Death & Marriage

Nothing makes me think of marriage more than Day of the Dead. Not in a negative way, necessarily, rather as a reminder that marriage (is intended to be) until death. A wedding is, a serious celebration…to death. A macabre interpretation, perhaps, but you cannot deny the parallel.

Quilt (above) made by Carrie Beauchamp
Alexandria, VA

Marriage is a rite of passage. The bride is on the threshold of a new life, shedding her independent single identity to build up a more complicated new one. She may not like all that being a wife has meant in the past, and yet she chooses to carefully reinvent that tradition rather than surrender to it or abandon it. She does not know what trials await her; she does not know who she will become. She may feel vulnerable and strangely alone, yet she faces her future with faith and a full, radiant heart.

xxx c.

MY Dia de los Muertos “OFRENDA” (Alter) 4 My Grandfather

This is my Dia de los Muertos alter, for my Grandfather (aka Paw-Baw). It is not fancy, I made do with what I had at my desk…but the meaning is there: remembrance and love.

If you too feel inspired to create a special place of memory for lost loved ones today. Here is a detailed description of “how to”:

CREATING YOUR ALTAR

One of the key elements of Dia De Los Muertos revolves around ofrendas, or offerings, which are created through a visual display of altar-making and grave decorating. The offerings, a main focal point of the observance, echo the dedication and distinct love that is presented toward the dearly departed. Altars can be created through a wide spectrum of dedications, depending on one’s creative desire. The altar includes the four main elements of nature - Earth, Wind, Water and Fire.

• Earth is represented by the crop: The soul is fed by the various earthly aromas. Placing fruit or favorite family dishes on the altar provides nourishment for the beloved souls.
• Wind is represented by a moving object: Paper- Mache is commonly utilized to represent the echoes of the wind.
• Water is placed in a container for the soul to quench its thirst after the long awaited journey to the altar. Water is also used for the means of purification.
• Fire is represented by a wax candle: Each lit candle represents a loving soul, and an extra one is placed for the forgotten soul.
• Copal - Incense burned to commemorate Pre-Columbian history.
• The Cempasuchitl-Marigold known as “The flower of the dead” blossoms in the valleys of Mexico during the months of October and November with a bright yellow color and is central to altar decorating. This flower aids the spirits to wander back.
• Pictures are widely used in honor of the individual you are paying homage to.
• The Skull - The common symbol of the holiday is the skull which is celebrated and represented by decorative masks called calacas. In addition sugar skulls are also tastefully created and inscribed with the names of both the honored and living recipients on the forehead as a means to remind us of our own mortality.

Of course, this is just a guide…the most important aspect of today is that of MEMORY & LOVE.

Feliz dia de los Muertos!

xxx c.

Dia de los Muertos: Marigolds 2 Brighten Our Path

Death has arrived
dancing the carisisqui
she has come to take with her
the visitors of Mixquic.

-Tacho, Street Poet

Source: Poem found in Mexico City, Mixquic & Morelos- Through the Eyes of the Soul, Day of the Dead in Mexico

As a little girl I adored marigolds. We planted them in our garden in all shades of yellow, orange and rust. Such a sunlike full flower they were hardy enough to withstand the torrential downpours of Seattle. How fitting then that they are such an integral part of Dia de los Muertos…

Flowers, symbolizing the brevity of life, are massed and fashioned into garlands, wreaths and crosses to decorate the altar and the grave. The marigold is the most traditional flower of the season. In Aztec times it was called the cempasuchil, the flower of 400 lives.

The fragrance of the cempasuchil leads the spirits home. Sometimes paths of the petals lead out of the cemetery and to the house to guide the spirits. A cross of marigold petals is formed on the floor so that as the spirit approaches the alter, he will step on the cross and expel his guilt.

(I wonder if it works if you are still living…xxx c.)

Dia de los Muertos: A Celebration of Death & Life Together

As we near el Dia de los Muertos, I find myself reflecting on those I have lost over the years. I have lost many to death. Some were close, some not; many were relatives, some friends. All represent a place in my heart. All deserve a moment of memory. Perhaps this is why the Day of the Dead is so very special to me. Often it seems as if I have lost more that I loved than those who are still living…from that perspective a day doesn’t seem enough. I think that this day, when the dead are said to revisit us, also appeals to my sense of fantasy. The thought of those lost returning, to be celebrated, honored, and remembered…doesn’t strike me in the ghost-haunting way, rather is oddly comforting.

The other part of Dia de los Muertos is the mockery of death; this also appeals to me for very different reasons. Day of the Dead celebrations were so popular throughout Mexico historically because they were felt to represent the great equalizer of the extremely stratified social class structure in that country. On this day, we are truly ALL the same:

We have lost loved ones to death.

We will one day die…and are in fact currently “cheating” death now.

When our death comes, we will be EXACTLY ALIKE…A SLELETON.

Beautifully poetic, when you think about it; a kind of morbid way of feeling connected to all people.

Death is the great equalizer.

And yet on this DAY we can all laugh and celebrate together knowing that while we carry death within us (our skeleton)…we are…ALIVE!

I love the dialectic of this (of course)…the fact that we share the cycle of existence commonly rings true to me…(life and death). And I appreciate both states equally. As I walk with death, I appreciate life, and I invite you to do the same. It is a surprisingly liberating!

xxx

conchita.

Sugar Skull Makeup

I am obsessed with sugar skulls, their horrific beauty touches something deep within me…this blog captures some of the most beautiful interpretations I’ve seen…enjoy, xxx c.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Monday’s Poem: ‘Halloween,’ by Sandra Beasley

Somewhere in town tonight,

a woman is discovering

her inner Sexy Pirate.

This is not to be confused

with one’s inner Sexy Witch,

Sexy Kitten, Sexy Librarian,

Sexy Bo Peep, Sexy Vampire,

Sexy Race Car Driver, or

inner Sexy Ophthalmologist.

She forgot to buy ribbon,

so she threads the corset’s eyelets

with gym shoes laces.

She re-poofs the sleeves

of her buccaneer blouse.

Arrrr, she says to the mirror.

Argh, the mirror sighs in return.

Once I asked my mother why

anyone would wear tights like that

to net a fish.

Wouldn’t your legs get cold?

Wouldn’t your heels slip

on the wet deck of a ship? Shush,

my mother said, adjusting the wig

on her Sexy Cleopatra.

Somewhere in town tonight,

a sitter sets out the pumpkin.

A girl studies its fat head.

They punch its eyes in, so

it can see. They cut its mouth out,

so it can smile. Now you bring it

to life, the sitter will say.

And where its seeds had been,

the girl will place a flame.

xxx c.