Blessed Samhain

 (This was originally a post from one of my IG accounts, la luna bruja. I'm writing an extended version here.)

References to the Samhain (Samhuinn, Sauinn) festival can be found in the earliest Irish literature from the 9th century. It was also around that time that the Western Church declared 1 November as All Saints' Day, which only goes to show that there is so much connection between Christianity and what is now considered pagan beliefs. God is universal - and so is the Goddess. When we call out to the Universe, we call out to God and the Goddess. When the Universe showers us with blessings, the blessings are are also coming from God and the Goddess. When the Universe saves our asses, we're guaranteed that God and the Goddess are looking out for us . We may call It what we want, God , Goddess, Universe, Allah, Jehovah, the Great Big Cat in the Sky, it's all One and the Same, giving us hope, bringing us fresh starts, teaching us love and compassion for everyone.

la luna bruja is a relatively new account (yup, me and my new beginnings, even when people are already leaving Instagram) and for the longest time I had been wondering what to post in this account. Doing my first post on Samhain is quite serendipitous as this is also a time for new beginnings. In fact, it is also considewred as the Irish New Year, the beginning of the darkness that brings the promise of light, blessed by the nearness of our ancestors. A full year has ended, the harvest is done, and we celebrate the beginning of a new cycle.

Earlier, I was doing my morning prayer in my journal, following the gratitude prompt from jesusjournaljunkies, community. I was initially saddened by the thought that I really don't have a community to speak of - I've pretty much isolated myself from almost everyone I care about and I'm not a part of any organization or circle that I can call my tribe. But in the process of writing down my prayer, I realized that even when I think I don't have a community to call my own, God is reminding me that my community, my people, my tribe, is out there and all I have to do is reach out. I realized that I'm not really alone, that even when I tend to focus too much on my issues and concerns (yeah, wallowing much), I still have my constants - my family - T. C, A, my siblings and parents and in-laws and nieces and nephews; my friends, P, R, M, V; my Benedictine tribe - T, W, E, M, A, M, J; my team/officemates/ex-officemates; people who help me cope creatively when my mind doesn't want to give me a break - T, G, K, and A; and people who reach out to me even if only to offer me something that they're selling (mostly food haha) or even those who reach out to borrow/ask for money. This is the essence of the community I'm in - I get the help I need and I also extend help to those in need. They don't necessarily have to be close friends or relatives, but they are part of my community. And in one way or another, we learn from each other and we appreciate God/Goddess/the Universe through each other. And I'm quite grateful that I'm reminded that I don't really have to feel so alone because there are people around me who care - I just have to reach out and let them in. 

So here's wishing you all to recognize your community and never take them for granted. May you have people partaking in your harvest and holding your hand as you enter another life cycle.

Blessed be.