An Outpouring of Love

Thank you so much for all of the wonderful stories you have shared with us and the incredible outpouring of love. It is humbling to see the breadth of Ray’s impact on the world. Here is a sampling of those messages.

My heart is full of love and gratitude for Ray, and so appreciating stories of life with Ray, his amazing ability to find a way to navigate a world that was not designed for someone with his abilities. Thank you, thank you, thank you all. With deep appreciation
— Lorna Richman

I feel deeply touched and thankful for Ray, his love, his presence, his teaching. His coherence and principles changed deeply my life and I will honor him through the work with families. He gave us the roots to make a better world.
— Mar (Spain)

Ray was my choir teacher and art teacher at Pine Grove 1972, he changed my life, he helped a broken and lost young girl find the absolute joy of music pouring into my heart.  I later reconnected with Ray in 2007. I sat quietly yesterday and read through those emails. There are so many stories about Ray that I will always remember. I will be eternally grateful for his love and dedication to his craft and those he taught. My love to you all.
— Lani Cartwright née Barrows 

I am one example of the Castellino Family’s generosity and their open heart. Ray has spread his light all around the world, I have felt his support and tenderness as a father too. Thanks Ray, this will pass to my kids as well. Thanks to Sandra for opening their family to have me as a host daughter. My love to Sandra, Sean and Sasha always
— Ma Cristina Montufar

I’ll Remember big salads with tofu and homemade dressing on the deck. I’ll remember helping him transcribe videos and get his prolific thoughts on paper for BEBA. I’ll remember his kindness and his fire. I’ll remember how good he was not only with kids, but in making teens feel heard and seen as human beings.
— Chris Wolfe

Ray’s love just beams out of him. I remember so many times and scenes of our friendship. He listened and comforted me in my deepest pain. His love was like a soothing balm for my heart.  He was the epitome of support. His connection to his Master was the deepest memory I have of him. Wherever he is now, I imagine he is singing in one way or another.
— Charise Diamond

48 years ago, Ray taught me how to live — experiencing Life Energy and seeking it’s Source. He gave me my first polarity therapy treatment where I felt energy coursing all through my body. My life went from black and white to Technicolor overnight, and Ray made sure that it stayed that way! In the past few months, Ray taught me how to die — with Grace and acceptance, looking forward and upward. I will always be grateful!
— Rod Newton

It’s odd, but the fact that the Universe allowed such a healer and a lover to leave NOW at a time that seems like a peak of chaos and tragedies abounding oddly comforts—that all those taught by the wonderfully deep teachers like Ray are going to be called to step in and carry the love on. Living legacies you are.
— Karen Mulder

A Traditional Irish Blessing
May the roads rise to meet you, May the wind be always at your back, May the sunshine warm your soul, And, until we meet again, May the Divine hold you in a sweet embrace. Your Memory will always be a blessing for those of us who had the honor of knowing you. With loving memories
— Dyrian & JoAnne Chartrand-Benz

The Definition of Ray

Saint Raymond was the patron saint of secrets and silence,
of unborn children
and women in labor

No surprise, as our Ray could keep confidences and share silence with unusual grace.
A grace he extended to laboring women, and every child––unborn, newborn, inner,
sensing the subtleties of our passages and beyond

Ray also means a beam of light, or
each of the lines in which light (and heat) may seem to stream
    from the sun or any luminous body.
The warmth, the light, we basked in those.

In math, a ray is any set of straight lines passing through a central point,
(the central point being us, right here, in the convergence or emergence of our lives and destinations)
The ray is the part of a line that starts here and goes to infinity.

It means to spread, radiate, 
symmetry around a central axis:
florets in the head of a flower,
the arms of a starfish,
(but it is also a broad, flat fish, with a flexible skeleton and sometimes electric organs).

I will take what little comfort these definitions bring me now.

And also from a ruptured chrysalis.
Sometimes what seems like devastation is instead 
the miraculous emergence of a monarch,
starting from a central point
to fly a thousand miles, or even to infinity
on radiant wings.

