Community Articles
General News · 17th October 2024
Kairn Carrington
Dear Friends
I want to let you know that our beloved friend and teacher Atum O’Kane passed from this world on Wednesday October 16th. While he had been struggling with some health challenges, this was very sudden, and I offer my apologies to any of you that knew him and are finding this news here. It is a tragedy for so many of us to lose such a loving light, but I imagine that he is deeply at peace in this time of ultimate transition.
Atum was a beautiful spiritual teacher who had been coming to teach at Hollyhock since the mid-90’s, this past July was this 30th year in a row. Over those decades he offered profound guidance to a great many souls and touched the lives of many Hollyhock staff and islanders. He always told me how much he loved coming to Cortes and that Hollyhock was his favourite place in the world to teach. Atum taught all over the world and there are now people holding him in their heart in places around the world including New Zealand, Bhutan, Uganda, the UK, Europe and the US.
If you would like to sit with Atum here is a link to a video interview he did with me during the pandemic about living through challenging times. I know just hearing his voice again is helping me in my grief and in my growing understanding that though I have lost him as a teacher and friend in this physical world, he is now always available to all of us.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1qPiXz2SO_I
Atum’s son Emmanuel sent out a note about his passing in which he offered “I remember Atum talking about the final spiritual practices of his close friends and teachers. How the practice(s) they did held the simplified essence of all they learned and longed for. The practice I’ve witnessed Atum doing the most during these last 6 months is the naming and complimenting of qualities he sees in people. Everywhere Atum went he would reflect back a soul quality he saw in whoever he interacted with. Seeing the beauty in others and naming a quality or contribution that they embody, evoke or offer the world is a practice the world longs for. At this time, you may want to take a few minutes to name the soul qualities that Atum embodied. I also invite you to remember the qualities that Atum saw and named in you.”
There is a small altar set up in the Hollyhock Sanctuary that will be open all weekend if you would like to go at any time and sit.
In love and grief,
Kairn Carrington
I want to let you know that our beloved friend and teacher Atum O’Kane passed from this world on Wednesday October 16th. While he had been struggling with some health challenges, this was very sudden, and I offer my apologies to any of you that knew him and are finding this news here. It is a tragedy for so many of us to lose such a loving light, but I imagine that he is deeply at peace in this time of ultimate transition.
Atum was a beautiful spiritual teacher who had been coming to teach at Hollyhock since the mid-90’s, this past July was this 30th year in a row. Over those decades he offered profound guidance to a great many souls and touched the lives of many Hollyhock staff and islanders. He always told me how much he loved coming to Cortes and that Hollyhock was his favourite place in the world to teach. Atum taught all over the world and there are now people holding him in their heart in places around the world including New Zealand, Bhutan, Uganda, the UK, Europe and the US.
If you would like to sit with Atum here is a link to a video interview he did with me during the pandemic about living through challenging times. I know just hearing his voice again is helping me in my grief and in my growing understanding that though I have lost him as a teacher and friend in this physical world, he is now always available to all of us.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1qPiXz2SO_I
Atum’s son Emmanuel sent out a note about his passing in which he offered “I remember Atum talking about the final spiritual practices of his close friends and teachers. How the practice(s) they did held the simplified essence of all they learned and longed for. The practice I’ve witnessed Atum doing the most during these last 6 months is the naming and complimenting of qualities he sees in people. Everywhere Atum went he would reflect back a soul quality he saw in whoever he interacted with. Seeing the beauty in others and naming a quality or contribution that they embody, evoke or offer the world is a practice the world longs for. At this time, you may want to take a few minutes to name the soul qualities that Atum embodied. I also invite you to remember the qualities that Atum saw and named in you.”
There is a small altar set up in the Hollyhock Sanctuary that will be open all weekend if you would like to go at any time and sit.
In love and grief,
Kairn Carrington