Celebrate Death!

The Archangels Explain Why Death is so Misunderstood

I live on the U.S./Mexican border in El Paso, Texas.  I can literally see Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico from the freeway, and the Mexican culture is on full, wonderful, beautiful display everywhere you look.  Where I live, the population is over 80% Hispanic, and it is commonplace to see young ladies celebrate at quinceañeras, swing at piñatasat birthday parties, hear Spanish being spoken every time you’re in public, hear Mexican music playing on the radio, and there’s a Catholic church in every neighborhood that displays statues of Our Lady of Guadalupe, with many masses being offered in Spanish.  We celebrate Mexican holidays, too, including diez y seis de septiembre, cinco de mayo, and on November first, many of us celebrate el Dia de los Muertos, the Day of the Dead. 

The idea behind the Day of the Dead is not to mourn the people you’ve lost to death, but to celebrate their lives.  It’s very common to see alters set up in homes with pictures of the deceased, perhaps surrounded by some of their favorite things, including food, drinks, and memorabilia.  It’s a beautiful custom.

I’m no stranger to loss.  I lost my dad to cancer in 2010, my mother to Alzheimer’s a year later, and two years after that, I lost my husband to Parkinson’s.  Later, I lost a dear friend to ALS, and my beloved sister, also to Alzheimer’s.  There have been others along the way, and I still miss them all.  I used to sort-of joke that I wished I could just skip the month of January completely, as both my parents and my husband all died in that month, and I became very resentful at the idea of the “anniversary of someone’s death.”  I thought, aren’t anniversaries supposed to be happy times, occasions to celebrate?  It turns out they are.  The Mexicans have set aside an entire holiday to do exactly that, and I think it’s great!  I asked the Archangels to comment on celebrating people who have died, and their response follows.

Question:  So many people find death scary and tragic, but according to some customs, it should be celebrated.  What can you add to this idea?

Answer:

Few people associate death with celebration, except perhaps to share a feeling of relief that suffering has ended or gladness that someone they did not like is no longer around.  You are correct that much fear and discomfort is associated with death, but there is another side to this story, in addition to the celebration of life that some cultures practice, such as is the case in Mexico’s Dia de los Muertos and the Irish wake celebrations, among others.  People are catching onto this idea of celebration of life, rather than holding onto the somber grief of death, which is wonderful, but we would add that death for most souls is an occasion for celebration, as they return to their true home and reclaim their entire persona, so to speak.

When most souls incarnate, they do so without the universal consciousness and knowledge they carry as souls, so they can gain experience within a human life setting and acquire spiritual growth, learning important lessons that serve them well which have been targeted and allow for spiritual growth. 

There are many beautiful aspects to being human that should be treasured.  A physical life offers many wonderful experiences which cannot be experienced outside a physical body, but in order to access these things, you must also relinquish certain things in most cases.  As a soul without a body, you do not require food, drink, shelter, exercise, medical treatments, etc.  You do not require a job, although most souls perform many tasks, and you do not need money. You can manifest and travel at will.  You know how the Universe works, along with its history and creation, and you remember all of the lifetimes through which you have lived.  You communicate and recognize others through thoughts and energy.  You live where there is only acceptance and love for all living beings. No wars, no anger, not resentment, no bitterness.

Rather than competition – the rat race – there is collaboration and cooperation.  Rather than anger, there is compassion.  Rather than fear, there is hope.  Rather than separation, there is unity.  Rather than hate, there is love.  And yet, as beautiful as that all is, most souls choose to reincarnate again and again to continue to grow spiritually, so they can be in closer communion with the Creator and with advanced spiritual beings, like those many of you refer to as Ascended Masters. 

When a human being dies, the soul leaves the body and makes its way back home.  It is often guided by spiritual beings, and most have little trouble finding their way.  When they reach this familiar destination, they are greeted by their Guides and previously deceased friends and relatives.  There is a celebration of reunion and much relief and joy at returning to their real, true home and being around those who accept and love them unconditionally, leaving behind the angst associated with the life that has just ended, whatever form it took.  There is no pain such as that which accompanies illness and old age.  There is no uncertainty, as the universal knowledge you left behind when you lived on Earth returns.  There is joy and peace and a feeling of complete belonging.

We would also remind you that, although most of you cannot see or hear your loved ones once they cross back over, they can see and hear you.  They often check up on you, and their love for you never ends.  They miss you, but they keep in touch with what is happening in your life, and they help when they can.  They often visit you in your dreams.  They always forgive you of anything you did that caused them pain or harm when they were alive on Earth.  It pleases them that you do not forget them, but it bothers them when your memories of them bring you more pain than joy.

They can hear you when you speak to them, so feel free to speak to them often.  They are always happy to hear from you.  If you like, the Archangels, especially Gabriel, are happy to help deliver messages, which carry your energy, but this is an optional step you can take.  They will know of your love for them, regardless.

In this context, we hope you can begin to fear death less.  Life is much harder, you know, yet you brave it all the time and conquer it often.  Death is a fast and easy transition for the soul, and it is a welcome one in most cases.  You have many potential points in your life when you are given the option of staying or leaving, although you are not likely to be aware of these times.  In most cases, souls elect to stay longer, so they can accomplish more and grow spiritually, but they are always happy to return home when the time comes. 

Please know that you do not have to fear any judgment, condemnation, or punishment, even though that is not what many of you are taught to believe.  We say again that you are loved unconditionally and have nothing to fear upon returning home.  There will be a life review to see what impact you made while alive, and you will evaluate the lessons learned, but this is a helpful time, even if it is sometimes difficult in some ways.  You do not lose the love you have of people who died before you, or the love you have for those you leave behind.  It continues.  You continue.  You become more, not less.

Final Thoughts

I’ll be gathering pictures and keepsakes of the people I’ve loved and temporarily lost today, so that tomorrow, I can place them all together, light a candle, have some conversations, and share some loving energy with them.  I’ll remember the good times, not the loss.  I’ll invite them into my thoughts and life and dreams, and I’ll tell them I love and miss them, but that I’m happy for them, knowing they are happy and at peace.  I may even toast them with a margarita!

Whether or not you celebrate el Dia de los Muertos, I hope you find comfort in remembering the good times you spent with the people you’ve loved and lost.  Really, we haven’t lost them at all.

Blessings, all.