Anan-Áire is a Gaelic term
meaning "carer of the soul." Through the past several years, the author
explains in A Celtic Book of Dying, she has helped innumerable
souls cross over in what is a final journey to the Summerlands. The
author, who describes herself as a Celtic Christian, has many beliefs
about death and dying, most of which she has retrieved from the
"Cauldron of Brigit."
The Celts, she writes, "were
always prepared for that inevitable visitor. Death was seen as a great
journey, a great adventure into the vastness of our own nature, into the
earth of ourself. Death was not seen as a thief in the night, as nature
had prepared them well in her changing seasons and moods. Death was
seen as a natural way of dealing with An Tursach mór, the great
tiredness, and they were 'glad of the long rest at last.'"
Writing that "it is not a matter
of life's being in us for a while, rather we are forever in life and
subject to its laws and mysteries," the author offers at first a
meditation where one can connect with their life force, and then kind of
let go for a brief out-of-body sensation, to underscore that we are not
just our physical bodies.
After reaching this
understanding, the author then goes on to describe the after-death
journeys of those who have integrated what she calls their "earth-mind"
and soul. A peaceful transition is called "shape-changing." However,
if one is led by their "earth-mind", transitions can be confusing, as
the soul may not recognize what is happening.
Being ever practical and not
planning on exiting this earth plane soon, the section I most enjoyed in
this book were the "lessons to be learned whilst we are still in body."
These tips could have been written by Cheryl Richardson, Debbie Ford, or
any of the popular life-coach authors. However, there is wisdom in
living a full life. "Go for your dreams -- now!" or "Risk living on the
edge for a while" can be seen from a different perspective when the goal
is not to have any regrets when it does come time for "shape-changing"
and, apparently, leads to a smoother transition.
The book also offers advice on
sitting with the dying, which is by no means an easy task. It is in
these pages where the author's last name of "carer of the soul" is truly
understood, as to assist the dying is a great honor. A whole section of
the book is offered on "Helping a Dying Person and Their Relatives,"
including suggested prayers for the dying that fit many scenarios, such
as for a sudden death. Above all, Anam-Aire instructs, do what is
natural.
The book also includes
information on the Celtic festival of ancestors called Samhain, and the
author provides a contemporary ritual which a group might use to
celebrate it. All in all, I found this book to be thought-provoking and
informative, but I did note errors that better proof-reading would have
caught.
A Celtic Book of Dying: Watching with the Dying, Traveling with the
Dead by Phyllida Anam-Aire, Findhorn Press, 2005, 159
pp., $16.95
Review by Diane Saarinen
