Leaves
I am taking a break from raking the many leaves that have fallen in my back yard. At first I found it amusing to think that at a time of year when it is time to release things that no longer serve your highest good, that I am gathering together a bunch of dead leaves. Then I realized that I was forgetting about the next step, which is throwing them away. So ritualistically I am gathering all of the dead and decaying things in my life and throwing them out. Whether a person celebrates Samhain or not, it is a good idea to rake the leaves in one's life at least once a year, if not more. When we wait for just this one opportunity at Samhain, it ends up being more work than if we get into a habit of cleaning up on a more regular basis. Being human is a condition that seems to prevent us from easily sloughing off attachments that no longer serve us, yet with wisdom, we can learn this skill. At the opposite end of the spectrum of Samhain is the idea of rebirth from the ash