The Thinning of the Veil: When, Where, Why, What & How
Oct 02, 2023
Step into the mystical realm of 'The Thinning of the Veil,' where the boundaries between the physical world and the non-physical become blurred. In this captivating episode, we unravel the age-old beliefs and rituals that bridge these two worlds. We will explore the origins of this idea across various cultures, beliefs, regions and folklore. You may be shocked to see the similarities and differences! Plus we’ll dive into other mystical events and “thin places” including astrological events, sacred locations, and phenomena where the etheric veil between worlds is believed to be thinner.
We’ll even chat about some ways you can explore and experience The Thinning of the Veil between worlds for yourself!
Episodes mentioned:
{Season 1 episode 24- Ghost Stories! Visitations from the Spirit Woman in My House}
Find it here: https://www.joyfulmedium.com/blog/ghost-stories
{Season 1 episode 22- Why Some Places Feel More Haunted {& New Orleans Trip Share} Find it here: https://www.joyfulmedium.com/blog/why-places-feel-haunted
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Sources and Resources:
https://www.si.edu/stories/5-facts-about-dia-de-los-muertos-day-dead
https://italialiving.com/featured/the-feast-of-the-epiphany-and-celebration-of-la-befana/
https://www.saintsfeastfamily.com/copy-of-the-eve-of-the-epiphany-jan-1
https://www.donegalsquare.com/blog/samhain-and-the-thin-veil/
https://www.jstor.org/stable/535394
https://www.neworleans.com/things-to-do/multicultural/traditions/voodoo/
https://isha.sadhguru.org/linga-bhairavi/in/en/article/significance-of-mahalaya-amavasya
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qe2GfKME1uI
https://www.brownielocks.com/niman.html#:~:text=The%20Hopi%20Indians%20celebrate%20the,who%20are%20their%20ancestral%20spirits.
https://tribalcollegejournal.org/in-the-spirit-of-our-ancestors/
https://owlcation.com/social-sciences/Ancient-Hopi-Rituals-and-Ceremonies
https://www.ancient-origins.net/myths-legends-europe/origins-halloween-samhain-002271
https://www.patheos.com/blogs/teaaddictedwitch/2019/10/veil-thin-spirits-dead-samhain/
https://polynesia.com/blog/like-the-maori-thin-the-veil-between-you-and-your-ancestors
https://teara.govt.nz/en/matariki-maori-new-year
https://www.worldhistory.org/article/1051/letters-to-the-dead-in-ancient-egypt/
https://www.irishamericanmom.com/irelands-thin-places/
Transcript:
Hey beautiful soul Welcome to Spirit Speakeasy. I'm Joy Giovanni, Joyful Medium. I'm a working psychic, medium energy healer and spiritual gifts mentor. This podcast is like a seat at the table in a secret club, but with mediums, mystics and the spiritual luminaries of our time. So come behind the velvet ropes with me and see inside my world is I chat insider style with profoundly different souls. We go deep share juicy stories laugh a lot, and it wouldn't be a speakeasy without great insider secrets and tips. You might even learn that you have some gifts of your own. So step inside the spirit speakeasy. Hey, beautiful soul. Welcome back to another episode of spirit speakeasy. If you are a new listener, I'm so happy to have you with us in the spirit speakeasy today. And if you're returning listener, of course, welcome back. This is a really exciting topic that we're going to dive into today, we're going to talk about something known as the thinning of the veil, we're going to get into not only what that means, but we're going to explore what it means and how it presents across different cultures and traditions. Now, why are we doing that? A couple of reasons. One, very early on, when I first decided to try to write a blog and do an accompanying video, one of the first topics that I discussed was the thinning of the veil, I just did a really quick, it was like how, you know, if you're experiencing the thinning of the veil, something like that. And it still continues to be downloaded and viewed several years later. So I thought, Okay, that was just a quick exploration, let's do a really deep dive. And then I realized while to truly understand where this idea of the thinning of the veil comes from, it's fair to look at different regions, different cultures, because where does this idea come from? I also wanted to explore things like does it have to be assigned to a certain period of the year? And if so, what time of year is the veil? The thinnest? Is that true? Does that hold true across different cultures? What are the different beliefs around the world? How do they overlap? Like, what are the similarities? And where are the differences. So I'm really excited to deep dive this with you guys today. And then towards the end, we're going to talk about ways that you can experience the thinning of the veil for yourself based on all the information that we go through today, we're also going to explore not only different cultures and beliefs around the thinning of the veil, but how different places can be considered thinner veils. So let's first talk about what the thinning of the veil means, oh, I wanted to give a little bit of a disclaimer, of course, I'm not going to be able to mention every culture, every religion, every group, but we go into several. And I just want to make it understood that my intention is to hold these ideals in the highest respect. Whether you agree with these beliefs or not whether you agree with some of them and not others, it's my intention to really explore and express this information with the greatest reverence and respect for everyone's beliefs. I do try to err on the side of cultural belief rather than religious belief, because I think, to dive into the religion of it all is just a whole nother a whole nother thing. And it's really not what we do here. So I'm airing more on the cultural side than on the religious side. But there are some places where that overlaps a little bit. So if I get anything wrong, even though I've done quite a bit of research, feel free to correct me, but please accept my apology in advance. And again, I'm really meaning to do this with the highest respect. That being said, I've done a ton of research. So in the show notes, whether you're listening to this as a podcast on any of the platforms, or whether you're watching it on YouTube, or on my website, joyful medium.com in the blog