Thoughts from the Dean's Desk

In Wiccan and Pagan traditions, the Underworld is not a place of punishment or dread it is a sacred realm of transformation, introspection, and ancestral wisdom. As the Wheel of the Year leaves Mabon and turns toward Samhain, the veil between the worlds thins, inviting us to journey inward and connect with the mysteries that lie beneath the surface of our everyday lives. The pace of life often slows down in the darker half of the year and even if our modern world doesn’t allow it to, we feel the need to nest and pull inward. 

When we talk about journeying through the Underworld at this time of year, we don’t mean the actual Underworld, but a metaphorical space where we confront our shadows, release what no longer serves us, and prepare for renewal. It is not to be feared but honored as a vital part of the spiritual cycle.  Darkness is just darkness, not something that is evil or bad.  It feels uncomfortable because we can’t see what is coming and this place of “not knowing” is uncomfortable.  People want to be in control and knowing what is going on around them makes them feel safe. 

In mythology, we see some powerful archetypes to guide our descent. Hecate, the torch-bearing goddess from Greek mythology of crossroads and liminal spaces, stands as a guardian of the Underworld, illuminating the path through darkness. She teaches us to trust our inner wisdom and embrace the unknown.  She acts as a guide holding her torch high so we can follow her teachings as we journey through this time of year. 

Persephone, whose descent into the Underworld at Mabon marks the seasonal shift into winter, embodies the rhythm of death and rebirth. She journeys through the underworld and discovers her power.  Her journey transforms her into the Queen of the Underworld. She teaches us about the transformation that can occur when we look within ourselves and bravely face those things we don’t want to acknowledge most of the time. While her return each spring reminds us that transformation is cyclical, and that light follows darkness. 

Honoring our ancestors and guardian spirits during this time deepens our connection to lineage and legacy. Through ritual and remembrance, we invite their guidance and acknowledge the continuity of life beyond the physical realm.  This time when the veil is thin allows us to find reunion, remembrance, and sometimes resolution with those who have gone before us. It is a time for us to consider where we are on our journey and to look to those who have gone before us for guidance. 

Key Lessons from the Underworld: 

• Letting Go: The Underworld teaches us to release attachments, outdated beliefs, and ego-driven desires. In shedding these layers, we make space for authenticity and growth.  When we die, we can’t take the things that we are attached to with us.  Learning to release things frees our spirit to seek new experiences and evolution of our spirit. 
• Facing the Shadow: Shadow work involves embracing the hidden or suppressed aspects of ourselves. By acknowledging our fears, wounds, and contradictions, we reclaim our wholeness.  Looking within and processing the hidden or suppressed parts of our personality allows us to achieve acceptance and to see where we need to work on an issue that is difficult, so we avoid it most of the year.  This time of year, brings these things into the light and that’s one reason we have so many family dramas at this time of year and people get depressed.  These shadows can feel overwhelming, but looking at them and processing them helps to lighten the load. 
• Transformation: The metaphorical death at Mabon starts our transformation spiritually. Physical death is the ultimate transformation.  Wiccans and Pagans consider this to be one part of the cycle of life.  This time of year, calls us to work on transforming those things that need to change in our lives.  Evolving spiritually as new understandings come from our shadow work and reflections. 
• Wisdom of Silence: In the stillness of the Underworld, we learn to listen. Intuition, dreams, and subtle signs become our guides, offering clarity and insight that the noise of daily life often obscures.  Our busy lives distract us from just being.  Sitting in silence and stillness gives us time to acknowledge issues and process new understandings.  Stillness and silence allow us to come to know ourselves as we spend time with just ourselves and learn to stand in our own personal power.  When you truly know yourself, you have found your personal power.  It will radiate in the choices you make as your values and goals will be clear for you. 

To bring Underworld wisdom into daily life, consider using these darker months to journal, meditate, or engage in rituals that connect you to ancestors and the divine.  You might want to create an ancestor altar, perform symbolic acts of release (EX: writing and burning what you wish to release) or physical acts of release (EX: cleaning out a closet and getting rid of things that you no longer want or need).  Take time to rest and reconnect with yourself and your loved ones.  This is sacred work and not the laziness that our Western World tells us it is. 

The Underworld is not an end it is just one part of the journey through our year.  It can be a beginning cloaked in mystery. By embracing its lessons, we emerge with deeper insight, resilience, and spiritual clarity. May you find courage in the descent and wisdom in the silence.