During the Samhain season much emphasis is put on spirits, ghosts and things that go bump in the night. As psychopomp is a critical role of my personal and professional shamanic path, I'm often approached by those who want me to communicate with deceased loved ones. In some cases a different scenario arises and I'm asked, "Why doesn't my deceased loved one visit me?"

My immediate response is, "How do know your loved one doesn't?" There is an assumption that because we are emotionally close to a deceased loved one that we are open to and will recognize a visit from that dear soul. It's an understandable assumption, as our culture generally sensationalizes and romanticizes interactions with the deceased. In reality, it is often because we are so emotionally involved with the deceased that we don't or can't perceive their presence. Sometimes when loved ones are still actively grieving loss, they are too distracted to observe spiritual activity. In their haze, they miss subtle messages that a trained intuitive would intercept, or they are holding out for a grand entrance when a gentle presence is right in front of them. Consequently, sometimes when the deceased sense that their loved ones are not moving on, they do not visit them on purpose. The inability of living or deceased loved ones to accept death causes all involved to stagnate. Often the dead realize that their presence may only encourage the living loved one's grief instead of soothe it... More

Originally published at Intentional Insights. There you can read about Kelley's interactions with the dead, and learn more about her work as a deathwalker.