Ancestral Qi
Instead of focusing on Halloween this year, I’ve been wanting to deepen my understanding of Dios de los Muertos, or “Day of the Dead,” a Mexican holiday rooted in the tradition of honoring our ancestors. I have always been drawn to this tradition of setting up an Ofrenda, or putting out pictures and mementos of our loved ones who have gone before us. Since having a child, it really got me thinking about my own familial heritage, what that allows me to honor and leave behind, and of course, how to relate it to Traditional Chinese medicine. That might seem like a stretch, but hear me out.
In Traditional Chinese Medicine, there are a few different types of “Qi” or energy that make up a person in their totality. There is what we’re born into this world with and what we nourish ourselves with as we grow. Some are self-explanatory, as you’ll see below, and some will need some further explanation (in future newsletters)! The foundational types of qi are as follows:
Yuan Qi (Ancestral)
Gu Qi (Food and nourishment)
Zong Qi (Gathering)
Zhen Qi (True)
Zheng Qi (Upright)
The idea of Yuan qi, or ancestral qi, relates to Dios de los Muertos in more ways than one. Ancestral qi is energy passed down from generation to generation - good or bad, better or worse. We think of it as more than just your skin or eye color; it can be other genetic predispositions your ancestors have transferred to you. How was their emotional health or behavior? How do those choices affect your lifestyle and the ways you nourish yourself in the present?
During this season of death and rebirth, and in the Dios de los Muertos tradition, connecting with and honoring your ancestral qi is an important yearly reflection. Our parents and grandparents gave us a blueprint we can intentionally follow or unfollow; It gives us a window into our own health and state of being, and can guide our decisions about health and happiness moving forward.
With this post is a picture of the very small Ofrenda I assembled last year, and will put together again this year. Pictured is the locket my husband gave me on our wedding day– pictures of me and my dad, who passed away just a few years before we got married. We’ll add more pictures this year, of grandparents, who have left this world, so we can teach Worthy about who they were and the ways we can remember and honor them.
What traditions will you be celebrating this season? If anyone is interested in learning more about Dios de los Muertos, the Denver Botanical Gardens is hosting a Day of the Dead festival on Sunday, November 5th. You can find tickets here.
I’ll be excited to hear how everyone celebrates!