section, I will have a ton of websites listed in the show notes in case you want to do some more digging and diving for yourself. So that being said, let's dive in. What the thinning of the veil is actually talking about is this idea. The veil itself is indicative of the reason why or the energy explanation of why we are not constantly aware of the spirit world. It's this idea that there's a valence and energetic valence that separates this side and the other side of the physical life and the afterlife, so to speak. And in certain cultures and certain beliefs and certainly in pop culture in the US. We We have this idea that around Halloween around spooky season, that veil that etheric layer that separates the physical world and the non physical world or the our human world in the spirit world that this valence gets thinner. And we can see and feel spirit more during certain times of year or during certain practices. So that's the general idea of what this veil is, its veil, like V i l, like a wedding veil, so something that's covering our site or our awareness, to not be aware of spirit guides, angels in physical form all the time. So that's essentially the idea of what the veil is. So then the thinning of the veil, of course, would mean that this veil this etheric energy between the living and the other side, the spirit side, is thinner, is more permeable is moving more into our awareness. In some of these cultures, you'll see that it's a time when there's kind of commingling with the living and the dead. So that's in a nutshell, what the veil is, I think most of us sort of understand the general idea of what this Valence is. But I really want to explore what different cultures believe about this because I think you might be really surprised how many cultural beliefs perhaps you've taken on from various cultures that maybe you don't even know why. That's why you believe that or that's why you celebrate that. So I'm gonna go through some of these in no particular order. I, as many of you know, live in Southern California, I'm in San Diego, which is very close to the border of Mexico. So a lot of Southern California culture kind of intermingles with Mexican folklore and culture, that is the group or the culture, the region, the tradition that I'm going to start with is Mexican folklore. And in Mexican folklore, they have something called Dia de los Muertos, which is the Day of the Dead. This is celebrated typically from October 31 to November 2. And what this belief is around this thinning of the veil is that essentially the veil between the living and the dead is thin during this time, which allows the spirits of deceased loved ones to visit the world of the living and offerings are giving given to help guide the spirits back. So the Dia de los Muertos, again, it's October 31 to November 2. Historically, it's has its origins in the indigenous traditions and goes all the way back to the Aztecs and other indigenous peoples of Mexico, who had not just a few days of this, like I said, October 31 to November 2, but they celebrated it as an entire month originally dedicated to the dead. And it originally coincided with what was an Aztec holy month, which roughly corresponds to like late July and early August, so that was where that tradition originated. But after the Spanish colonization of Mexico, it became intertwined with Catholicism, and it was adapted to the current timing to this October 31 to November 2, to align with what is known in Catholicism as All Saints Day which is November 1, or All Souls Day, which is November 2. I want to talk a little bit about the traditions and customs of Dia de los Muertos. One of the things that is done traditionally are altars, so families or loved ones create these beautiful, colorful altar spaces in their homes, usually to honor their deceased loved ones. And these altars are adorned with things like candies, and foods that the loved ones would have loved and photographs and candles and flowers. Usually, marigolds are those orange gold flowers. You'll see those. And they also do something called Sugar skulls. If
you haven't seen those, they are often made out of candy or have colorful icing and have the names of the deceased on them. But sugar skulls we also know as the beautiful skulls that are painted decoratively with all the bright colors. You could Google that really easily if you wanted to see some images of the sugar skulls, they're really beautiful, but they are considered an offering. And decorative elements symbolizes the sweetness of life. And there's also something that they call Pon de muerto, which is pawn is bread. It's a special bread, and it's baked and offered at the altar at the altar that the family has created and it's often decorated with bone shaped pieces of dough and dusted with sugar and again represented During the sweetness of life and the nourishment and an offering of love to exchange, so families, often also as a part of the celebration will visit the cemeteries, they'll clean, they'll decorate and sometimes they'll have celebrations for the loved ones. It's a it's a community experience. So it could be several family members getting together, but it's also representative of celebrations done within the community as a whole. For those of you that have ever been to Southern California or to Mexico during this time, it is really celebratory. And actually, you can often see, you know, some of the sugar skulls or, or items that would go on an altar kind of all year long, but it's really concentrated in this October 31 to November 2 time period. So it's really a celebration and cemeteries come alive with music and remembrances. And it's thought that again, during this time, the veil is thin. And those that have crossed over the deceased loved ones are visiting their souls are visiting, and they're celebrating with the loved ones here. So in that custom in the Dia de los Martha's It is thought that the veil is the thinnest, from October 31 to November 2, but remember, originally, it was July and August, I want to move slightly, there's a lot of these that we're gonna go through. So I want to move slightly to Italian folklore and the thinning of the veil. Many of you might know that I'm Italian. So that is one of the reasons I'm bringing that up here. Something to know about the