Dia De Los Muertos, the Day of the Dead, has just taken place in Mexico. This annual celebration of ancestors' lives is neither scary nor sad. Gravesites are cleaned and decorated. Festivities include picnics and community-wide social events. As the dead are honored, a tradition is passed on that is intended to thrive well beyond those currently remembering. At the same time, Monarch butterflies are beginning to return to Mexico following their long annual fall migration of several thousand miles. During November and December they arrive to cluster in oyamel fir forests for overwintering. Mexican celebrants perceive in those Monarchs the visitation of their ancestors whose lives they are recognizing. The last Monarch, a male, left our waystation in Northern Illinois on October 8. If he survives the journey, I wonder about his time of arrival in Mexico.
Taking a cue from our Mexican neighbors, when we listen with the migrating Monarchs, what might their ancestral presence and wisdom teach us? As much as scientists know about the monarch migration, much is still a mystery. Monarchs remind us that our life journey, whatever its length, has plenty of mystery. We can never quite pin down instinct or intuition. They invite us to partner with the elements around us. They rely heavily on sun and wind. In their unfamiliar beginnings as newly winged creatures, they have the courage to take flight and soar. So must we in changing seasons, with changing capabilities, while facing changing situations. Monarchs value community which is essential for warmth when they rest together along their migration and congregate in large groups for overwintering. One of my favorite lessons with the migrating Monarchs is their disregard for artificial boundaries. They embrace the North American continent from Canada to New Mexico. They are uniters across generations and boundaries.
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