From Spooky Fun to Sacred Remembrance
Volume 2
Deck to Page #28
Apparently, we were in for an interesting ride.
There was a full moon this week.
Mercury is retrograde.
Halloween on Saturday the 31st.
The clock change on Sunday the 1st.
And somewhere in the middle of seeing posts warning us about all of this energy, I decided to pull a card.
I pulled Card #8 from the Mindful Souls Affirmation deck:
Choose Joyful Living.
I laughed.
Of course.
While the universe—or at least social media—was telling me to buckle up, my card was telling me to pay attention to the simple things.
A warm cup of coffee.
Sunlight coming through the window.
Clean sheets.
The ordinary things we can so easily take for granted.
The challenge on the card was simple: identify the small things that bring you joy and intentionally incorporate them into your day.
And maybe that’s exactly what I needed to hear.
Because this weekend isn’t only for Halloween.
It’s also Día de los Muertos.
The Day of the Dead.
And suddenly I found myself thinking about the difference between being reminded of death and being reminded to live.
From Spooky Fun to Sacred Remembrance
Halloween has always had a playful side.
Costumes.
Candy.
Pumpkins.
Scary movies.
Ghosts and things that go bump in the night.
Then we move almost immediately into Día de los Muertos—a tradition centered not around being afraid of death but around remembering those who have died.
There are photographs.
Flowers.
Food.
Music.
Stories.
People remembering the people they loved.
There is sadness because someone is no longer physically here, but there can also be joy because they were here.
That distinction stayed with me.
Maybe remembrance doesn’t always have to be solemn.
Sometimes remembrance is telling the funny story again.
Sometimes it’s making someone’s favorite meal.
Sometimes it’s hearing a song and immediately thinking of them.
Sometimes it’s laughing because you can hear exactly what they would have said if they were sitting beside you.
And sometimes remembering death reminds us to pay more attention to life.
So What Does Joyful Living Look Like?
For me?
Honestly, it’s pretty simple.
It’s a good meal with a glass of wine.
It’s watching a show my husband and I look forward to every week.
It’s spending time with friends over good food, music, conversation, or some other form of entertainment.
None of those things sound particularly extraordinary.
They’re not once-in-a-lifetime experiences.
They’re ordinary moments.
But maybe that’s the point.
How many ordinary moments do we rush through while waiting for something bigger to happen?
How many dinners do we eat without really tasting them?
How many evenings do we spend together while distracted by everything else?
How many times do we say, “We should get together,” and then realize months have passed?
The card wasn’t telling me to go find joy.
It was reminding me to recognize the joy that’s already there.
And that’s where the message of the card and the meaning of this weekend unexpectedly came together for me.
Because when we think about the people who are no longer here, what do we remember?
Yes, we remember the big things.
But we also remember the ordinary things.
Sitting around a table.
The way someone laughed.
The meal they always made.
The song they loved.
The stories they told over and over again.
The expression on their face.
The little saying that was uniquely theirs.
The things that may have seemed completely mundane at the time can become the very things we treasure when they’re gone.
Maybe the mundane was never really mundane.
Maybe we just didn’t know yet how much it mattered.
Spirit Season
I called this Spirit Season because this time of year seems to invite us to think about things we don’t always stop to think about.
Life.
Death.
Those who came before us.
Those who are still beside us.
And perhaps even ourselves.
Whether you believe the veil between worlds becomes thinner, whether you celebrate Día de los Muertos, whether Halloween is simply an excuse to eat candy and watch scary movies, or whether this weekend is just another weekend on the calendar, there is still an invitation here.
Pay attention.
Enjoy your people.
Taste the food.
Listen to the music.
Watch the show.
Have a glass of wine or any drink of choice.
Call your friend.
Tell the story.
Laugh.
Remember.
Live.
Because maybe joyful living isn’t about creating a life filled with extraordinary moments.
Maybe it’s about recognizing how extraordinary the ordinary moments already are.
One day, some of those ordinary moments may become the memories we hold most sacred.
So, as we move from spooky fun into sacred remembrance, I’m taking the message from the card with me:
Choose joyful living.
Not someday.
Not when everything settles down.
Not after Mercury goes direct, the moon changes phases, the clocks change, or life becomes less complicated.
Today.
And maybe that’s the real magic of Spirit Season.
Being reminded of death can remind us to live.
Theresa
Hello from Theresa
Flexible Being
Empowering Your Journey to Healing, Clarity, and Self-Discovery.
Concrete solutions. Flexible guidance.
When you’re ready, reach out—I’d love to continue the conversation.
Email: theresa@flexiblebeing.com
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Theresa Martinez-Shapiro
Theresa Martinez-Shapiro is the founder of Flexible Being, a Reiki Master, Certified Oracle Guide, intuitive mentor, and writer based in Stockton, California. Through Musings of a Flexible Being, she explores healing, mindfulness, relationships, intuition, and personal growth with a grounded yet spiritual approach.