Italian folklore around this veil thinning is that it really is a complex tapestry of regions and beliefs and practices. So it can really, wildly vary depending on the region of Italy, that someone is from the north, the south, etc. The thinning of the veil, and the interactions with supernatural creatures are really an integral aspect of the folklore of Italy often tied to specific dates, lunar phases, and rituals that are deeply ingrained in specific local tradition. So there's a lot of variants in Italy itself, but the timing for the Italian folk or they really have this rich tradition and belief related to the thinning of the veil, and supernatural creatures. While these traditions can vary by region, some of the things that are often in common have to do with timing. So the lunar phase is what I want to talk about here. It's believed that the supernatural creatures such as witches, or we call them Striga, are more active during certain lunar phases, particularly on nights of the full moon. It's so this is one of the one of the places that these beliefs come from. But you'll see there's many places so these nights are often associated with heightened mystical activity. And I think many of you listening will have heard of this idea of heightened mystical activity around the full moon. Now, of course, Italian culture and folklore is not the only tradition that has this, but it's certainly present here. So, again, associated with the full moon, really heightened mystical activity, and they're considered times when the veil between the natural and the supernatural world is sinner. There are some specific dates and festivals that are on the traditional Italian calendar that are associated with kind of supernatural occurrences. For example, there's something called the Strega Nona Festival. It's really the feast of the Epiphany. But it's that I know Nona is like this little old Italian grammar witch. And in the tradition, essentially, she's Lafonda, which is pretty much a witch, a witch, and she's basically like the OG Santa Claus. So it's a time when rituals such as like blessings of the homes and making offerings are performed, to ward off negative influences and seek protection. It's usually celebrated January 5, or sixth. This festival in some regions honors the character like I was saying this thing I'm no not an Italian folklore lover fama and she's got the broom on the whole thing. So that is, is one time when the veil is believed to be thinner and and really in the tradition in the folklore setting and Ana la Bafana comes in and bestows gifts to the children in the night like an OG Santa Claus. But there's also blessings and protection as part of it. Another thing in Italian folklore is the feast of San Giovanni. It's St. John's Eve, it's celebrated the night of June 23 and 20 into the 24th. And this is a time when bonfires are lit to celebrate summer solstice, you just want to kind of like highlight here you'll see this kind of throughout this pinging back and forth between the fall harvest and the summer solstice in a lot of these traditions, so just be aware of that as we keep moving through. So they like these bonfires, they're celebrating the solstice. And in some regions, it's believed that this night is particularly magical. And lots of rituals and festivals take place to receive blessings to ward off spirits that would be considered, you know, unwanted. So that really is the timing and the belief of the Italian folklore around this thinning of the veil. I want to bring us a little bit closer to home and look at the traditions in somewhere like New Orleans. Now, those of you that have been longtime listeners of the podcast know that I did a trip to New Orleans in the spring of 2023. And if you check out I think it is episode 22 Why some places feel more haunted. I shared about some some of this it with my trip to New Orleans. But I really just want to highlight that New Orleans is this blend of hoodoo and voodoo and African folklore and folklore and culture of the West Indies and the Caribbean. So it really is a very special melting pot in the New Orleans area plus the local traditions and the Cajun traditions and the Creole traditions kind of all mixed together. So the timing and practices in New Orleans can be observed really throughout the year but there are specific rituals and celebrations related to the thinning of the veil and honoring of the dead. They also do altars and ancestor veneration ancestor respect and offerings. hoodoo practitioners often set up altars to honor their ancestors and to connect with their spirits and these altars may include things like photographs, offerings of food, candles, spiritual items sound familiar. These practices of ancestor veneration and adoration is a way to maintain that connection with the souls or the spirits of the deceased loved ones. And they also celebrate All Saints Day and All Souls Day. Similar to those Catholic traditions. Some practitioners of voodoo and hoodoo in New Orleans. Also observe All Saints Day which is November 1 and All Souls Day which is November 2, as a time to honor and remember the dead they do something called the Feast of the dead. And this can involve things like preparing special meals and offerings to honor crossed over loved ones and similar to the Mexican tradition, families may also gather at grave sites and local cemeteries to share food and stories and remembrances of their loved ones. Some people do rituals to facilitate communication and seek guidance from their deceased ancestors. So they do have a special time period around November 1 and second. But in New Orleans and in the hoodoo voodoo African folklore, Western news, Caribbean Creole culture this is also typically done throughout the year. These altars and ancestral veneration is the best way to say it. Now, let's shift over to exploring South Indian culture because there's a lot to offer there too. They celebrate something called Picchu puck shop in South Indian and Hindu traditions. peecher Puck shot is a 16 day period dedicated to honoring and appeasing deceased ancestors it typically falls in September or October during the waning moon moon phase. So, waxing moon is when the moon is getting bigger, bigger, bigger to fool waning is when it's it is getting smaller, smaller, smaller.
