Wahya Circle
Thursday Thoughts

Comparative Practices 101
Death

“Worry not, child.
When Death comes, it will be welcomed with an open heart.”

This is a wonderful way for Practitioners to be. Unfortunately, most of us in today’s societies are not taught that “death” is a part of “life”. Nor are we taught the beauty in the raw nature of the event.

No. We are taught to fight and fear death. To ‘never grow old’. As Sapiens, we are taught by Ego to view death as an annihilation of our person, a radical personal transformation that can ‘never be undone’, a threat to the meaningfulness of life, and a threat to the completion of life projects.

All the while, Death is not as perceived.

We are not taught that we go on. Nor are we taught about a continuous, natural, separation and reintegration of Spirit and Matter that occurs over and over —and over again, many things.

We are not taught about Personal Shadow,

Familial Shadow, …or any Shadow!

There is proof that humans are “seemingly stuck” in socioeconomic cycles brought on by the generations before them being “seemingly stuck” – or “forced” to be so. Change must come and toxic self-talk and sabotage must stop.

STOP CALLING YOURSELF “WEIRD”. What we do as Practitioners is quite NORMAL.

We are not valued as thinking and feeling – sentient beings in the eyes of the Ego Driven around us. That in turn fuels us to devalue ourselves and seems to keep us in this perpetual state of Spiritual confusion. We have learned that “might makes right” and this is so far from the Truth.

We are not taught by our Elders that our Soul’s Work is ETERNAL and it may take MANY lifetimes to accomplish the goals we set. Setbacks are often viewed as failures. We feel “rushed”, never being shown how to set up ourselves to complete that process of goals. We often feel “behind” or “lost” or “seeking” something else.

We are not taught what “akashic” is -- nor are we taught true human history without a colonized patriarchal spin.

It is not their fault, they are taught the same misconceptions that we are.

We are wise to accept the cards we have been given, the chart we have been drawn and find Love. Love of Self first then love of another if we so desire. We must learn to test our limits and come to understand what TRUE “unconditional love” is. We WISEST to learn to forgive. The first person we must forgive… is ourselves.

Comparative Practices 101
Peonies for the Dead

A tradition long held amongst human kind, some say since we became the Ego driven creatures that we are, is to venerate our dead.

Maybe we do not do it in the way that all of the other Practitioners of the Arcane Arts do it, with an Ancestor Altar or specific Rites on the season changes, but we all do it.

Other interesting things we do for the dead … are feasting. It has long been a tradition of many families around the world to eat, give food to one another, or share meals when one passes, all serving different purposes.

IKWA OZU
Ikwa ozu, the “second burial” of Nigeria’s Igbo people is but one such tradition. Accordingly, the Igbo tribe, an ethnic group native to parts of southern Nigeria, believe death does not represent the end of life. It is the Igbo belief that death is the transition to a new world. It is believed that until a ceremony called ikwa ozu — loosely translated as “celebrating the dead” — has been performed, the deceased will be unable to take their place among their Ancestors.

While the specifics of these ceremonies differ from one community to another, one common factor is that they take place after the body has been buried. This allows the Rite to be called “Second Burial.” On these typically lavish occasions, which last anywhere from a few days to several weeks, the family of the deceased spends a small fortune on alcohol, livestock, and entertainment. (Those of the Norse Path also do this in a similar fashion.)

Sometimes, a mock trial is carried out to establish who, if anyone, was responsible for the death. In a rite known as ino uno akwa, a person known as an ada eats the deceased’s favorite meals, in complete silence, from dawn to dusk to provide the deceased with food in the afterlife. (The Norse too have a “death proxy” of sorts.)

These ceremonies are so expensive that the family often waits for several months after the original burial to hold them, sometimes combining the occasion with a grand memorial service.

Is it not interesting when compared to the Teutonic Tribes, or “Viking Traditions”? Norse people took burials seriously, as they too seemed to be driven by fear at times. Elaborate burials and related sacrifices seemed like a waste of effort, resources, livestock, and people—if not done correctly in the Rite. Feasts for days. Gifts for the dead. It all sounds so very… familiar. Oh, yeah, and there’s that pesky Olodumare and Odin connection again!

Comparative Practices 101
What Happens… When We Die?

It varies for all of us. For a glimpse of the how … and NOT the “when”, we were given natal charts as a kind of a road map of life occurrences. It is up to us, you know – FREE WILL, to take the “hard” ways or “easy” ways getting there with the choices we make. Where ever “there” is to that person. We think perception of life is a key.

We find that only in a few “book religions” are there no clues to the other-side. (Or no clues allowed.) This simply is not true. Many Indigenous and other Earth based religions know and have experienced otherwise. They often share and try to teach these experiences. Some have been shut down doing so… but some have not.

We have Practitioners that “walk between the worlds”, World Walkers, Hedge Witches, etc, who travel on a regular basis between, in Spirit, quite often. We have Mediums who speak with their Guides or channel deceased loved ones. We even have children who come back with memories so clear, they not only can take you to where they lived in their previous life, they can share names, dates, etc. Knowing there are experiences “beyond death” is a wonderful affirmation and confirmation for many as they continue on in their Soul Work. We just have to learn to be more welcoming when they return, and understand “children are not property” to be “seen and not heard”. We even have advanced Practitioners who regularly Work in the Astral.

But, on the other hand, we have Mediums who have spoken with Spirit Guides who have told us that some who die do not stay there. They do something like a “quick turn around” and are transmuted/reborn/reincarnated almost immediately. Many souls are not ready for that and spend the first few years of the next incarnation always “looking for something”.

Some believe this occurs due to predetermined Experiences, or “arrangements” having been made ahead of time for that Divine avatar to continue in rapid succession in that way.

There are even others who stay on the other side of the Veil, learning in Spirit, as that is an Experience to be had too.

No matter what happens, consider what you WANT to happen. NOW, in Life, is when you need to start talking to your Higher Self, aligning with Spirit that speaks to you, and arranging the continuance of Soul Work. Speak to your family. Speak to all of your loved ones. Death is NOT taboo.

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