My first piece of advice, beyond learning how to listen to your intuition, is to create an ancestor altar or give her some sort of space in your home. Even if this is just a photo on the counter or wall, it’s a space in your home that she is welcome. You would connect with her here, speaking with her and leaving offerings (usually starting with a bowl of water is okay unless there’s something specific your mom likes).
I always recommend having some form of protection in place. If you regularly ward your home this should be sufficient. Then, just make this act of connection routine! You may “hear” from her right away or it may take a while. In some cases, she may not be ready to come through at all and you won’t hear from her. That choice is ultimately hers.
We had a past challenge about ancestors and ancestor work that might have some ideas and inspiration for you!
We also have a post on the Spells8 blog about connecting and talking with spirits.
I think this is spot on. I wouldn’t use a method of contact someone wouldn’t have used while they were living, not at first. You may find that since she has passed, her spirit has left behind the earthly notions of “good and evil” items. She may be willing to use a spirit board in the future! I find pendulums most often recommended for spirit communication. If you have one of those, you may try that.
With so many things out there about contacting spirits, I just want to say that it’s usually not as scary or difficult as people believe - you’ll be connecting with your mom in no time! 