So in the Hindu tradition, it's believed that Feature Pack shot is when the gates of the afterlife are opened allowing souls of deceased ancestors to visit the earthly realms. Again, are you seeing some similarities here in some of these traditions and beliefs, these ancestral spirits during feature boxshot are believed to be in a restless state or journeying and they are given offerings and prayers to help find peace and progress on their spiritual journey. Also, charity and donation are a big part of this celebration giving to the needy making charitable donations. This is also really encouraged during peecher puncture. It's believed that performing acts of charity in the name of your ancestors, so you know it could be longer background semesters or someone that's crossed over you're going to do like a good deed or a donation in their name, can generate positive karma and really benefit the deceased souls. They also do something called tarpon now, which is the central ritual of peecher paksha and it is when family members especially the eldest son, or the designated priest, or holy person perform rituals during the six day period involved offerings of water and other specific items such as like sesame seeds, rice, black sesame to the ancestors, and it's believed that these offerings nourish and satisfy their souls are the spirits of the deceased. Sridhar is a ceremony on specific days during feature proc Sha. And it's a more elaborate ritual. The Sridhar is I want to make sure I'm saying that right, SRA da, as the ceremony is performed, like I said during specific days, and the ceremony involves offering cooked foods and fruits and sweets and other items to the ancestors, and the food is usually placed beautifully in banana leaves, prayers are recited the rituals considered an act of gratitude and respect to the ancestors, the forefathers and the deceased loved ones. So I thought it was really cool how even so far away in the world some of these traditions have these beautiful, overlapping threads of belief. And I want to move on to this idea of Chinese ghost month I thought this was also really beautiful. This is between August 12 And September 14, and in Chinese culture, the seventh month of the lunar calendar is known as ghost month. So you see, some of these are around certain time periods as far as like harvest or Solstice. But this is a little different because this has to do with the lunar calendar. It's also believed that during this time, the gates of the afterlife are open, and deceased ancestors and spirits, the way the way it was in my research, like last are wandering spirits returned to the earthly realms, and people offer food and incense and prayers to honor and nourish and appease the spirits and ancestors. And on the 15th day of the month, there is something known as the ghost festival or the Festival of the Hungry Ghost. And it is observed like as a significant, special day for honoring the loved ones. And again, it is this time when the veil is thin, the gates of the afterlife are opened and deceased loved ones are visiting the earthly realms. So I thought the timing of it's interesting because it's, you know, it's a lunar calendar. So it's not necessarily around a harvest, but it is kind of close pushing into that harvest time. So I also want to touch into some indigenous theories and traditions. I do want to mention that with most American in Native American indigenous traditions, there is a level of privacy and respect. So I'm just going to touch in to the Hopi indigenous American traditions. Now the Hopi is believe that the spirits of their ancestors or the spirits of those that have crossed over leave their homes in the mountains for six months to visit the tribe bringing health to the Hopi and rain to the crops, and the arrival of these spirits is celebrated in January or February. The thinning of the veil belief that they have is that at death, the Hopi believe that the soul leaves the body through the mouth and continues to exist in another world. And this belief is manifested again and again in different ceremonies. And there are many ceremonies throughout the year for the Hopi people but in but nine ceremonies unfold the entire course of what is called the Hopi road to life. The Hopi Nation have something called cucina dances, which is every month during this time except June, in July, precisely at mid summer for the Hopi, the Neiman ceremony has held I'm not sure if I'm saying that correctly. I did look up pronunciation for a lot of these terms that I wasn't familiar with. But I could not find any oral pronunciation for this. So it's n I m a n. It's a ceremony that is held it is the going away of the gods or the going home ceremony marking the ending ceremony of the season of the souls. Since the winter solstice, all the spirits all the souls and beings have been on Earth. For the sacred ceremonies, it's time for them to return to their spiritual home. So this is a longer period of thinning of the veil visiting with the loved ones respect, celebration, veneration. So this going home ceremony really is marking the ending of the season of the souls and again, they've been they've been having the ceremony since winter solstice and it's over this nine month period. So the ceremony involves intense prayer for the entire village and the energy the hope for peace is sent out to all mankind so So this is really a beautiful part of the way that the Hopi understand this idea of crossed over loved ones or loved ones who have left a physical body and ancestors. The spirit beings on earth have been there for all of the sacred ceremonies. And during this ending period in July, precisely at midsummer in the Hopi tradition, it's time for them to return to their spiritual home. And I think it is so amazing that not only are they honoring, communicating, having that exchange with their spiritual loved ones, but they're also sending out the entire village this energy, hope and peace for all mankind. I thought that was really beautiful. Something really fascinating that I came across in my research is this mentioned that the Hopi were the only tried to escape Spanish rule in 1695, during the Spanish missionary colonization, because their land was very remote. And so their practices and ceremonies are completely independent from that Catholicism and that Christian influence that you see kind of intertwined with a lot of these traditions. So I thought that was a really incredible idea and tradition around this thinning of the veil and communicating with crossed over loved ones we're gonna go through a few more. I am really revere the Maori traditions. So that is the indigenous people of New Zealand. And with the Maori people, they have traditions.
