Tis the time of the year when spirits get really active for some people (another super active time might be in May--for some of us it doesn't really stop). It's a great time to set up an Ancestral Altar, if you'd like to. Not everyone needs/wants to venerate their ancestors and that's fine, too. Plus, some ancestors don't deserve to be honored imo (maybe not forgotten--make notes of the shit person they were, so a descendant doesn't end up naming their kid after them). If you'd like to, you can leave it up all year if you want/can, too, or take it out on birth/death days or other special days.
Our Ancestral Altar lives in a hutch that I inherited from one of my grandmothers. Inside you'll find photos, notes, letters, trinkets, fossils, maps, family trees, photo albums, money, pendulum, offerings, and prayers for Ancestors of Blood and Spirit, our pets, and strangers/acquaintances who've had an impact on us in one way or another (like David Bowie, Fred Rogers, Stan Lee, etc). There's some Death Deities in there too, such as Hekate, Hades, Persephone, Baba Yaga, and Hel. I honor my ancestors from this life and bloodline and past lives, too--flora and fauna. I haven't always been in a human body.
Sometimes when a person has spirit activity in their home, usually it's an ancestor making contact. Think about that the next time you get scared and believe that you need to have a spirit-free home (which really isn't healthy to have a spirit-free home). If you've no or not as developed psychic abilities, you can still talk to the spirits in your home, depending on your beliefs, of course. You don't need any tools, just talk to them. Sometimes all they want is to be acknowledged.
If you don't want problematic ancestors in your home, state that. Not all ancestors want you to succeed, despite popular belief. Some were downright evil, and often who they were in life is who they are in death (not always--sometimes they change).
Ask for help from your house spirits, guardians, and ancestors. And/or do it yourself and cleanse and ward your home against them. You can also make a list of Spirit House Rules and Guidelines, too (which is another reason to not have a spirit-free home, it's good to make friends on the other side, so they can help you with these issues). I've been using a list for years, and giving my house guardians permission to enforce these rules, as well as regularly feeding these entities...and my ancestors. Often, your ancestors are going to be closer to you than any God. Deities are busy and can't always be there for us. More times than not, you're going to have any ancestor around you, even if you're adopted--ancestors of blood and spirit.
(This is a post from my experience and beliefs. Your practice all depends on your beliefs, of course. My views are not the end-all, be-all. We all have different experiences and perspectives.)
Our Ancestral Altar lives in a hutch that I inherited from one of my grandmothers. Inside you'll find photos, notes, letters, trinkets, fossils, maps, family trees, photo albums, money, pendulum, offerings, and prayers for Ancestors of Blood and Spirit, our pets, and strangers/acquaintances who've had an impact on us in one way or another (like David Bowie, Fred Rogers, Stan Lee, etc). There's some Death Deities in there too, such as Hekate, Hades, Persephone, Baba Yaga, and Hel. I honor my ancestors from this life and bloodline and past lives, too--flora and fauna. I haven't always been in a human body.
Sometimes when a person has spirit activity in their home, usually it's an ancestor making contact. Think about that the next time you get scared and believe that you need to have a spirit-free home (which really isn't healthy to have a spirit-free home). If you've no or not as developed psychic abilities, you can still talk to the spirits in your home, depending on your beliefs, of course. You don't need any tools, just talk to them. Sometimes all they want is to be acknowledged.
If you don't want problematic ancestors in your home, state that. Not all ancestors want you to succeed, despite popular belief. Some were downright evil, and often who they were in life is who they are in death (not always--sometimes they change).
Ask for help from your house spirits, guardians, and ancestors. And/or do it yourself and cleanse and ward your home against them. You can also make a list of Spirit House Rules and Guidelines, too (which is another reason to not have a spirit-free home, it's good to make friends on the other side, so they can help you with these issues). I've been using a list for years, and giving my house guardians permission to enforce these rules, as well as regularly feeding these entities...and my ancestors. Often, your ancestors are going to be closer to you than any God. Deities are busy and can't always be there for us. More times than not, you're going to have any ancestor around you, even if you're adopted--ancestors of blood and spirit.
(This is a post from my experience and beliefs. Your practice all depends on your beliefs, of course. My views are not the end-all, be-all. We all have different experiences and perspectives.)
There's a lot of books out there. Cultures, religions, and spiritual paths are going to have their own views and traditions about death, funerary practices, ancestors, and spirits. Here are a few books (some I've read, some not):
- Hendrickson, Nancy. Ancestral Tarot: Uncover Your Past and Chart Your Future.
- Penczak, Christopher. Spirit Allies: Meet Your Team from the Otherside.
- Penczak, Christopher. The Mighty Dead.
- Stimpson, Ben. Ancestral Whispers: A Guide to Building Ancestral Veneration Practices.
- Vaudoise, Mallorie. Honoring Your Ancestors: A Guide to Ancestral Veneration.
- Wigington, Patti. Badass Ancestors.
Do any of you have a place for your ancestors? Share in the Facebook comments if you'd like.
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