Dia De Los Muertos Night #2

In the tradition of Dia De Los Muertos, tonight is the second night to make offerings of gratitude, thanks and acknowledgment for those who have passed on. For family, friends, lovers, ancestors and people who touched our lives. Tonight, my son is making a piece of art for his grandmother Charlotte who passed on before he was born. I've noticed candy these days smells like perfume and cologne, that's probably because they are made with some of the same chemicals. Creating an ancestral offering is a nice art project to do with Halloween candy which is chalk full of artificial flavors, colors and corn syrup. Make sure to use hard candy, because we found that lollipops melt in the glue.

Offerings for a departed loved one could be:

A stiff drink
His or her favorite food
A poem
A song
Flowers
Shells
Rocks
A letter

Departed friends and family members always have messages for those living on this side of the veil, on this lovely earthly plane. Dia De Los Muertos, (All Souls Day), is an ideal time to receive messages from them, to trust your intuition and to open up communication between you and those beloved ones who have passed on. Simple gestures such as the offerings above are a wonderful ways to begin a dialogue, and to honor your feelings, to help move old or new feelings of grief, and to allow them to give you assurances and open you up to signs.

My own grandfather is 'chomping at the bit' for me to finish the writing project I needed to complete months ago. I feel lucky to be under the tutelage of everyone's spirit guides and guardian angels, learning new things every day. The messages coming through have been so enriching, that I cannot imagine having completed the manuscript without the new wisdom imparted to me and my clients through the work.

Dried plants can be offered into a fire, such as tobacco, coffee or cedar, which may be accompanied by a letter which you may choose to read aloud. Or you can simply put a drink or plate of food upon your mantel, coffee table, or bureau, in a loved one's honor. Your altar could have a photograph of your ancestors, a book by your favorite author, a hand-carved whale from your trip abroad, and a candle you light for your favorite aunt or uncle.

Often you will know your loved ones are around because of a sense of peace they bring, a fragrance in the room, or something curious or unusual occurs. For example, twenty minutes after master Hero made his grandmother Charlotte the art piece, he decided he was going to wash dishes, and he did so cheerily, laughing. This is how he behaves on the rare occasion that his Nana visits us from out of state. I can easily picture her whispering lovingly into his ear, happy to be in the kitchen with her grandson.