On this eve of All Hallows Eve, do you have the courage to look beyond the mask of the material world, into the Spirit Realm - the place of our beginning - the time of our Unborness; & the testing ground of our ending, when we shuffle off this mortal coil, only to begin again - & yet again - as we strive toward the eternal…?
Take heart dear friends, for every ending is a new beginning. During All Hallows–tide we stand at the Cross Quarter between Autumn Equinox & Winter Solstice, a time when great transformations are possible. Since the veils between the worlds are so thin, the power of All the worlds are available to us. What is it like to cultivate in our lives at this time, an awareness of Death - this important human initiation - this true rite-of-passage? Can we work consciously to “Cross the Threshold”, as we do in meditation, in sleep, & ultimately in our life between death & rebirth..?
As far back as ancient India, Persia, Mesopotamia & Sumeria, we find many initiation myths like the Epic of Gilgamesh, & the Descent of Inanna, that describe communicating with the dead, & a journey to the Underworld.
In Ancient Egypt we find: The Book of the Dead = The ‘Book of Coming Forth by Day’ or the ‘Book of Emerging Forth into the Light’; an ancient Egyptian funeral text illustrated with vignettes depicting the deceased on their journey in the afterlife. This guide was placed in the coffin or burial chamber. The Book consists of a number of magic spells intended to assist the human soul thru the Duat, or Underworld, & into the Afterlife. It was written by many priests over a period of over a 1000 years! Perhaps, since in our time now we are recapitulating the Egyptain epoch, we might gain insight by looking into this text with modern eyes.
From ancient Greece we have the story of Demeter - & Persephone, as Queen of the Underworld, connected to the secret festival of ‘Thesmophoria’, celebrated exclusively by women. They dressed in white robes & observed strict chastity before the ceremony. According to the Greek mythology handed down by the Patriarchy, Demeter’s daughter, Persephone, was gathering Autmn flowers when she was taken by Pluto, god of the underworld, into his subterranean kingdom. In the ancient women’s rite, on the 1st night of ‘Thesmophoria’, this myth was re-enacted as Persephone’s empowering Initiation Ritual oepning her to the mysteries of of death & resurrection.
On the 2nd day, the women fasted – Part of the ceremony included lowering a wild boar, sacred to the goddess Circe & Hecate, into chasms in the earth as a sacrifice. On the 3rd night, the bones from former festivals were placed on altars & mixed with seed corn, which was then sown in the fields as a kind of magical fertilizer to ensure a good crop. Then they had a big feast.
Although this festival was sacred & solemn, there was a lot of rather bawdy jokes in the style of the wild Crone Baubo, the sexually liberated Goddess of Mirth, who jested with Demeter to try & cheer her up after the loss of her daughter, & get her to bring fertility back to the earth again. After the feast, to promote the fertility of the corn, before going to sleep, the women would cast herbs on their beds seeking lucid dreams.
The Romans had a similar festival in honor of Ceres – goddess of the grain.
Also with the Eleusinian mysteries, we see Initiation Rites enacted to gain inspiration from the gods, & advice from their dead ancestors during the dark of the year.
Traditionally, around the Harvest & Blood Moon, the hunters are out in force - since after the end of the breeding season, & before the severe weather comes to kill off many of these creatures anyway, they were taken for the cooking-pot, to supplement what might otherwise be a rather meager winter diet.
With all this death around, it is not surprising that people’s thoughts turned to human mortality.
From death comes new life - The Celts call All Hallows Eve, Samhain - “Summer’s End” - The start of a New Year. When you think about it, it makes sense to celebrate the old year as it dies away like the plant life - & to start a new cycle with the fresh slate of a fallow field, allowing the soul to take up those growth forces.
At this Cross-Quarter-time it is also traditional to look toward the future - & to dress up as what you want to Become for the New Year. To ask questions, like: Who have I been? Who am I now? & Where am I going…? Who do I want to become? And these are the kind of questions we can ask our beloved dead.
In Wales the souls of the dead are known as ‘the Silent Company’ - & when they are welcomed with “bwyd cennad y meinv” - the food for the embassy of the dead - They become our helpers.
We can think of our ancestral allies in 3 ways: 1. Ancestors of the Blood – This common ancestral guide is a relative that had a positive connection with us in this lifetime - like a loving grandparent. 2. Ancestors of the Soul – This is an ancestral guide perhaps from a past life, who may have been some kind of teacher or mentor. 3. Ancestors of Humanity – These are heroes whose lives were dedicated to the service of human evolution, like Casper Hauser, or Jeanne d’Arc. They can be called upon in times of crisis, like when Dion Fortune & her group called upon King Arthur & Merlin during the 2nd World War.
Dear friends, let’s take this opportunity to part the veil – letting go of our sense bound thinking, to consciously work with our Spiritual helpers at this Cross-Quarter-Time - to nourish both sides of the Threshold. Let us set the table with our intention to join together in communion to celebrate the Feast of Life in all its aspects; as we build a picture of wholeness on the inner planes, which will ray out to nourish All Worlds. ~hag
30 October 2026 - “Speaking with the Stars” Tune into the energies of All-Soul’s Tide with these Video recordings : 
a glimpse of The life between death & rebirth - 
How do we look at the karmic connections that shape current events? Our work with those on the “Other-side of the Threshold” can give us clues about the causes and purpose of epidemics and the ways of healing ourselves, our beloved dead and the Earth. 
And come commune with us in person:
Soul to Soul – a Festival to Honor our Beloved DeadAll Saints Day Sunday 1 November 2026ALL are Welcome @ the Spirit Lodge in Spring Prairie WI. 1:45 pm – Doors Open - Children color wind chime trail markers in the Gazebo 2pm – In the Living Room: Share a story of someone across the Threshold who influenced your life – Bring their photo for the altar if you like 3:30pm – Downstairs: a Tone & Color Gesture Art Offering w/ our Dearly Departed on the other-side - Sounding Bowl – Petra Zinniker – vocal toning = All Family POTLUCK: Share a favorite food that one of your ancestors loved RSVP for directions: Hazel@CogRite.com
To honor & foster the Christian Community of Southeast Wisconsin, we gather for ‘Devotional Services’ in-between Priest Visits. All are welcome to join in this opportunity to come together for devotion, reflection, & sharing. 29 November - 13 December Please arrive by 10:15 am so that we can be ready to begin promptly at 10:30 am– when the Consecration of the Human Being is being celebrated all over the country 11:30 am - Optional Potluck-Social Time (food contributions welcome) Families welcome - Children can play downstairs during the service. RSVP hazel@CogRite.com
Consider becoming a free or paid subscriber to Cognitive Ritual: Confessions of a Modern Rosicrucian - with every $ going to support Zinniker Farm Want to bring Biodynamic Preparations to your land? Get your Zinniker Preps HEREGet Pfeiffer WheatOrgan meats for dogs - A rotating whole-animal organ blend, single-source and pasture-grazed from Zinniker Family Farm
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Greetings Friend, you currently a free subscriber to Cognitive Ritual. Thank you for receiving my workings freely offered. For the full experience, upgrade your subscription. ALL donations go to support Zinniker Farm - The oldest Biodynamic Farm in America! Together we can spiritualize the Universe. XOX ~hag
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