As Dia De Los Muertos (Day of the Dead) approaches, it reminds us to think about our ancestors, family, friends, and pets who have passed. They lived their life for a time and are now no longer with us. Cherishing their memory and celebrating their life is good feng shui. On the Bagua (feng shui map), there is a sector for mentors and family in the Northwest direction. While many create altars across the globe on this day it is not for sadness but for joy – a time to reminisce and a tradition that can bring healing. The occasion, traditionally celebrated on November 1 and 2, helps us remember all the great qualities of the deceased, what they taught us, how they may have inspired us and what we can carry forward.
This is especially a poignant time for me as I just lost my beloved mother last week. While I miss her dearly, I cherish the memories we had together. I want to thank and celebrate her in a special way for the wonderful qualities she bestowed upon me so I can better carry on her legacy. I plan to prepare a beautiful altar for her. I’ll also add a picture of my beautiful Mom to my altar. It is how I want to remember her. This post is also dedicated to her.
The day was initially created by ancient indigenous people of Mexico who celebrated the lives of past ancestors for centuries. When it was first created, the celebration landed on the ninth month of the Aztec calendar and was observed for the entire month. In present day, the month long festivities were condensed to 3 total days called The Days of the Dead: Halloween on October 31, Day of the Innocents on November 1, and Day of the Dead on November 2.
This year in particular will be an occasion where I will be able to honor my mother through a Dia De Los Muertos altar, also known as an ofrenda, filled with all of the items she loved. In Feng shui, this is important because a big part of creating a safe space in your home is by incorporating family within it. I will be able to create a space for my mother’s memory and place items like photos and momentos to make the most out of this special occasion. A common figurine or image is of detailed and ornate skulls with roses, marigolds, other florals and colorful designs – this brings joy into the home and allows for the weight of grief to take a backseat.
The altar also prevents stagnant and negative energy from coming inside the home. A moment of remembrance that peace versus exhaustion and joy versus sadness. The wonderful thing about this tradition is that it’s not to be a sad time. In fact, it tends to bring the opposite energies into your home and often brings families together in conversation while exchanging stories of those being remembered.
As we are creating this year’s altars (ofrendas), we can all find joy in the vibrant memories. As a tip, both H-E-B and Target have Dia De Los Muertos collections of items you can get to help create your space from tapestries to banners and frames for your loved ones. We can use these days to bring light back into our home.
Love and Miss you Mom.
