Newsletter: Day of the Dead

This newsletter is not about that awesome zombie movie, my dear horror fans. It's about Día de Muertos, the most beautiful holiday and the only cool thing nuns let us participate in Mexican Catholic school. This is still surprising to me considering there's not a single mention of Day of the Dead in that famous fairytale book called The Bible. Speaking of stories, by now you've probably cried to Disney's Coco or you're, at least, aware of badass skull or calavera makeup enough to know that my people take this holiday very seriously.

Guillermo del Toro was asked in an interview how he balances life and death, joy and sorrow. He replied: “I'm Mexican. No one loves life more than we do, in a way, because we are so conscious about death. So the preciousness of life, standing side by side the one place we’re all going to. Everybody in this planet boarded a train that was final destination: death. So the train, we’re going to live, we’re going to have beauty and love and freedom. And I think that when you eliminate one of the two sides from the equation, it’s a pamphlet. When you take into account the dark to tell the light, it’s reality.”

We're truly so conscious about death. This is probably why, when I moved to the United States, I ended up being the weird, blunt friend who isn't liked by everybody, but certainly never bullshits anybody. So, for the same reasons I love horror and sci-fi, I truly cherish this time of year. It's the time we're encouraged to honor our ancestors and to remember death is coming for us all. And no matter how uncomfortable that is for many, dealing with grief and loss is a forced part of the human condition.

Whatever your beliefs or spirituality may be, we can't deny the mystery of existence. If you're a Saganist, like me, you know energy never dies. And even though our rituals aren't safe from commercialism, I like to believe our ancestors and dearly departed are rolling their eyes along with us. I never really believed anything I was taught in either the Mexican Catholic church or the American church of consumerism. As you know from my rants, I've always found solace in friendship and art. So I don't pray, but I believe in energy and the power of nature that us puny humans still don't understand, even though we claim to.

When my dear Sylvia passed away suddenly this year, I felt that enormous and familiar pain I knew would now live in the hearts of everyone that knew her. A couple of months later, at Scott Wampler's insanely unique and special memorial service, I cried and laughed with friends and strangers that felt like family. More recently, my 93 year old granduncle left this dimension, to hopefully go wherever my grandma and ancestors are.

We literally have no fucking clue where we all go and anyone who claims to know is selling you something. What I am certain of is that each of the individuals who left this year not only made a huge impact in my life, but also lived in very different and admirable ways. They all lived their lives exactly as they wanted to, while remaining loving and caring for the people around them. They had beauty and love and freedom. Scott, the gringo, basically lived like a Mexican.

According to the stars and traditions around the world, this is the time of year where the veils between the material, the physical world, and the spirit world get thin. It's an opportunity to remember those that impacted our lives and are no longer here. To say thank you for all the wisdom that has been passed down to us. So as Frank and I built the ofrenda or altar, we slow danced to our loved ones favorite music, ate and drank their drinks of choice (I may have had more of Sylvia's Bud Light than Scott's White Claw), what kept coming to mind as I cried through that jolt of pain and gratitude was the collection of everything they were and left with us.

Thanks to the power of music, as Phil Collins or Juan Gabriel started singing, I thought about how Sylvia would be proud to know I'm constantly telling everyone to chill the fuck out, and make sure to laugh and dance. When a Nine Inch Nails song came on, I thought about how Scott would be happy to know I'm still dunking on idiot politician and billionaires. Richard Clayderman's piano reminded me I should practice the cello like my granduncle played the piano until the day he died.

A long life is not promised to us, so what are you doing with your life? Are you living it with beauty and love and freedom? What have your dearly departed taught you? What part of yourself are you afraid to express? What dream are you waiting to start? Since we're not here forever, what are you here to put into this world? Because we don't have much time, so since we're going through transformation, death, and rebirth, until the day I die, I promise to play and dance with the living and the spirits, and I hope you'll come along with me.

On that long note, here's what's happening in November!

DJ Bruja Radio 🎧
11/4 R&B
11/11 Grunge
11/18 Fantasy Music
11/25 Synthwave Party

In case you missed it, I signed my first distribution deal with the great Disasterpeace to release a remix from the It Follows soundtrack! I still can't believe it and I hope y'all enjoy it. Title (DJ Bruja Mix) is out now on all the music platforms 💃

Like every month, this coven will be enjoying listening parties, movie watchalongs, and Q&A hangs, along with thirst traps, tarot readings, and all the benefits. Additionally, because dreaded election day is coming, my friend Tiffany Van Goey will be joining me on YouTube to help us chill the fuck out 🔮

Thanks for being here and remember we're all gonna die, so I'll leave you with the best movie quote from the best movie of all time: "I've seen things you people wouldn't believe. Attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion. I watched C-beams glitter in the dark near the Tannhäuser Gate. All those moments will be lost in time, like tears in rain. Time to die." ❤️