Conscious Remembrance – The Spiritual Lessons of Ancestor Veneration

In the Americas a belief originating with the Aztecs that the souls of the dead returned to Mexico with the migration of the monarch butterfly each fall, spawned today’s popular Día de los Muertos during which sugar skulls and Pan de Muerto or ‘bread of the dead’ an anise flavored brioche is baked to honor the dead at graveside feasts. Taque Santun Arupa is held in Bolivia, a celebration that dates back to pre-Hispanic times in which families prepare loafs shaped like men, ladders and lamas made from quinoa flour to coax the dead into visiting the living.

These days of the dead were festive and bright. They were filled with lots of good food and loving memories. For most of modern society the role of ancestor has shifted from loving guardian, to troubled ghost representing past and buried troubles that must be overcome. Instead of offerings, blame is laid at their feet in closed-door sessions treating current abusive behaviors, family pain and even alcoholism. But it doesn’t have to be this way. We can change the way we feel and how we treat our dead and move them back into a venerated position. We can honor our dead by visiting their graves and leaving flowers. We can light a candle as we consciously remember them in life. It is important to honor those who have gone on before as it brings death into the context of our daily experience and reminds us that dying is not the end but part of the cycle of life.