Today brings old wounds to the surface. Despite the transitional moods of Samhain — or, let’s be honest, quite possibly because of them — we find ourselves longing more often for cherished moments from the past, for people we held dear, for hopes we once held close to our hearts. As we take stock before entering the dark half of the year, we look back not only on the year we have lived through, but on our lives as a whole.

There truly is much to remember, to look back on, and to reassess. From a distance, everything appears differently—and, oddly enough, more clearly: what happened, why it happened, and where it was all leading us, both around us and within us. When regret or even guilt arises over wrong actions or decisions, the most important thing is not to sink into this darkness. These feelings and this clarity are not given so that you punish or condemn yourself, but for awareness, reevaluation, and change—both inner and outer.

The same applies to sweet memories of the past: don’t dive into them too deeply or linger there. Don’t leave yourself behind in the past or prevent yourself from living here and now, from moving forward no matter what. Don’t try to piece together the shards—some mirrors needed to break. And in that lies a special, hidden blessing, one that can be appreciated only with time. Only through this experience do we rise to a completely different level.

May all doors open for you!
© Elena Shuwany