#010 - Samhuinn
It’s the end of the Celtic calendar year - the time of nature’s death and winter. We might not think about it when we see skeletons and other Halloween decorations. We might even want to refrain from thinking about ‘death’, or get an uncomfortable feeling when we see the word.
A reframe on ‘death’ is that it’s a shedding and a letting go. It’s not the ultimate end, but just a necessary part of the cycle for something new to be born.
It’s important to not be afraid of death in a metaphorical sense in our lives. If we are afraid of a past version of ourselves to die - we’ll never make space for the new, more evolved version of ourselves. If we are afraid to let go of what is comfortable - even if deep down we know it is no longer serving us - we are dampening the expansive desire of our soul, and not making ourselves available to the even greater things that the Universe has in store for us.
Letting go of the excess, of the distraction and of the noise allows us to get laser focussed on what really matters right now. It allows for the space to connect to our intuition and be guided by our spirit rather than our limited mind (or even worse, the limited minds of others!)
Seeing our bare, leafless branches allows us to connect to our core values. Shedding everything is an opportunity to reflect on what choices, habits and activities are in best alignment with our values. If one of our values is ‘Authenticity’ but we spend a lot of our time with people and environments where we don’t feel like we can be genuine - perhaps it is time for a change. If we value ‘Health and Wellbeing’, but we find ourselves unable to bring in the changes that stick - it might be time to try a different approach.
Samhuinn is an invitation to ask ourselves
What are my core values?*
What do I want to create in my life? In which direction do I want to be moving?
What in my life is in alignment with my core values?
What is a distraction from my core values?
What is a distraction from what I want to create in my life, or where I want to go?
What in my life needs to die? What do I need to let go of?
It may often be that we know the things that are no longer serving us - what feels irritating or like a drag - but we don’t yet know what should come in it’s place. This is where we need to lean into trust and courage. This ‘facing of the unknown’ is also an important invitation of this time. To let go and allow for the emptiness, the confusion or the void - before the arrival of the new creative idea, the insight or the energising opportunity.
*If you want some help to figure this one out - there’s plenty of materials online, such as this personal values determination test.
Image by Henry Be on unsplash.
