For this spiritual healer, Día de los Muertos is something to be celebrated every day
LAKEWOOD, Colo. — In the corner of cerulean blue room sits an altar with Mayan markings surrounded by candles and flowers. Nataline Ruth Cruz uses all of those elements and much more as a Shamanic practitioner, Mayan Priest of the Fifth Sun, energy worker and spiritual healer.
“My work is about taking people into their death,” explained Cruz. “Into the death of maybe something that no longer serves them, maybe it’s going into removing death.”
Cruz uses ancient techniques passed down over the centuries to help heal her client's spirits from whatever struggles they may be facing — from health, wellness, infertility, preparing to have a baby or even dealing with death.
She told Rocky Mountain PBS that most of the time, it all comes down to dealing with matters of the heart, including dealing with the passing of a loved one.
Cruz knows losing someone can be extremely painful. Her brother died several years ago at the age of 35.
“Him and I were super close,” she said. “It was the biggest heart break of our family.”
However, she believes death shouldn't be all sadness.
"We should morn the loss of that person," she said, "but we should also celebrate their return to the ancestors, return to the resting place, return to a higher dimension."
She also said her brother isn't gone to her; she communicates with him all the time.
“He’s really funny,” said Cruz. “Sometimes I hear him telling jokes at the most inappropriate time which is what he would’ve done. Like if we had something serious going on he would’ve been whispering some kind of joke in my ear. He still does that.”
She said her brother helps her heal clients who are going through similar things he experienced in life, like addiction and mental health issues. “He shows up and shows me how to guide them from his perception."
Part of her work and message to people is accept the reality of death because that will lead to a better life.
"When we fear death, we actually hinder our existence and when we can face our death we can actually live fully," she explained.
This sort of perspective and viewpoint is one at the heart of Día de los Muertos. The holiday is celebrated Nov. 1-2 every year, primarily in Mexico, but also by others around the world including some in the United States. The holiday is rooted in Aztec culture, where the dead are the guests of honor. The ceremony is like a family reunion that helps people remember the deceased and celebrate their memory.
For Cruz, Día de los Muertos isn't just a two-day celebration. She interacts with ancestors every day in her work as she helps people accept death.
"I believe in life after life," Cruz said. "So when we talk about death, it's really the body — dropping the physical death but that many aspects of our self are eternal "
Julio Sandoval is a multimedia journalist with Rocky Mountain PBS. You can reach him at juliosandoval@rmpbs.org.