Greetings to you! I write to you on November 2nd, during the time of the Día de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead celebrations around the world. I invited the loving spirits in my life for a Samhain dinner on October 31st. It was beautiful, peaceful and a little tearful. It has become a very special holiday for me. I prayed, chanted, read and played Bee Gees music.
The mantra I chanted for Robin and all of my loved ones in Spirit is called Akal. It means “deathless.” I frequently chant mantras from the Kundalini yoga tradition, for many years now. Here is some information on the important meaning of this mantra:
- Mantra: Akal
- Complete Mantra: Akal
- Language: Gurmukhi, Sanskrit
- Source: Siri Guru Granth Sahib
- Translation: Undying.
More Information: This mantra has been given by Yogi Bhajan to be chanted to help release a soul when a person dies. It means that there is no death, only liberation. We are deathless.
All Sikh Guru’s used this word. It is in the first daily prayer of the Sikh’s, Japji Sahib, but has roots in Hindu, yogic traditions which go back further, therefore it is both Sanskrit and Gurmukhi in origin.
Snatnam Kaur’s musical interpretation of the mantra is beautiful to me. I played this after I offered dinner to my deceased loved ones. I hope you like it. If you are not familiar with this tradition, this video gives you a small sampling of it:
Here is some more information about Day of the Dead celebrations in Mexico:
Here’s one thing we know: Día de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, is not a Mexican version of Halloween. Though related, the two annual events differ greatly in traditions and tone. Whereas Halloween is a dark night of terror and mischief, Day of the Dead festivities unfold over two days in an explosion of color and life-affirming joy. Sure, the theme is death, but the point is to demonstrate love and respect for deceased family members. (bold mine)
Robin’s altar Samhain 2018
In honor of Robin’s family history of practicing Druid spirituality, I include this link from one of my favorite websites. Dana has a very modern and scholarly perspective on the Druid faith:
If you celebrated the Day of the Dead, I hope it was deeply meaningful for you. I really love celebrating this holiday because I feel increased heart closeness and love with the spirits in my life. It’s fun and beautiful to serve, care for, honor and recognize my deceased loved ones. It’s good for the soul. When you care for your deceased loved ones, they will care for you. I truly believe that.
After I spend time with Robin like this, giving additional food offerings and ceremonies, I always keep my eyes open for increased spirit activity around my home. So far, I have received some great synchronicities, but I have not noticed any telekinesis. That’s ok…I think that takes a lot of his energy. I will write about the synchronicity and any other occurrences in a later post.
Love,
Christina