Ghia—It’s fall, and Halloween is around the corner. But if Halloween is seeming a little dark these days, let’s talk about celebrating this holiday by connecting with our ancestors.

Hooray, GIA here.

2

I'm this week's host of the

Creative Spiritual Journey podcast

3

where Judy and I talk about those

things that bring us joy for me.

4

I find joy by connecting with

nature, connecting with Jesus

5

Christ and our heavenly parents.

6

Seasonal living, and all the bits

of magic and wonder I come across.

7

While navigating this remarkable

journey we call life, oh how I

8

love the ever changing seasons, the

flow and cycle, the spiral of time.

9

I love the spiral because here I find

myself in October again, and I love

10

October in the Northern hemisphere.

11

In fact, if anyone asks me what my

favorite color is, I say, October.

12

All the golds, reds, browns, and oranges,

throw in a little purple and mossy green.

13

Those are my colors.

14

But if you live in a place that

doesn't have much seasonal variation,

15

or if you're heading into spring,

simply hear what I have to say,

16

then embrace exactly where you are.

17

Because regardless of your season,

the land, the trees, the wind,

18

the rains, they all have cycles.

19

And I believe we can

learn from those cycles.

20

They can teach us things about ourselves,

both physically and spiritually,

21

and we can apply what we learn to

our lives enriching the connection

22

between the earth and our bodies.

23

Because that's one of the things

we're here to do, isn't it?

24

To learn how to live in a physical

body, and don't you think that our

25

maker provided us with an earth

where we could best accomplish that?

26

I think so.

27

That's why I believe our connection

with the earth, with nature and

28

the seasons is so important.

29

So let me talk a little about seasons.

30

Here is a quote from Catherine

May and her book, wintering.

31

She says, life meanders like

a path through the woods.

32

We have seasons when we flourish,

and seasons when the leaves fall

33

from us revealing our bare bones.

34

End quote.

35

That sounds a little ominous, doesn't it?

36

Our bare bones.

37

But have you ever had a season in your

life where you felt like that, felt

38

like everything was stripped away,

leaving you exposed and unprotected

39

with no choice but to begin?

40

Again, I have definitely

experienced this, but listen to

41

what Catherine goes on to say.

42

The dropping of leaves by deciduous

trees is called abscission.

43

It occurs on the cusp of autumn

and winter as part of a long cycle

44

of growth, maturity, and renewal.

45

But even as the leaves are falling, the

buds of next year's crop are already

46

in place waiting to erupt again.

47

In spring.

48

Most trees produce their

buds in high summer.

49

And the autumn leaf fall reveals them neat

and expectant protected from the cold by

50

thick scales until the sun returns again.

51

Did you know that, that the buds

are on the trees all winter?

52

I always assume they grew in the spring.

53

To me, this is a lesson I can apply

to my life when I am at my dark

54

points, when my bones are exposed.

55

I can know that I already have

everything I need to grow again.

56

So here I am in October.

57

It's cool and crisp in the

mornings, which I love it.

58

And I can look out over my little

valley and see the trees turning yellow.

59

It's so beautiful.

60

And you know what all this means?

61

It means that Halloween

is around the corner.

62

I will admit I have

always loved Halloween.

63

I love the decorations, fall

leaves, candy skulls, pumpkins.

64

I love the smells, apple and cinnamon,

And believe it or not, as a kid, I loved

65

dressing up much more than the candy.

66

My mom was great at making

costumes, which was so much fun.

67

So just for a moment, I wanna

talk about this holiday we call

68

Halloween, quoting from wintering.

69

Again, Catherine says.

70

In Halloween, we see the echoes

of the Gaelic Pagan Festival of

71

Saw wind, which marked the arrival

of the dark half of the year.

72

It was celebrated with bonfires and

burning torches, the scattering of

73

ashes, and an attempt to see the future

through dreams or the flight of crows.

74

Most importantly, saw wind was

considered to be a moment when the

75

veil between this world and the other

world was at its thinnest end quote.

