In October, We Celebrate Life and Death

I love October! Fall is in full effect, the weather is cooler but still enjoyable, pumpkins are abound, and we have the celebratory times of Halloween/Samhain/Dia de los Muertos/All Souls Day. Though Libra rides out much of this month, on the 22nd, we have the start of my second favorite season, that of Scorpio. Scorpio is ruled by Mars and Pluto—Pluto, being the planet of Hades, which grounds Scorpio in the underworld energy (Mars brings a driven, ambitious energy). During this time we go beneath the surface, unlock secrets, and explore death and the taboo.

A Time When We “Keep the Spirit Alive”

As we begin our descent into Hades’ Underworld, we witness the colorful and exuberant death in nature as the leaves of the trees change colors. We celebrate the harvest and the fruits of our labor from earlier in the season, and we prepare to retreat for the darkness ahead. In the days leading up to Halloween and All Souls Day, the veil between our earthly world and the spirit world beings to get quite thin, and communications to the other side can be enhanced. These celebrations help us honor our ancestors and our loved ones who are still with us in spirit.

Ultimately, I’d say that those who choose to participate in these events develop a relationship with the concept of death. Death is at the center of the celebration. You continue to keep the spirit of your loved ones alive. You can take the time to honor their energy, to honor who they were before they transcended beyond this form. Isn’t that beautiful? That people take the time to be present with life while also embracing the end of it.

I think our American society still has a lot of work to do when it comes to discussing and normalizing death, how we prepare for and cope with “the end.” Everything that lives must transform into something else. Isn’t that the beauty of the butterfly?

All photos were taken by me in Green-wood Cemetery, Brooklyn NY.

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