— Maiz Connolly

Raymond Castellino 1944 – 2020

Official Memorial for Ray Castellino — January 16th, 2021

Ray Castellino Memorial Program

  • Intro slideshow
  • Opening
    • Welcome by Sasha Castellino
    • Grounding exercise by Anna Chitty
  • Presenters
    • Sean Castellino
    • Julianne Parrett and Lea Fischer
    • Bob Castellino
    • Musical Interlude — Joey & Tessa Agrati — Amazing Grace
    • Mary Jackson
    • Tara Blasco
    • Anna Chitty
    • Musical Sing Along — Moriah Melin W. — Fly Like An Eagle
    • Sandra Castellino
    • Charlotte “Lotte” Janus
    • Sasha Castellino
  • Closing slideshow
  • Closing by Anna

Footnotes

Poem read by Bob Castellino: “Epitaph,” by Merritt Malloy

Spiritual quote read by Charlotte “Lotte” Janus: Die to Live, by Maharaj Charan Singh

Quotes

“To be sensual, I think, is to respect and rejoice in the force of life, of life itself, and to be present in all that one does, from the effort of loving to the breaking of bread.”

― James Baldwin, The Fire Next Time (read by Sasha Castellino)

“When I’m gone, I’m going to be gone. You will experience the void in my absence. I’m going beyond the beyond. Don’t try to hold me back, let me go. Let the void be there. You won’t be able to fill it. That void is God making space for love.”

― Ray Castellino, in conversation. December, 2020 (read by Sasha Castellino)

Music Credits

Bernstein, Leonard. Chichester Psalms. 1965.

Roberts, Daniel C. God of Our Fathers (National Hymn). 1876. Acalanes High School Choir in the 1960 Olympics Opening Ceremony – Squaw Valley, CA.

Wolf, Kate. Give Yourself to Love. 1982.

Musical performance by Joey Agrati & Tessa Grady. Original composition by Joey Agrati and Amazing Grace by John Newton.

Sing-along by Moriah Melin W. Fly Like An Eagle. Native American song, Composer Unknown.

Roba, Gary. Original Flute Composition. 2021. Performed by Gary Roba.

Franck, César. Panis Angelicus. 1872. Performed by Ray Castellino for Aunt Mary’s 90th Birthday.

Beethoven, Ludwig van. Ninth Symphony: Ode to Joy. 1824.

© 2021, Sean and Sasha Castellino. All rights reserved.

Register for Ray’s Memorial

Dear friends and family,

Please join us for a celebration of Ray’s life, presented by his family and dear ones. All are welcome to attend.

When: Jan 16, 2021 03:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)

Please register in advance by clicking on this link: registration.

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar memorial.

With gratitude,The Castellino Family

Memorial Announcement

Please join us for a celebration of Ray’s life: Saturday, January 16, 2021, at noon Pacific Standard Time. A link to the memorial will be provided to all who subscribe to this blog and to a haphazard group of contacts whose email addresses we have handy.
Profound gratitude to all who have sent their thoughts, love, writings, and well-wishes. We are incredibly thankful for your support.

Chrysalis

Ray passed away this morning, December 13, 2020, at 7:00 am. His breathing was slow and rhythmic, his eyes were closed, he was in the arms of a loved one… and then there wasn’t another breath.

There is no doubt that he felt your love and nurturing presence
with him throughout these last weeks. The multiple layers of support that surrounded him were profound. Even in the most difficult moments, he knew he was loved and that he was supported to take the next step on his journey.

It was noted several times that the last few days have felt like being at a birth: stillness and presence punctuated by conscious action. And now this body, on this plane, has finished its labor and given birth to his spirit. As so many have said, Godspeed, dear Ray — father, brother, loved one, mentor. We are certain you are in the Light.

Ray’s life will be celebrated via an online memorial. We will let you know more details when we have them.

With boundless gratitude to each of you,

The Castellino Family

Dear Friends,

It’s about time I gave you an update on the progression of this life. Day by day there are new changes. Nothing is as it was the day before. One lesson sure, is that none of us can have any expectation on what our life is tomorrow. I can tell you; I actually love being on the edge. And the truth of it, when I close my eyes at night, I ask, “Is this the night?” And smile. And feel glad that it might be. This edge is so close to the other side, that while you think it is death coming, it is actually life giving. It’s the place that we sit to quiet ourselves so that all we can know is the presence. And it’s in that presence that love is beyond anything we can ever guess, or know, or anticipate. And we all think we know something about it. Yet every moment there is more and more, it shows itself to us. So, here I am in this process where everything I do that has the potential to sustain life requires that I commit myself to life. Yet again, and the truth of it, and the heart of it, I just want to go. There is no giving up, or no loss. It is just the way things are. In my heart of hearts, my wish is to live in the Will. And it’s that Will, that will take each one of us sooner or later. Death is wonderful. Life that’s lived near death is wonderful. 

There are two major things to know. One is that we are all loved. You are loved. That is constant and always. And two, death is not to be feared, death is to be embraced or welcomed no matter what our age. I say this with joy and love and gratitude. One question I get, is do I have pain? The answer is, “Yes, there is pain.” And it’s a strange thing because the pain itself is God’s attention to this wayward soul. It’s a beckoning, a calling Home. 