They have a celebration called Matariki, which connects the appearance of the star cluster, which is Palladius as in the way that we know it in the winter sky. And this is when the Maori New Year happens it is in June or July each year. And the thinning of the veil, the Mayon or sorry the Maori honor their ancestors and the celestial beings believing that the clusters appearance Pleiades in the sky, the astrological cluster, the appearance signals a time when the veil between the living and the spiritual world is thinner, allowing for ancestral connections and reflection and exchange of love. So I think it's fascinating that this is happening in June or July, but it's also where we're seeing it being around an astrological event, the Palladium in the winter sky in New Zealand. So that is how the Maori people in New Zealand understand the thinning of the veil. And I just thought that the timing and the significance was very interesting. Now in Yoruba culture and religion, there isn't a specific day or time period that's universally considered to be when the veil between the physical and spiritual realm is thinner. However, certain rituals and festivals and ceremonies are believed to facilitate stronger connection between the living and the spiritual world. So I'm gonna give a few examples. Yoruba culture, and religion is prevalent in Africa, specifically in Nigeria and other areas. But there are many people across the world that practice both the Yoruba tradition, the culture and the religion. It's both a culture and a religion. So many Yoruba families maintain ancestral shrines within their home. offerings, prayers and rituals are conducted at the Shrines are with the shrines to maintain a connection with the crossover ancestors or the deceased ancestors. It's believed that the ancestral spirits can offer protection guidance and blessings to the living and in Yoruba culture, it's common for people to make direct contact with their ancestral spirits. The most prevalent method of communication is often through dreams and information can come through participation in annual ancestor festivals when Yoruba culture and religion it's the concept that the veil between the physical and the spiritual world is intertwined with their daily life rituals, ceremonies, prayers, rites that they complete. So rather than being set aside for a specific period of the year, or specific dates or specific phase within the lunar calendar, for example, like some of the others we've talked about, and Yoruba culture and religion, it really is intertwined in daily life and ritual and ceremony, this connection with ancestors and loved ones that have crossed over. So this made me curious about what this looked like in ancient Egypt. So we all know that ancient Egyptians are famous for their pyramids and tombs and temples, and that the ancient Egyptians believed in an afterlife but did you know that to communicate caked with loved ones in the beyond, they wrote what are called Letters to the dead. These letters sometimes asked for things like advice or blessings or intercession of some kind. And it was believed that the answers or responses to these letters would be received through either signs or dreams, or sometimes messages through a seer, which is sort of like a psychic. And sometimes we're the resolution to the problem would just show up. So sometimes, like the problem would just resolve itself, or the solution would make itself clear. But sometimes they'd receive guidance through signs and dreams, I thought that was really profound. Writing to the dead seems like it was no different than writing to someone in another city on Earth. And there seems to be almost no difference in the way that the the two types of letters would be written according to World history.org and archaeologists and historians. So while our rituals and offerings were part of their regular practices, it doesn't seem to be associated to a particular season, or any time of the year that was like favorable for these letters to the dead and seem to be more of an ongoing practice. So I think it's so interesting how there's this seems to be this divide between groups that celebrate this thinning of the veil or connection to loved ones at a specific time period in the year versus this all year anytime, based on specific practices philosophy. Now, this brings us to Celtic paganism, which celebrates something called sow in and this is where traditions get really blended. So first, I'm going to talk about sow in and then I'm going to move on and talk about Halloween because these are very closely tied together. So in Celtic paganism, salwen, which is often seen, written as I'm pronounced as Sam hain, it's SM H A I N, but it's actually pronounced sour and this is celebrated on October 31, to November first, and it is believed that during sow in the veil between the physical world and the spiritual wellness thinner due to the transition from the lighter half of the year, summer, to the darker half of the year, winter. So this is around harvest time, but it's also to do with the solstice. Today the beliefs or sound of sound are still recognized across the world. Many modern pagans and Wiccans and other spiritual groups celebrate the fire festival traditions include bonfires and music and feasting and dancing. Some still make food and offerings for the dead along with offerings of sweets and ales. And this belief has translated into pop culture in the US and other countries along with Halloween also referred to as All Hallows Eve. So in Celtic paganism, it is this time when we're shifting from the lighter half of the year to the darker half of the year, but it is marked with this fire festival and celebration similar to what we've seen in some of the other traditions. And it is thought that the veil is thinner during that time. So that brings us to the idea that many of us have grown up with Halloween. I was really curious, where did Halloween come from. And I learned that in the eighth century, it was actually Pope Gregory the third that designated November 1 as a time to honor the saints. So that's what we've heard about in some of these traditions already, this idea of All Saints Day. So soon after that, All Saints Day came to incorporate some of the traditions of Salem. So it's almost like the pope decides this day is going to be you know, All Saints Day. And then soon after that, a lot of the traditions of sound that we were just discussing, become incorporated into this idea of All Saints Day. The evening before All Saints Day was known as All Hallows Eve and later Halloween. So it really is the eve of the Saints Day All Hallows Eve Halloween. And this idea of seeing ghosts around Halloween. The Festival of souren marked the transition to the new year at the end of the harvest and the beginning of winter. So I mean, I know that now we do our new year at a different time, but back in the day, it was all about the harvest as many of you know. So at the end of harvest at the beginning of winter, there was this new year and the Celtic people believe that during the festival, that spirits walked the earth, and later on Catholic and Christian missionaries introduced this All Souls Day which is November 2, which perpetuated the idea of the living coming into contact with the dead around the same time of year. So you can see how there's all these interesting threads and connections and similarities even though groups and beliefs are really widespread. So that is really the origin story of Halloween and how how this idea of this thinning of the veil is shown in different cultures. But now I want to touch into this idea of spiritualism and new age and seance and all that. So in spiritualist spiritualism it's not necessarily spiritualist that's a religion that's a different thing and not exactly what we're talking