Rekindling Gaelic Grieving Practices

As we approach Samhain our thoughts turn to the darker half of the year. What are we going into the dark with? What unanswerable questions? What insurmountable grief? What irreconcilable polarities are we bringing into the dark? Samhain is a time to ritualize this aspect of our spiritual journeys.

In this episode Rue and Mica discuss the history and practice of grieving traditions in Ireland and Scotland. Until their suppression by colonialism, Gaelic communal grieving rituals were profoundly important in helping our ancestors to heal from both personal losses and from the collective traumas of colonialism and capitalism. Why were the traditions of keening and lamenting outlawed or marginalized? What powers do they hold? How can re-engaging with these traditions help us heal from our own traumas and develop greater emotional resilience in the face of constant capitalist-colonial catastrophe?

Check out Rue's upcoming workshops: https://queerdirections.com/

Check out Mica's upcoming class on Samhain and Ancestral Healing in the Context of Settler Colonialism: https://vcih.square.site/product/gaelic-healing-traditions-samhain-and-the-politics-of-ancestral-reconnection/54?cp=true&sa=true&sbp=false&q=false

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