Now, I’m not looking into the cause of whatever made this cancer in my body happen. Yet at the same time the wanton disregard for human health by our corporate conglomerates are making toys and gadgets and addictive things that disorganize our energetic bodies. It’s all done with profit in mind. It’s total irresponsibility. And it’s up to us to really come to understand how the mechanisms of that really work. Because the people making those things, however shiny they look, however wanton their marketing is, is designed to sell a product and make profit, not designed to give us clear protection for the sanctity for our health and well-being. Even those of us that live the cleanest of lifestyles are subject. If it was possible for all of us to take our cell phones and throw them in the trash, we would all be better for it. The convenience comes at a high price. And it’s not just the cell phones. We have to take and evaluate the places we live and do things that help us be in the order of life-sustaining practices. All the way down to the basics of, is the water we are drinking supportive to be in the integrity of its God-given design. Because all the electromagnetics are disturbing that order. 

So I am here, on this Sunday morning, with my daughter who is writing this down for me, with the most glorious wonderful team, supported by Sasha, Sean and Sandra and my family and Lotte from afar and all of your love. And I’m the lucky recipient of all of your love. And you are the lucky recipient of each other’s and mine. Our lives are short, let’s make good use of them. Whether I die in a number of days or live another 8-10 years, it’s totally up to Lord’s will. And I smile and rejoice at every prospect. So you can wish as you may, and I want you to know that I have no wish, except to go Home. It’s my only wish. And to go Home under the terms of the Lord’s will. That prospect makes me so happy. 

So, progress? There is nothing to report progress on. To live longer? Yes or no. To live shorter? Yes or no. I will say this, when you get a terminal illness, they love to give you drugs, and they are useful. My experience with Oxycodone was horrific. I don’t recommend it. I’m still recovering from taking several doses in the beginning. Totally confused my awareness of up and down. Such a simple thing. Like, what is down? Down in our bodies in our energetic system, in our involutionary system is necessary for the most basic things. In this place, there is no room for vanity. We are just raw human beings. Everybody pees; everybody poops. And the right amount of drugs buffers the pain so we can concentrate. Too much drugs gets you stoned so you can’t. That’s in this place. So right now, on this day, I’ve been in recovery from drug induced constipation. As I’m coming out, I’m learning about down. Down is good. Down is the direction that poop comes out. No vanity, just the facts. And I’ve had to relearn. It’s that simple sensation of gas passing through this body. 

Now on top of that, there is the heart of it. There is the glorious Lord, guiding every step of the way. I hope what I’m writing here is making some sense to you. And know that we have been on this earth together. We have touched each other’s hearts and souls. And if in doing any of that, I have transgressed or hurt any of you, I am so deeply sorry. And at the same time, I’m so deeply grateful to know you as we have. It’s a good life. 

Thank you and deep blessings to everyone. 

I love you,

Ray Castellino

A New Journey Begins

Dear Friends,

I wish that I could contact each one of you individually. It’s just that the time it would take is beyond my capacity just now. I want you all to know that I love you very much and am so glad to be your colleague, teacher and friend.

On Monday, October 19, 2020, I received a CT scan report that says I have a large pancreatic tumor with metastasis to my liver, left adrenal gland, and lungs. I’ve had some health issues for some weeks and it’s taken some time to get appointments so that I can have definitive information.

I want you to know that I am in very good spirits, I feel well cared for spiritually and in all aspects of my being. I have a solid support system for myself and what I need to be doing in the period of time.

I am sad. . . I’ve got so many plans for the work and my private life. I so love the life I have and all that I’ve been given to share. I am beyond grateful that I’ve had the opportunity to get to know and grow with you.

This very extraordinary opportunity requires that I make radical changes in my life immediately. I will be following many of the same health protocols that my dear friend John Chitty followed which allowed him to live 8 years longer than the medical doctors’ expectations.

I do not have a clear prognosis yet. We are working on that. I assure you that I am taking actions to sustain and build my health. I also want you to know that I feel totally at peace with whatever my fate is.

As of right now I must take a long pause and give attention to the health in my being. This pause means that as of right now I am not able to offer Womb Surrounds, private sessions, classes, trainings or supervision. If you are in current or scheduled classes and trainings, Sandra or Cindy will be directly in contact with you. Updates regarding trainings will be posted at castellinotraining.com.

This blog will be where I post updates regarding my treatments and overall wellbeing throughout this journey.

I love you.

With gratitude for all we have shared,

Ray