about but spiritualism and seance. spiritualism and seance can be conducted at any time of the year but really gained popularity in the 19th and 20th century. And people that practice seance believe that during seances, the veil between the living in the spirit world with thin, allowing mediums to communicate with the deceased and this is done lots of different ways. Sometimes it is just about calling the energy or the souls of the loved ones or the the Spirit people into the room and having them create sound or noise or this. It almost looks like a fog when you see it in a space during a seance. But it is also channeling communication, which is sometimes what we do here with the violet flame collective. But it really can be done any time of year it is more about that it's this collective coming together at any time with the intention. And through using the energy of a medium that this communication can happen with the deceased or with the other side. So really, this thinning of the veil is not tied to a specific time of year with seance now in the new age, belief and occult belief. I don't know I don't necessarily love these words. But this is the heading I have to put it under because this is how it's really understood New Age right and occult beliefs. I guess I would be under the New Age blanket maybe as a medium and as a psychic and and channel and all the things in New Age beliefs and occult beliefs. Timing is not necessarily tied to a specific date for the thinning of the veil, but really can occur based on practices and meditation. And it's more of a moving your awareness to become aware of the Spirit side aware of your loved ones aware of light beings or angels or guides around you and not necessarily tied to a specific time period in the year tied to a specific date. It's really believed by myself and lots of other practitioners that we're really seeking to connect with light beings spiritual forces, I guess, during meditation, and we can use a variety of like different tools and different exercises to access the spiritual realms. But we don't necessarily need a specific date for this veil to be thinner. I'm gonna talk more about this. But sometimes energy can be built up in a specific place over a long period of time that then it feels like the veil is thinner in that place. Like I said, we're gonna dive into that in a minute. But in the belief of mediumship, at least evidential mediumship in the way I train, in practice, and many of my colleagues and friends, it is more about the consistent practice of being in meditation and spending time with the spirit world. Because, again, I've mentioned this before, but the other side is spirit side really is a world within our world. So it is all around us. It's just the unseen world, hence the veil. But we don't necessarily I don't necessarily believe that it has to be only tied to a specific time period. Like if you don't get that November 1 day, you're out of luck, I believe we can connect, communicate, exchange information, love emotion with our ancestors and loved ones on the other side, at any time that really the veil can be oh, this is this is like getting into a literal sense of a veil. I guess the veil can be lifted by just moving your awareness to the spirit world to the memory of your loved one who's on the other side. So I hope that makes sense about how it's a little bit different. It is often better achieved through like a regular practice of it just so you get comfortable with it. So you kind of know, you know, you're setting aside that time to meditate and to spend time with your loved one for example, if that's your goal, or time with the spirit world if you're looking for larger communication or if you're looking to feel more of the essence of the spirit world, I do think we get hung up on a little bit of like the spooky season traditions. And I have some thoughts about that that I'm gonna share in just a minute but I I think we would be missing something if we didn't talk about these next couple topics. So what about astrological theories and traditions? Because you see some of the groups that we mentioned or touched into are not necessarily following just a calendar but they're following a harvest. They're following a solstice, they're following a lunar phase. So what is the astrological theory and tradition around this thinning of the veil? So astrological theories are not necessarily tied to specific dates, but may be influenced with celestial events or by celestial events. So some astrologers believe that certain planetary alignments or like celestial events can create periods where the veil between the dimensions is thinner or feels thinner, potentially facilitating more spiritual experiences or insights. So I'm gonna give you some examples. Something like solar and lunar eclipses fall under this category. eclipses are considered powerful moments. When the sun the moon and the earth align in unique ways like not an everyday occurrence, but only specific times. And some astrologers believe that eclipses can open, energetic portals energetic availability to deeper spiritual insights or transformations. It's why sometimes people are timing that their spiritual work or their beliefs around certain astrological events, something like Mercury Retrograde, for example, Mercury Retrograde periods are often associated with communication. I know what we often think of them as like challenges and disruptions with communication. But some people see them and use them these Mercury Retrogrades as time when introspection and inner exploration can lead to profound insights and profound connections with higher realms, the other side, so to speak. And one other thing I want to mention is this idea of Equinox periods or Solstice periods, because again, we saw that in several of the traditions and beliefs, so equinox and Solstice periods, these celestial events are believed to have profound impact on personal and collective consciousness, potentially making it easier to access spiritual realms are gain insights into the mysteries of the universe, according to astrological traditions. I do think it's really interesting that a lot of the beliefs around this thinning of the veil do happen to be around these times of solstice and equinox. So it's really interesting how all of these things work together, even when we don't necessarily know that that's part of this belief system or part of the tradition around it. The other thing that I feel is really significant that I think is missed a lot is this idea of geographic locations. Now what do I mean by that? There are beliefs about the thinning of the veil, or this boundary between the physical and the spiritual realms, being weaker or being more permeable or more easily felt at certain geographic locations. And this is also found in various cultures and traditions like across the world. So these beliefs often have cultural, historical and mythological reasons, stories associated with them with these specific places, but I'm gonna give you some examples. So something like a sacred site. Many sacred sites or holy sites are believed to be in locations where the veil between earthly and spiritual realms is thin. And these sites are often like associated with divine mystical events or miracles are the presence of a revered figure or religious figure. So it'd be something like Mount Sinai in Egypt. There's mount Kalash in Tibet, Mount Shasta, in California, certain sacred mountain formations in the US. If you remember in Episode 24 ghost stories when I was having visitations from the Spirit woman in the house that I used to live at, she was showing me certain mountain formations as being sacred places where it was thought that this veils center that this communication could be different. So sacred sites, there are 1000s of them all over the world.