76

The idea of the veil between this world

and the other world fascinates me, and I

77

wanna talk about that more in a moment,

78

First, let me say, learning of Halloween's

Gaelic roots makes me feel all the more

79

justified in loving the holiday because

I have Scottish and Irish ancestry,

80

and when I stopped to think about

how these people lived, people in my

81

direct bloodline, it baffles my mind.

82

Imagine living in a village of

farmers over a thousand years ago.

83

The harvest is in, the weather is

getting colder, the darkness is growing.

84

All the plants around you are dying.

85

The animals are disappearing, and

you are facing the long winter.

86

This is the time of year when

you know if you have enough food

87

to make it through the dark.

88

You know whether you are heading into a

time of plenty or a time of starvation.

89

I can't think of anything more scary.

90

So this is the time of year when

you gather with your neighbors for

91

bonfires and hope to see the future.

92

And this is the time when you

feel the veil between life and

93

death thinning because at this

time, death could be so possible.

94

Uh, that helps me understand a

little more about this season.

95

Now, I think it's interesting to note

that the elements of our Halloween

96

were created as much by Christianity

as paganism, because in an attempt

97

to distract the people from the Pagan

celebration of sawn, the Catholic church

98

named to November 1st, the day after, saw

one as All Saints Day or All Hallows Day.

99

This was a day to celebrate Dead Saints,

which we might call spirits or ghosts.

100

This all Hallows Day is what gave

us the name of Halloween because

101

Saan on October 31st became All

Hallows Eve, which morphed into all

102

Hallowine and eventually to Halloween.

103

It isn't exactly clear where the

tradition of trick or treating

104

started, but it does appear to have

roots in the Catholic theology.

105

The priest taught that souls could

get stuck in purgatory, this place

106

between heaven and hell, and that

they could be helped out of purgatory

107

with prayers from the living.

108

This prompted what was called soling.

109

Where people went from door to door

asking for small cakes and in exchange

110

they would pray for the lost souls.

111

Now, Halloween wasn't celebrated in the

United States until the mid 19th century.

112

It came with the millions of immigrants

that flooded into the country during

113

the great potato famine, bringing

with them the tradition of Halloween.

114

From here, it became one of those

melting pot holidays unique to the United

115

States, along with holidays like St.

116

Patrick's Day and Cinco de Mayo.

117

Which brings us to where we are today.

118

I don't know about you, but I feel

like the spirit of Halloween has

119

changed significantly since I was a

child, which has caused my feelings

120

about the holiday to change as well.

121

I love witches and skeletons, but recently

the holiday has gotten too creepy for me.

122

I am all about pumpkins and magical

herbal potions, but it feels like we

123

are now celebrating blood and gore.

124

So personally, I am choosing to

scale back on Halloween, but that

125

doesn't mean I'm giving it up.

126

I am simply taking a deep

dive in a different direction.

127

Remember that part I mentioned

above about the thinning of the

128

veil between this life and the next?

129

I like this idea.

130

Not because I feel any ghostly presences

or anything, but because when I

131

connect to the earth and the seasons,

I can't die, that there is a theme

132

of death and darkness in the fall.

133

The northern half of the world has just

tipped towards the dark side of the year.

134

It feels like a season when life meets

death, and even if we don't want to

135

admit it, death is an important part

of this earthly experience, which

136

means that Halloween seems to me like a

perfect time to connect with our ghosts.

137

Ghosts, which I call our ancestors.

138

I mean, why not?

139

I have plenty of slightly creepy black and

white photos of past relatives, which make

140

perfect Halloween decorations, inviting

an excellent time to celebrate the lives

141

of our dead and recount their stories.

142

To take the time to think

about and connect with them.

143

In the United States, death

is often treated as something

144

to avoid, sanitize or hide.

145

So for some, celebrating our

dead can be cathartic, as well as

146

connecting us to our heritage, that

deeper knowledge of who we are.

147

And I am a firm believer in

the power of our ancestors to

148

influence the lives of the living.

149

Let me explain why.

150

When I was younger, I didn't exactly

leave the church, but I did wander.

151

I worked a lot on Sundays, and

I had a non-member boyfriend.

152

Honestly, my life at the time

would've been a lot easier if

153

I had simply left the church.

154

But I couldn't do it.

