Death, Dying, Suicides and the Afterlife in The Ericonian Tradition.

This is something many wiccan ministers regardless of degree, be it priest, priestess, high priestess, or high priest or other elevated titles have always hoped they never have to preach on.  It is a touchy subject and after much prayer I know in my heart its a subject that needs scratched.

First off I want to start by saying that the goddess and god love us. It is a love beyond mortal love. A love that is stronger than what we as mortals can ever mentally and emotionally experience. It is a love that crafted countless worlds, countless dimensions, unknown mysteries, and a love that overcomes any human conception of damnation. For at the end of all things, all beings will return to the divine, for we are all created from the divine. Each of us are loved so much despite our short comings. When each of us leave this mortal shell behind, there is nothing but love awaiting so many and for those that had far to many short comings there are still chances of redemption that also end in them being in the planes of summerland.

For when we are dying, it is not a time to morn, it is a time to celebrate! Celebrate the love and life and experiences we had in this life. It is a time for our families to rejoice and overcome our sadness. It is a hard thing for so many I know this as I too have lost loved ones. But it is true! Death is a time of rejoicing, dying is a time of rejoicing. It is a time to prepare ourselves for entering a new existence. It is a time to know regardless of how young or how old we are when nature's natural order comes in calling us home. It is nothing more than our flesh being a cocoon keeping the butterfly trapped until finally we emerge as pure spirit and enter a a world where no sorrows can dampen our light.

What has been revealed to me in my connection with the goddess and god, is that upon leaving this world, we enter what some still call heaven, many of us call summerland, a few call the higher planes of the astral plane. Either way it is a divine existence where angels await us, loved ones that have went before await us, as do our ancestors. It is a place of pure light. A light that is never ending, always warm, always powerful and filled with such a love that it melts away any depression or sorrow. Death is something that we are encouraged by the goddess and god to not fear it. It is part of the natural order of things, and in death we become something greater. We transcend into higher beings of light, some of us becoming guardians for those left behind, while others watchers, and others having so many other things to do in our eternal form. Work continues even in this new existence, new meanings, a new purpose, ever evolving and learning.

Summerland is a place where all things an answer can be found. It is a place that is infinite, and filled with so many wonders including other races from other worlds that have passed to be with the divine. It is there love the created all things, all worlds, and it is our love that in return feeds the planes of heaven or summerland. It is the loving thoughts and deeds we do that generate the psychic energy that feeds it, causes it to expand so that more are welcome to join it. It is a never ending place where all return.

Fear not death, but celebrate it, for when our loved ones leave us, they are going to a place where they can always watch over us. Always be with us, and never know the pain of sorrow or physical pain again because they know that know once they are there and experience this awesome new existence. They know that no matter what happens to us in this physical life, that we are going to be called home to summerland and when we do, we are all reunited.

For those that depart this world by their own hand, this too is something I have prayed on so much as I am asked about it from time to time. At first I always thought that such an act might result in the soul always being trapped. And in my prayers sometimes it does, and this soul needs help to move on. One thing that was made clear to me when I prayed on this. A light before me shined and a woman's whisper was heard, "Eric, all things return to me." It is in this that I know that your loved ones who have committed suicide, you will see again. They are in summerland, for we are all spared damnation that other religions cry out and use as part of their tyranny. This is not so ! All souls will be in summerland! Some might take a little while to get there, but all of us return to her. It is our duty to love in this world to help prevent our human families and friends from doing this, and doing what we can to help them see the love and light in this world. However for those we simply couldn't help, know that the goddess sent her angels to guide them home.... Or has placed witches in your life to help the lost souls find that tunnel of light awaiting them....

It has been revealed to me that there is a limbo like plane, I had always heard it called the valley of shadows. It is not HELL! It is a place where souls that were dark in the flesh, are sent to experience their actions over and over. It is a place however where shadows do lurk and do feed upon negative energies. HOWEVER ! it is also a place of redemption..... When a soul truly realizes the pains its caused, the goddess calls them to summerland. For again, all things as the whispering female voice has revealed to me is "All things return to me." Now does this mean do what you want now, because there is no fear of damnation? Absolutely not! The valley of shadows is filled with shadows, astral beings that are the yin and yang of the cosmos. They are torturous as they need that negative energy to survive and thrive, and depending on the soul is how long it takes to truly be repentant and able to make the journey when the tunnel of light opens up to them. For other dark souls they are sent back to the flesh for another chance at getting it right. This is another reason reincarnation happens. It is part of the infinite love they have for us. It is that "here honey try again" moment in our eternal existence as either in the flesh or achieving our spiritual forms. Some of them achieving such spiritual forms that they can come and visit us to comfort or provide guidance. It is in this that I say again, Celebrate those whom pass on, for wonders await them.

For spirits that are trapped on the psychical plane, they too will one day enter summerland. It is and has always been part of our lore, that we were the original ghost busters so to say. While it is tricky to do, it is a witches calling to help spirits move one. To remove shadows from this plane, and to use our magick to better our world and not solely for our selfish whims.  For the afterlife has so many promises, that we must help all get there, even those that are trapped until the goddess calls all things to her. It is also with this message I say to you, CELEBRATE your dying, CELEBRATE your dead, for a simple reason, don't be their unfinished business that causes their delayed flight on arriving in summerland......

NO matter what religion people practice, no matter how little faith, or having no faith at all, ALL of us will eventually be in the graces of the creator's realm. For we are loved! We are all important! We are all divine for we were made from the divine and due to that, I can not stress enough, that we all return to them. No matter what faith! As we are all worshiping the same god and goddess that created all things. Sadly some faith path's simply became deaf to her, while others like our own fully embrace the equality and knowledge that we have two loving divine beings waiting on us. It doesn't matter if you are a catholic, a Muslim

, a wiccan, a druid or an atheist.... It doesn't matter how dark or how light our souls were filled when we left this world...... It doesn't matter what we failed to do, or how much we achieved........ We are all going to end up in summerland because of that great love.....