Day of the Dead

Honouring the Ancestors

During the height of lockdown earlier this year, I delivered a talk about Death & Re-birth. The key takeaway is that allowing old parts of us to die opens the re-birth of new versions of ourselves.

Ancestral practice has often been the bridge or contact point that is capable of yoking our lives in this world with the otherworld, life with death, and spirit with matter. We live in a “death-phobic” culture that abhors any real relationship with death and, because of this, our death arts, including ancestor veneration, have fallen out of favour.

Ancestor veneration is itself another instinctive human behavior that all of our original people once embodied as a living part of daily life, regular ritual, and sacred celebration. In traditional communities, a person’s sense of self and their understanding of the world was weaved into their relationship with both their genetic and cultural ancestors. We now know through scientific research that the events, circumstances, and experiences our ancestors had are encoded in our DNA.

During 31 October – 2 November, the veils between the physical and spiritual worlds are the thinnest and the ability to connect and honour our ancestors is easier.

Connecting with our ancestors brings many good things into our lives:

• They invite us into a system, a network, a community, or more accurately, they make us aware that we’re already one
• We become more ‘connected as we awaken the conduit that runs our blood and bones back and forth along the spirit/matter continuum.
• When we are connected to where we come from, we have a better sense of the map of our life and where we are going.
• We awaken a support system untapped into before
• You are connected via DNA so there is a flow between you and your ancestors. Harmonizing this flow creates goodness in your life.

This is principally a celebration of life and death!

RSVP: Please note there are things you will need to bring, so please RSVP to get prepared & to receive directions. Space is limited & pre-payment is required. RSVP to 084 680 6029

Investment: R175

Date: 6.30-9pm, Saturday 31 October. Doors open 6.15pm

Venue: Julia Tiffin’s Practice, Cape Town City Bowl