we can hear our ancestors' wisdom. We remember our glorious departed.

This is the perfect time to discard the old ways of thinking: the beliefs that don't work anymore, the attitudes that aren't helpful and to start planning anew.

I have no doubt Life will take another chomp out of my Plans for World Domination and that's fine. I've got three writing projects to kick off, all different and interesting to me for completely different reasons. I'm going to go for it. I have absolutely nothing to lose and everything to gain. I am hopeful and more than a little bit excited.

Warm Hugs

Thank you all for remembering the ones you have lost with me and each other.



I didn't reply to each comment, because this wasn't about me.


Blogging for me is about communication, connection and community. No post has been a better example of all three. Together we shared and mourned. I hope you were able to take some comfort away from acknowledging your grief, as I was able.

I will put word verification back on in an effort to keep the spammers at bay. But do feel free to leave a comment on the Samhain post, if you wish.

Samhain Blessings

Every year on this blog, I celebrate the Pagan festival of Samhain by noting the names of those who have gone on.

This year, my father passed away, so it is a particularly poignant day for me. Please join me by writing the name of those you love who are no longer here.

I have been a witness to the deaths of three of my parents. Death itself holds no fear for me. Dying is the hard part. For everyone involved. It's hard to say the final goodbye, to know that I'll never be able to pick up the phone and talk to them, never be able to have a cuddle, or share a joke with them ever again. Living remains the far greater challenge.

Whatever your spiritual flavour, or even if you have none. Leave their names and if you wish, their relationship to you. Today, is about remembering. The dead will never be forgotten as long as the living still speak their names.

I dedicate this post to Henry.

I miss you every day, Henry. I wish more than anything else that we had more time.

Update: I'm going to have an early night. Please feel free to write your names tonight, and in the coming week. I'll put the word verification back on next weekend.

Reminder

You may or may not remember that every year on here, I celebrate Samhain by writing the names of those I love who have passed on.

The theme this year seems to be predominantly one of loss.

Yesterday, I learnt of the sad passing of Infomaniac Bitch, Piggy. He was much loved and will be sorely missed.

I invite you to join me in remembering those we love, who have gone before. I will take off the word verification and allow Anonymous comments. Please leave the name of the person you would like to remember, it really is up to you how little or how much you want to write. If you want to write a little something about them, your relationship or a favourite memory, please do.

Join me on the 31st of October in remembering those we have love and lost. Let us remember together, grieve and heal each other.

Blessings on the Feast of Samhain

The Wheel of the Year turns again. The Feast of Samhain mourns the losses of the past year and celebrates the coming new year.

This is the time of year to honour those who have gone before. To remember our loved ones and honour our ancestors. To let go the hardships and heartaches of the past year, to take the lessons learnt into the Winter.

I do this every year and I would be honoured if you would join me, by writing the names of those you hold dear, who have died. Please write their names and their relationship to you, if you wish. Or remain anonymous. It doesn't matter what spiritual path you walk upon. The dead are never truly lost to us, they live on in our hearts and memories.

Bambi ~ mother of my heart
Dennis ~ father of my heart
Angela ~ my mother in law
Helen ~ beloved grandmother
Herta ~ beloved grandmother
Tricia ~ my friend
Eric ~ mentor

I miss you.

Samhain Blessings

Today is the feast of Samhain. The Wheel of the Year has turned and we're about to embark on another cycle, another round of journeying.

Today, the veil between the worlds is at it's thinnest and those who have gone before are the closest to us. It is said that the dead are never truly gone, if there is one person to hold their memory in their heart.

I would like to mark those who've gone before, and I would like to share this with you. It doesn't matter which spiritual path you walk upon, please share this with me. Feel free to be anonymous if you would prefer. But leave the names of those you would like remembered, and if you feel so moved, their relationship to you.

Those who still live in my heart:

Tricia - my friend
Helen - beloved grandmother
Herta - beloved grandmother
Angela - mother in law
Bambi - mother of my heart
Dennis - father in all senses of the word
Eric - teacher and mentor

I miss you.

Fall Back

Clocks went back last night. Unfortunately, my body clock didn't remember that today is Sunday and I was scheduled for a lie-in. It went off as normal. I woke up and all I could hear was the cat snoring and the rain, when I finally made it out of bed and looked out the window, everything was grey and damp out there.

A good day for the pink fluffy dressing gown. I'm up so early that not even my Facebook friends in foreign climes are awake. So I sit here with my cup of coffee pondering the meaning of life. It's just a bit unfortunate that my brain is so sluggish, I can't even have a good ponder.

Having said that, I'm looking up at my notice boards packed with slips of paper, pictures, song lyrics, motivational affirmations and reminders of the year gone past. Next week it'll all come down as I celebrate Samhain, which is marks the end of this turn of The Wheel of the Year. This year I've changed jobs three times and given up my MA. I still have no idea where my Path lies, as ever I put one foot in front of the other and hope for the best. I'm not sure of a great many things, but I am sure of my Boy, of whom I remain ridiculously proud; I'm sure of my friends who remain the guardians of my sanity; and my Viking, who still is the guardian of my heart.

I don't know what the coming turn will bring. I am sure there will be laughter and tears, sorrow and joy. I am hopeful.