Death Shadow Work: Prompts for Gypsy Tribe
“Death is the permanent cessation of all biological functions that sustain a living, physical organism. Death may refer to the end of life as either an event or condition. In many cultures and in the arts, death is considered a being or otherwise personified, wherein it is usually capitalized as “Death”.”
This month is the seasonal time of year when Death, the Mother-Maiden-Crone, Hecate and all the deities for deep transition make their spaces known. In 2020 the veil is exceptionally thin due in part to the astrological transitions (a 200 year shift of Sat/Jup/Pluto into a new sign) and the adverse effects of said transition causing major life shifts for the entire world. We are ALL feeling the market changes, the health insecurities, the economy stress, the COVID transition and therefore, our lives have all changes significantly. For many this has brought upon major bouts of depression, reality checks, emotional outbursts and desperation for change and control. Divorce, graduation, career plans, long-term investments, retirement are all major themes as we even welcome babies that ‘have waited full circle’ to return to mothers who weren’t planning them; 2020 is a year of IN YOUR FACE Change.
The thing is, it’s not over. November comes with a roller coaster of political and societal turbulence, but astrology says we’ll have TRUMP in office by December 21st and vaccine/Covid23 will be the new shift of concern. Unity WILL happen but not for the reasons we think, Civil War will happen but not with the sides or flags you’re envisioning, and America will have a great upheaval that leads to grand shifts - but again, not in the ways we can predict. We simply must be ready, prepared, calm, in control of ourselves - amidst a chaotic environment. The thing is, it’s hard - but not impossible.
Choose your friends, family, surroundings, new home space and hobbies well - be smart and resourceful. Use the internet, don’t let it use you - and if you can, use this introspective time of high-emotional energy to connect with the Universe and get the spiritual peace you’ll NEED in 2021.
If you’re in battle, famous, meeting your maker or breaking glass ceilings, you cannot have that backpack of past trash with you, that toxic energy is not allowed to come along. So, the shadow work has us delving into GETTING TO KNOW DEATH.
I start a meditation session in the same fashion, with consistency to my routine and head space and also a nod to the same details. Like yoga or home, we grow comfortable with familiar items so using the same mat, same music, same smells or similar details to recreate or USE the same space when meditating is very helpful.
Next, mindfully ground, center and protect your space and energy, vessel and surrounding space. Call to your guides and focus on your intent of the session. I start music to connect and invoke my specific guides for the session either with offerings, by name, writing their sigils or telepathically rummifying over their energy. Once I feel ‘connected’ and I see/hear/feel the presence of my guides, I lower my ‘spiritual shields’ to become open to receive information from the Divine (and guides) with permission to have helpful, relevant, accurate information towards reaching my goal: Getting to Know Death.
For this exercise I am going to write the following grid on paper and in my session, meditate and keep notes on the information that comes:
Death Scenario - Age - Proximity to Death - Feelings - Time Proximity - Relationship - Details
The notes begin to show me that for example, the first time I ‘met Death’ was my first funeral. I was only a small girl, and it was for the funeral of my grandfather on my mother’s side. She hated her dad and I don’t remember being present when she got the news he had passed. In fact, I don’t remember much - we drove a very long distance to the funeral, it was cold. I remember a young boy, about my age, playing the bass cello and me being very impressed at his skill. I remember my grandfather’s skin looking more like leather than human skin and he smelled too strongly of cologne for me to get any closer. The emotions were scarce, vague, and I was showing up about a week after DEATH had come.
I begin to write notes on the second experience, a scenario wherein I was stumbling upon our childhood farm of baby rabbits being eaten alive by our family dog. Gruesome, just after DEATH had been there, taking the lives of many, and without me knowing who or what had happened, I felt scared and worried. I was in a panic and fearful to tell my parents because I also was concerned I might be associated with it, I was there while the blood was still dripping; I could smell, see, hear and feel the energy lingering. I didn’t cry, but feelings weren’t vague like at my grandfather’s funeral… this time my emotions were as visceral as the memory of baby rabbits’ feet littering the barn floor. DEATH feels different when you’re too close, or love the taken more, or don’t have any details at all.
I cry, I remember, I take as many notes as I can in the session and eventually look down at a paper full of notes. How did it feel, sound, and taste… what has DEATH taught me about myself and what do I know of DEATH. The more you know it, it becomes personified. You can then use the 12 archetypes to fill in your details of DEATH or you can simply meditate deeper to a place where you give gratitude to the session. See DEATH approach, and with distance and respect, give thanks to the energy that (without judgement) greets us on a milestone day of our lives and helps ferry us to our next place of existence.
For me, DEATH is a he. Usually HE is a male because our human energy moves in an alchemy spectrum of Earth, Water, Air to Fire. Our existence and soul is extinguished just as the spark of our behaviors and warmth of our vessel expire; death is the fire going out. When we reach the ‘end’, fire to ash, the light goes dim on our present existence and in that VOID we are taken to the next place to grow and evolve, leaving our loved ones in the physical realm… behind. Fire energy, the end of the spectrum, is YANG (male) energy that is designed to be successful, bright, powerful, and influential to others who live on. The masculine energy of FIRE will pass the ashes of your ONCE WAS to Mother Earth and once again, you’re essence will be recycled into EARTH magic and intentions will move on again…
It’s powerful and magical, beautiful and meaningful. HE who rides the pale horse is a faceless man, a headless horseman of sorts, which by design is meant to remind us that DEATH does not greet us with a smile or smirk, a sympathetic grin or disapproving frown. DEATH has no face, no reaction to your ending, as it should be ONLY YOU who stands with judgement, ONLY GOD who knows your sin and approves/rebukes for transition and growth, not HE in black. DEATH might barter time, a fleeting moment, with pleasures of the mortal world - like Baron and his rum, Lucifer and his games, Hades and his kinks - but this deity cannot judge, change, control or reverse your transition. So, whether you come with prayers, silver coins, tobacco or offerings of money… the most important thing is perhaps that you took your own awareness to KNOW DEATH enough to see him coming, to be prepared, to be happy and peaceful at his arrival on your special day.