Today is the three year anniversary of my mother’s death. Yesterday was the vernal equinox, and last night the snow began in earnest, falling down steadily all day today, inches and inches. Winter has decided to upstage Spring with a bold, jazz-hands-fueled dance number. I… Read More
I describe one of my favorite runes, Othala, as being all the things that come up when one thinks of their home – it is a rune embodying the gifts of the ancestors, the immovable wealth that is our land, our inheritance, our history, and… Read More
I keep an ancestor altar all year. It normally resides in my office and looks like this:
Every day, I light a candle, light incense, and speak to my Beloved Dead. Once a week, I refresh the water offering, drum and speak the names of my lineage.
During the month of October, the altar is moved into our living room, and becomes a shared altar for the household. Here’s a picture of my portion of the altar:
I like moving the altar to the living room at this time of year, as the Dead get to share more of our daily lives when the veil is thin. I like to think of my mother, a big fan of Halloween and horror movies, watching our favorite movies with me, enjoying the spooky household decor.
Do you currently have an Ancestor reverence practice? Comment and share how you work with your Beloved Dead. Looking for ideas on how to begin working with your Ancestors? Check out Sarah Anne Lawless’ Ancestor Worship in Modern Witchcraft.
Reciprocity by Amoret BriarRose The Ancestors call. I pour the water, light the candles, sing the songs and suddenly legions are behind me, washing me forward on waves of blood memory. Image: Birth the Dream by Amoret
Today is the anniversary of my grandfather’s death. Clarence Schirmer was a big man, a police officer, and a lover of music who played many instruments by ear. I don’t know much about him, as he died a little over a month after I was born.… Read More
Today is the anniversary of my grandmother’s death. Władysława Szaflarski (Lorraine, Lottie) had a dry wit, a talent for telling ghost stories and was one of the most spiritually powerful people I’ve ever met. Growing up, she was my best friend and the one adult… Read More
I just started drumming as part of my larger weekend Ancestor work. Every day, I wake up and light a candle and incense, say hello to my Ancestors, and thank them for the gift of existence. Once a week, on Friday or Saturday, I refresh… Read More
I’ve been thinking a lot about my parents lately, and wondering: What if we all have to recover from childhood? To be clear: I am not discussing abuse situations in this post. I am curious about the experience of being a child – small, without agency,… Read More
Image: Raise the Dead by Amoret
The gifts of the Ancestors are waiting for you – call them back. Raise what is dead.
Image: Birthing Our Stories by Amoret
Someone I loved once gave me a box full of darkness. It took me years to understand that this too, was a gift. ~Mary Oliver
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