WHEREVER I GO
AND WHATEVER I SEE
IN MY HEART AND SOUL
YOU’LL ALWAYS BE WITH ME
~Ken Wilbur, Grace and Spirit
“Though the ordinary man looks upon death with dread and sadness, those who have gone before know it is a wondrous experience of peace and freedom.”
~Paramahansa Yogananda
Death
When someone you love dies, it is significant shatter to your spirit. It may be overwhelming for some at first, or perhaps the shock doesn’t come until later, days or even years. But as I am being witness to myself in observing what death feels like to me, with someone I was very close with, I notice the desire to connect to my loved one in little reminders of her, and things that make me think of her. I feel that we do things to comfort our urge in being close to our loved one, and in doing so, it is part of our own healing process of the acceptance of their loss. Death is a huge subject, and all people handle it in their own way. Some people don’t feel a desire to connect to their loved one, but many like to connect to them in any way they can. When death happens, and in particular to a significant person in someone’s family; someone who was a leader to all those that followed, it can and will make a huge difference in how the rest of the family relate to one another, and hold gatherings that they always had organized in their deceased loved one’s honor.
I can foresee the future of my own family, having perhaps resistance to doing things any differently since the tradition stayed consistent for many years during our grandmothers later years when she was no longer able to go to places to celebrate, and we all gathered where she was, to support her in being a part of the family, and doing things together; including her, but sacrificing what might be more fun to everyone else since she could hardly walk. On some level, we let her lead our events because of this, and compromised our own needs or desires, and even though now we might be able to finally get out there and expand our horizons, we just might continue doing the same thing we have always done, as change might be hard for anyone to grieve the loss of the one they love; and in particular a grandmother who lived nearly a century.
“Our real self, the soul, is immortal. We may sleep for a little while while in that change called death, but we can never be destroyed. We exist, and that existence is eternal. The wave comes to the shore, and then goes back to the sea; it is not lost. It becomes one with the ocean, or returns again in the form of another wave. (a reference to reincarnation). This body has come, and it will vanish; but the soul essence within it will never cease to exist. Nothing can terminate that eternal consciousness.”
~ Paramahansa Yogananda
“The word “death” is a great misnomer, for there is no death; when you are tired of life, you simply take off the overcoat of flesh and go back to the astral world.”
~Paramahansa Yogananda
Prayer
No matter what beliefs or religion you have, it is crucial to pray, and prayer alone has so much power and sacredness in it, but when you pray in the honor of your deceased loved one, it takes prayer, intention and your focus to a whole new level.
The meaning of the word prayer is: 1. A reverent petition made to a deity. 2. An act of praying. 3. A specially worded form of praying. 4. prayers. A religious observance in which praying predominates. 5. A fervent request. 6. The slightest chance.
In the act of praying, you are creating a new relationship with what it is you are praying for; whether you are praying the same thing over and over again, or recreating your vision, view or relationship to that which you are praying to, or praying for. Prayer alone creates magic! It creates a feeling of magic within oneself that anything is possible, and what it is you are praying to gets to experience you as the creator of your vision. The energy of your spirit multiplies into the universe and sends out the intention into the world, and as your intention is magnified and your heart goes out into what you are praying to, most of the time, the prayer is received and returned. Our thoughts have power in them, and our words, even more powerful. When we speak our words into the world, our words create a reality that match what it is we desire, what we believe and what we long for. Hence, when we speak words of love, loving things return to us. And, therefore, when we speak words of anger, vengeance or darkness, dark experiences often come to us. It is so crucial to put intention into ones words, and in the journey of healing, never to be intentional about causing harm to any other human being, but rather be intentional about how you are feeling, being honest, truthful and kind. What one wants may not always manifest, but when one speaks of ones desires with love, intention and power, you just never know what will happen. You may be gifted with a glorious surprise!
“The first thing that happens when we die, is what we believe will happen to us when we die.”
~Gretchen Vogel
Prayer and Connecting To Your Deceased Loved One I’ve been reading this remarkable book called: Choices In The Afterlife; What We Can Do and Where We Can Go After Death, by: Gretchen Vogel, and it is extraordinary. I’m discovering that every personality, every human who passes onto the spirit world lives into the same personality that they had while they were living. Some who leave go onto their next journey and finally reconnect with the love of their life again, or have a reunion with their parents that were long gone before they died. In a way they are having a party on the astral realm, free from the limitations of their body, or the pain that existed in their limbs. Some of them choose to stay near by, watching over their loved ones who are still living; as a Guardian Angel of sorts, and others go up higher into the spirit world, making peace with the life they lived on earth, and prepare to move on to their next destination, and often times preparing to be reborn once again.
When someone first dies, I believe they stay on the Earth Realm for several weeks before they move onto their next place, and during those first few weeks after death, is the most sacred and significant time to pray to them, for they haven’t quite left the Earth yet, or in a sense, they are preparing to decide where they want to go next. Some beliefs feel as though if you pray to them too much, you are overpowering them with your will and keeping them back by staying near you. However, in the acceptance and grieving for both you and your deceased loved one, I believe it is important to pray to them; to let them know you love them, accept that they chose to move on, and give of your heart to them. This helps them to make the next decisions they need to make to prepare for their next work. Some, I feel, can choose to be angels, however, not constrained by the 3rd Dimension of the Earth, but living higher in the 4th Dimension and making themselves available to you upon your request. I believe they may stay this way for a short time or a very long time, and when they are ready to return to Earth, they will prepare themselves for coming into a new body. I believe while they are on the astral realm, they are in training so to speak, and whatever it is they choose to do on the astral realm is reflective of the same personality they had while on Earth; they may be stubborn, they may be lazy, or they may make quick decisions and transcend to the next realm yet again.
However you pray is your journey and your faith, but prayer alone to the one you love who has left you recently, or even some time ago, is very helpful to both you and your loved one. It creates healing that will support both of your journeys!
“I am still–and will always be—myself alone. but, as myself, I know, now, I am not alone.
~Timothy Findley, Inside Memory
Blessings to you, and to All!
Jen
Dedicated to my grandmother, who only passed a few days ago, June 1st, 2012, 7:45am.
I will always love you.