I love autumn, and there is something special about the chill of the air and the feeling as the veil thins. I grew up in northern New Mexico, and I remember seeing decorations and hearing about my friend’s celebrations of El Día de los Muertos or The Day of the Dead. Still, I never got to participate or learn much about it. However, I have always been interested in the celebration, and Llewellyn’s Little Book of the Day of the Dead has rekindled my interest from my childhood.
Llewellyn's Little Book Series is spectacular!
Jaime Gironés is a beautiful writer. The imagery painted within the book is stunning as he brings us into a deep understanding of the culture and magic surrounding the Day of the Dead celebrations.
“We celebrate death because death is not the end. Death is a transformation. We celebrate the lives our loved ones lived, and we honor them. We celebrate the love we shared.”
This quote reminds me of the death card from tarot. Death in the tarot is often seen as a frightening card because we often fear death, but rather it is a card of transformation. Gironés shows this throughout his book in a beautiful way.
The past year has been a stark reminder that we are not as invincible as we thought we might be, but this book taught me to look at death in a new light. Instead, when death comes and rocks our families, it is a good reminder that we should be looking at death more like other cultures and celebrate the transformation into what is next.
I have always had a hard time working with my ancestors because I am adopted. I often felt a disconnection when I did, but Gironés allowed me to see that many other souls need honoring than just those we call family, such as orphans or those lost to natural disasters. In the following quote, Gironés shows us that we can honor the ancestors who came before and those of place and spirit. Someday we may also be someone’s ancestor of blood, place, or spirit.
“The best way to honor our ancestors is to every day try to become a better person, creating a better version of ourselves and a better version for the world. We often think of our ancestors and other people who came before us as if our state will remain constant: the ancestors and us, the dead and the living. However, we will be somebody else’s ancestors one day, either by blood, of place, or of spirit. Even if we do not plan to have children of our own, our actions today create possibilities for the people of tomorrow. Our ancestors had their ancestors when they were alive, and so we are yet to be the ancestor of our land and of our world. Let’s start protecting and cherishing our land and community today and creating a better world for the people of tomorrow.”
This book could not have been more beautifully written. I am so honored that this book came into my life. I highly recommend you pick up a copy and allow it to enchant you and your magic.