155

Instead, I rode the

fence and I hated that.

156

It was an awkward place to be, but I

used to say that I couldn't leave the

157

church because of my mother's prayers.

158

And yes, I believe in the

power of mother's prayers.

159

So my fence walking went on and on until

one day I happened to read a fictional

160

book about the wives of Abraham.

161

Abraham as in the Old Testament

prophet, this fictional book, was

162

told from the perspective of one of

Abraham's daughters, and throughout

163

the book, she referred to her father's

multiple wives as her mother's.

164

this story brought the word mother's,

plural to the forefront of my mind.

165

Shortly after that, I read the Journal

of my great-grandmother, Stella.

166

She wrote in this journal for a

single year when she was 84 years old.

167

It was one of those day journals

where you only have a few

168

lines to write in each day.

169

I love this journal.

170

She wrote about picking up raw honey

from the health food store, getting

171

petitions signed to stop the Vietnam

War, picking out just the right

172

color carpet to go with her rose

wallpaper and about beautiful sunsets.

173

I read this journal and thought.

174

There is no doubt that I am related to

this woman, and that's when it hit me.

175

My mother wasn't the only reason

I couldn't leave the church.

176

It was all my mother's.

177

The whole line of faith-filled women,

women I know and women I don't.

178

A line of women that

stretched back through time.

179

Back to the wives of Abraham

all the way back to Mother Eve.

180

I'm a part of their legacy, and that

is why I couldn't leave the church.

181

This little revelation caused me

to decide I would return to church

182

activity and see if I could follow in

the footsteps of these women and find

183

my own faith, my own solid foundation

in the gospel of Jesus Christ.

184

It took some time and the help of some

amazing people, but here I am firmly

185

on Christ's side of the fence, and

you know what caused this to happen?

186

My great grandmother's journal.

187

Needless to say, I'm extremely

grateful for her and to my

188

mother for sharing it with me.

189

and did any of this happen in October?

190

I have no idea.

191

I can't remember, but I am prompted

to share this story because it's fall

192

and who knows who out there might be

inspired to share stories of their own.

193

Which to me demonstrates the magic of

fall and this thinning of the veil.

194

Now, I want to add that not all

stories need to lead to conversion.

195

I believe that simply connecting with

our ancestors is what we truly need.

196

For example, the other day,

my mom was telling me about a

197

time when she was in her teens.

198

She recalls talking with her,

Grammy R, the R being for Ruing.

199

Her and my mother commented to Grammy

R that she noticed how much her

200

uncle Ed and her father looked alike.

201

They were both handsome with

striking blue eyes, and Grammy R

202

said, yes, they look alike, but they

are as different as night and day.

203

That's a simple story, but

it tells me something about

204

my uncle and my grandfather.

205

I didn't know they had blue eyes.

206

blue eyes like mine.

207

Maybe it also teaches me something about

life that children can be so different.

208

My point is I believe firmly in

the power of connecting with our

209

ancestors, telling their stories and

remembering them, and I'm not the only

210

one who believes this is important.

211

I planned this podcast last January, but I

was so excited at the most recent October

212

general conference to hear Dallen H Oak

suggest that we remember our ancestors.

213

He was talking specifically about having

family reunions, but I think making

214

our ancestors part of our seasonal

celebrations, the celebrations that

215

happen every year, is also a great

way to keep them in our thoughts and

216

provides us a place and a time to

share their stories with our families.

217

Judy and I know that your time is

precious and that you have many choices.

218

We love that you have chosen to

walk with us for a few minutes as

219

we navigate this journey of life.

220

If you like this podcast, will you take

the time right now to share it with a

221

friend, share it somewhere on social

media, or leave us a five star rating.

222

And if you listen on Apple Podcast,

will you leave us a five star review?

223

I think we only have about five reviews

and we could seriously use more.

224

If you aren't sure how to leave a review,

find a grandchild or neighbor and ask for

225

help, Judy and I would be so appreciative.

226

Now, let me end with an old

Scottish Prayer from Gies and

227

Ghosties and long leg Beasties.

228

And things that go bump in the night.

229

Good Lord deliver us.

230

Namaste.