Skulls, Sivananda and Spirituality

My finger recedes and makes a loud clank against the glass table top, as she taps my skull ring with her index finger, “I really wish you would stop wearing all that skull jewellery, its just so morbid. I don’t know how you expect to grow spiritually while wearing stuff like that” I glance down at my ripped ‘Misfits’ shirt, slightly sweaty from the Sivananda yoga class my spiritual devoted friend and I have just completed when I ask the already over asked question, “what’s so bad about  skulls?”

I admit that I haven’t seen any yogis, Tibetan monks, psychics or spiritual leaders walking around wearing ripped ‘Misfit’ tees, but does that mean you can’t consciously evolve and like skulls? Surely there must be a little room in the new age market for a tattooed, maw hawked, skull loving spirit junkie. While I recognise that the average person does not associate skulls with spirituality in the same way one might associate bread with butter, shoes with socks or Jennifer Anniston with bad movies, hear me out.

We are all obviously aware of the Mexican celebration  Dia de los Muertos, day of the dead thanks to the growing tread of sugar skull tattoos and the general awesomeness that is this holy day. It is said that on midnight of All Saint’s day, the gates of heaven open so that the souls of the departed can return to earth and reunite with loved ones. Alongside the photos of the deceased, which are placed on an alter, are their favourite trinkets, foods, beverages, flowers and yes, replica skulls. This is not because the ‘Day of the Dead’ is some morbid tiptoe dipping into necromancy, but because there exists a cultural acceptance of this transition stage of life. Death is not to be feared, because in spiritual truth you can never cease to exit.

“All I’m saying is that there is a difference between someone who like unicorns and fairies and someone who likes skulls,” was the well round argument made by my, presumable unicorn/fairy hugging friend.  Now I can’t deny that mythical creature have a place in the world. I for instance have a fabulous red foiled lipstick which I am pretty sure was made out of crushed up unicorn horns. Only kidding, unicorns aren’t real.

Skulls to me have always represented a certain mindfulness. The old cliche “Carpe Diem” for instance, live each day as if it were your last because one day, you will be right! Honestly, what could be more new age then the principle of living in the “NOW” peace out Eckhart Tolle. For me, skulls also reflect lessons surrounding judgment. Regardless of your gender, sexual preferences, political opinions, religion, skin colour, like or dislike of mythical creatures, at the end of the day and, underneath it all; we are made up of the same stuff, just skull and bones. 

Perhaps I could argue that people who have a strong ‘dislike’ of skulls are in fact denying an aspect of themselves. Since skulls are a part of our anatomical structure, your choosing to see them as representations of evil, death, demonic forces and/or morbid curiosities is simply a hop, skip and jump away from low self-esteem. Do I digress? Basically the point I am trying to make, is that I have never made anyone justify why they like Jennifer Anniston movies and I would like the same token of respect extended into my skull ring toting hand.