Ancestor Veneration

Witchy Wisdom
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Hello friends, I made this topic because I am interested in beginning an ancestor veneration practice. This is actually because Hel, the Norse jotun who watches over the peaceful dead, reached out to me, and I now include Her among the Entities whom I worship. This made me realize ways in which I’ve been drawn to spirit work, even in the media I enjoy (there are two absolutely gorgeous cozy games about providing peace to spirits and caring for them - Spiritfarer and Cozy Grove).

I found this lovely, well-written post about creating an ancestor altar and beginning ancestor veneration:

A Guide to Dead and Ancestral Worship, Altars, Offerings, and Ritual

And these teachings about ancestral medicine and earth healing practices seem really interesting!

Ancestral Medicine

I am interested in your practices and experiences. Do any of you worship any psychopomp deities or deities of death and transition? Do you have any special practices or recommend any other resources for ancestor veneration?

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My physical father died when I was only 3. Somehow, I adopted Death as my foster father. I see him every once in a while, and we chat. No worship, just respectful conversations.

I see Hel’s name in many of my word search puzzles. Every time I do, I circle her and offer her a greeting. It’s all very light and pleasant.

Last Samhain, I bought a candle bearing the likeness of the local death deity, La Muerta. Each year, I enjoy watching movies like The Book of Life and Coco to honor them.

Every year, when Nature provides craft supplies, I pull out my physical father’s pocket knife for any carving I might do. He must have had HUGE pockets! :grinning_face_with_smiling_eyes: Anyway, the practice helps me feel he is still here, watching over me. When I could safely decorate, I had a framed picture of the ship my dad worked in while serving his term during the Korean war. He never saw action, returned to work as a boilermaker at the VA hospital in Ft Wayne, IN, and died of a heart attack in the middle of the night on his way home from work. The picture needs new glass, and is hopefully packed safely away in my closet until I feel safe enough to hang it on the wall near my bed again. I decorate it with a flag taken from his gravesite last time I was there and a fabric rainbow lei. I talk to him quite often.

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I was previously unfamiliar with UtiSeta, but I’d love to hear more. Do you recommend any resources for the practice?

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Thank you for sharing! I started learning the runes a little while ago and I have Ryan Smith’s book. I’m looking forward to digging back into them! This all sounds so interesting. Rune study was a little too intense at my stage of magick, but with the Allfather as my patron I fully intend to do my due diligence in studying them as I progress as a witch.

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Thoughtful Thursday Bethany,

Just reading what you have written and not going anywhere else…I feel you, I “subscribe” to Kali…so I totally understand.

Lady Gene :witch_pentacle:

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@bethany just take your time no need to rush I cannot add anything further than what has been said by my fellow coven members

With Love & Light :waxing_gibbous_moon::green_heart:

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