Celebrating 'Change', the only constant

One of my favorite events in the Fall is the Day of the Dead (Dia de los Muertos) celebration. Growing up in Mexico, this quirky, humorous, and expressive celebration of death and those who've gone before us, was impossible to ignore. Right now preparations are in full swing everywhere in Mexico. Nowhere more so than in the beautiful state of Oaxaca.

I find it delightfully powerful to be this intimate with something as dreaded and reviled in our western culture as death. To be in relationship with those loved ones who have passed through that threshold is a gift beyond imagining. In Mexico, it is believed that the best way to keep this connection alive is through remembrance, thus the tradition of setting up elaborate altars to loved ones, full of flowers, food, mementos, pictures, drinks, candles and sweets.

Last year, my friend Adpurkh and I led a fun and joyful playshop of this holiday. We created altars, dressed up, facepainted, danced and painted pumpkin skulls. Building on last year's momentum, we would love to have you join us on our FREE Day of the Dead adventure.

We invite you to play with us once again, on Sunday afternoon Oct 31st, 1-3pm Pacific. It's our invitation to reach across to the other side and connect with your loved ones through paper, paint and glitter using a creatively quirky, and transformational process called Cosmic Smashbooking. Whether you've heard or done Cosmic Smasbooking before doesn't matter, for we'll take you on an journey by creating a beautiful page(s) space for you to be in relationship with those who've gone before you.

In preparation you can start gathering some simple materials and possibly creating an altar this week in preparation for our FREE playshop weekend. Dig up pictures of loved ones, candles, beautiful cloths, flowers and cherished artifacts that remind you of that connection. And have fun creating a beautiful altar space.

Here are some elements to include:

Fire: to symbolize our love and as a guiding light.

Water: To quench their thirst and strengthen their spirits

Flowers and Food: to bring favorite flavors and color to the afterlife.

In Mexico, it is believed that all the offerings placed on the altar guide our loved ones to enjoy a unique moment with us, somehow creating a time-out-of-time to reminisce and honor them.

Won't you join us? An adventure indeed! Here is the zoom registration link to the FREE Day of the Dead playshop. Once registered a more detailed list of materials will be included.

https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZcqdu-rqz0jGNaAX56CeqKQ5ApFVkSZVeCW