And you know, some of these sacred sites are really controversial. When we look at somewhere like Israel, for example, there are a lot of sacred sites that many different groups believe are sacred. Is there more potential for this communion or communication with the other side at the sacred sites is the veil Will thinner is the ability to connect heightened because of all the concentrated energy there? I believe often it it is. I don't know what about something like natural phenomena, geographic locations where there's certain like unusual or explained natural phenomena. These places can also be seen as places where the veils are thin. So for example, something like Sedona in Arizona, where it's known for its vortices, or some people say vortexes, vortices is plural vortex. So these energetic areas are where there's a pull energetically that some people believe that these energy centers facilitate spiritual experiences and connections. If you have had an experience like that, I would love to hear about it. Make sure you write in. This can also be somewhere like Stonehenge, for example, where there there is phenomena that that is believed to happen there. We're gonna get into that in a minute. Something else to consider under this geographical locations heading is historical events. So places where significant historical events or battles or tragedies have occurred. We may believe or some may believe the veil to be thinner in these places the belief that the energy or the emotions associated with these events linger. So energy can be built up in a place and can be sensed or interacted with. Some examples include things like battlefields or like haunted hotels, ancient ruins, sites of natural disaster again, Episode 22 Why some places fear feel more haunted. We talk about this. So if you want to go back and check out that episode, and really have a deep dive understanding of why some places do feel more haunted or like the veil is thinner emotions and energy can build up over time in a place. This brings me to this idea of mystical landscapes. So certain landscapes such as like forests, or mountains or caves are certain bodies of water can sometimes be associated with the veil being thinner due to not only natural beauty but solitude, connection with higher power or universal energy and can be perceived to have more spiritual significance. It's why some people feel more closely connected to the universe or their loved ones on the other side, when they're at the beach, or when they're in a beautiful forest. For example, these places are believed to facilitate deep meditative experiences and the ability to connect with the divine or higher energy, cultural and mythological connections. I also want to talk about cultural myths and stories that may attribute to thin veils in specific locations. For example, In Celtic mythology, I know we talked a lot about Salem, and Celtic mythology, there are what they refer to as, quote unquote, thin places where the mortal world and the other world are believed to intersect often associated with ancient stones, stone circles, burial mounds, I can't think of the name of it right now. But there is a show that everyone was crazy about in the last few years, where she went to this particular stone circle and she was taken back in time and lived a whole nother life and this whole other world because of this mythical stone formation. That would be something like Stonehenge or crop circles, things like that. So these thin places are places where it is believed that the the connection or that veil is much thinner. Also, in a lot of practices and beliefs, Crossroads are considered a place where the veil is thinner. And what does that mean Crossroads literally where two paths meet so it could be an intersection, it could be anywhere where two paths meet a crossroads like old school literal crossroads. There are sometimes seen as places where the veil is thin in like folklore and mythology, and certain pagan practices Crossroads are associated with choices and decisions and they may be linked to encounters or experiences with spirits or souls or what some people might call supernatural beings, they're Crossroads are often considered sacred places. And you know, even in our own lives, we use the term crossroads when we kind of are at almost a sacred decision making place in our own path. So Crossroads can be seen as somewhere where the veil between worlds is thinner. Now I also want to highlight that places like spiritual retreats and monasteries, for example can also be considered places where this veil is thinner or the energy is built up over time to where communication is more easily facilitated. So think of like isolated remote monasteries, temples, spiritual retreats in remote areas that are often chosen for their specific perceived connection to the spiritual realm. And these locations offer not only like tranquility and solitude, but they're really conductive to meditation and spiritual practices. And it can often be more about the collective group energy like the group that is coming there over and over to pray or meet or meditate for a purpose, and it raises the vibration over time. It can sometimes be that more so than like the sacred nature of the place itself. But certainly it can be both of those things together, depending on the place. It's important to note that all of these beliefs vary widely across cultures and regions. And what's considered a thin place, or a spiritually charged place and one culture may not hold the same significance at all in another culture. And also, these beliefs are often rooted in folklore and mythology and cultural traditions, rather than, like hard data and evidence, and they serve to enhance the sense of the sacred and the mystical and the connection in certain geographic locations. The one example I could give right now of that is how I was mentioning in that episode, I think it was 22, where the or maybe was 2424, where the woman was visiting me in my home. And she was showing me these different types of mountains in the region and how they were sacred for different reasons. Well, another culture or another group might not realize the specific peaks and hills as sacred but in in the Kumeyaay tradition they did. So sometimes it depends on your perspective, I
guess. I want to give you some final thoughts and talk about how you can harness all of these different traditions, and ideas and beliefs around the thinning of the veil for your own communication and exploration. So some final thoughts for you. I know that was a lot of information to digest. I do love the through threads and how you can see that, yes, there's lots of different ways to use the timing to use the astrological events to use cultures and traditional beliefs from different regions from different groups, sacred locations, Energy built up over time, or even just your own practice, there's not necessarily one way to experience this thinning of the veil. I do want to say, if you're someone who has the privilege of knowing your personal history, or like your family history, or genealogy, or have the privilege of accessing that information, you could consider exploring the traditions of the different groups and people that you are born from to see what traditions are in your lineage and your past. And if you don't know if you don't have the privilege of knowing your genealogy, for example, you could explore the traditions and cultures and beliefs in the geographic place where you currently live like what who used to live there, what did they believe? What astrology or astrological events did they use to harness, you know, this thinning of the etheric veil. The other thing to consider is that you can create sacred space and setting intentions anywhere that you are. So maybe for you it is doing a formal shelf or altar space to honor and respect and spend time with your crossover loved one, but maybe it's you setting sacred space and setting those intentions. Wherever you are, I know some medium ship readers, for example, who have a candle and anytime that they light that candle, that is their indication that they are creating that area around them as a sacred space and setting the intention to spend time with the spirit world. So they could just take that candle everywhere they go if they travel, for example. It's really more about for me and my belief, it's really more about where you're placing your attention and your intentions. So if you're placing your attention and moving it to the memory of your loved one in the spirit world, and carving out time to sit even five or 10 minutes with the intention of spending time with their soul, you are thinning the veil yourself It's really about the intention and like I said, where you're placing your intention, but I would really suggest seeing which practices or rituals work for you personally, I've talked about this before, but we all experience receive, understand, communicate with spirit differently. For some people, they may receive a visitation from a loved one in a dream, but someone else that loved one might show up in a sign for them, or might put music across their path or might just, you might sense or feel, or they might pop into your mind over your shoulder while you're doing dishes or doing gardening. So I think it's great to harness this idea of the thinning of the veil, depending on whenever you believe that it is, again, there's a lot of through thread of common belief around that theme of sound right or of DBS were thoughts or the All Saints Day and All Souls Day where it kind of is that harvest time that late October to early November time period. And the other thing is, again, remember, concentration of focus or energy or belief can create that energy or that movement. So with details, Martha's, for example, 10s of 1000s, and probably millions of people during those days are focusing on that type of intention, that type of awareness, that type of ancestral celebration and honoring, so is the energy built and raised during that time period, there's a strong potential, then it is like a to me, it makes sense that it would be because it's many souls on this side, centering their attention and their energy and their awareness around their loved ones and honoring them and feeling them and sensing them. But that doesn't mean for me anyway, in my belief system, and in my work as a medium, it doesn't mean that we can't also do that on other days. So for me, it's more about the intention and the personal practice that you have, whether it's sitting in meditation a few days a week for 10 minutes, to spend time with your loved one. Like I said, whether it's having an altar space, or a photo or an item that you were of that loved one to keep them close to you. There is a lot of ways to experience this thinning of the veil. But I really wanted to give you a good overview of the way many other groups and cultures and traditions experienced this, believe this, explore this. So you can just really have a full gamut of potential and possibility for how you might engage in this exploration of the non physical world, the spirit world right in your life. I'm so curious to know which of these resonated with you? I'm curious if you were surprised that this idea of Halloween came directly from this idea of Salem and this this spiritual tradition and celebration of sound being adopted by this Pope designated as the days as the saints days and how that really permeated into so many belief systems but also the similarities and belief systems that were have nothing to do with the Crusades and Catholicism and and how that appeared and the difference of the ancient Aztec tradition of a month long celebration versus the ancient Egyptian tradition of an ongoing conversation through writing letters through their own rituals and versions of ancestral altars and offerings and to deities that they did. So this is really Food for Thought I think, no matter whether you feel that the thinning of the veil is tied to spooky season or Halloween or harvest or salwen or whether it is deal, Dia de los Muertos for you or All Saints Day, or whether you believe it's astrological events, maybe it's winter and summer solstice that you feel that veil is thinner and you feel you can more easily sense or connect. I really believe that it's in an everyday practice or a whenever you feel like it access to your loved ones because truly, the spirit world the non physical world exists in our world right now. It's just that we are not aware of them with our five physical senses. We're not seeing them with our physical eyes. We're not touching them with our physical hands or they're not touching us with physical hands. But it doesn't mean that they're not around you all the time. Spending time with you experiencing you being with you. I do find it pretty fascinating that it seems like almost every culture tradition group region has some view version of a belief of the ability to commune connect, share with their loved ones in the spirit world that is really fascinating to me as a medium. And I really just want to encourage you to explore what works for you, it's fair to try on several of these different traditions and practices to see what fits the best for you. But now you know, where this idea of the thinning of the veil comes from across the world, how it fits into what you believe, and some ideas and options and things to explore. So let me know what you believe about the thinning of the veil. Or if this has opened your eyes or showing you anything new or even kind of gotten those creative, inspiring juices flowing, that now you're going to try something like this. For me personally, I have a daily practice of sitting with the spirit world, building a relationship with the spirit world in general, because I work with other people's loved ones as a medium, but I also have some things I do to honor and spend time with my own loved ones in the spirit world versions of ancestral altars that I have. They're not exactly the same as they are in perhaps other cultures and traditions and religions. But they're my own version. And that's my last point is I really do believe that it's okay to try things on Mac mix and match and and use what works for you do your own exploration. See what works the best for you see, when you feel most connected to the spirit world, see the different ways that you feel like you can act? And do you feel like you want to do a big celebration once a year and still also do an ongoing communication throughout the year. There's really not a lot of rules around this. And we are so individual and we go through so many different phases and time periods in our life. So as you grow and change, so to might the way that you feel the thinning of the veil, but just know that whether you sense that the veil is thinner with certain astrological events or in certain geographic locations, or sacred spaces, or times of the year. Just know that your loved ones are available to you that you do have the ability to access them and that certainly they feel your love and are sharing their love with you all the time. I'm so curious for your feedback on this episode, so feel free to drop a comment. I would love it if you would subscribe to the podcast if you haven't already. It helps me because you never miss an episode and it helps you because you never miss an episode. So with all of that being said, I
think we've got a lot to consider and practice but I really just wanted to deep dive with you into the thinning of the veil. Big hugs. Bye for now from inside. Spirit Speakeasy
