Challenge Entry
As Iāve gotten older, my gratitude towards my ancestors has grown more and more and I let my intuition guide me on this weekās challenge. I set up a simple alter and spent some time looking at old photos. I also meditated with gratitude towards my ancestorsāboth those that I know of and others that I donāt, thanking them for all they have done.
Overall, I found the experience comforting and appreciate the chance to do the challenge!
Well I did go to ancestory.com but never heard of my heritage.com
I guess you just keep going down the tree seems a little complicated but I will try it. Thank you for the tips!
Iāve been thinking I want to honor Raymond Buckland He is also from England and my liniegr is from England.
He really helped me get started with the craft and I am reading his book Book of Spirit he had a uncle named George and he was a spiritualist! I want to learn how it would be possible to contact spirits again. I have done it with the Ouija board Communications. Once me and a friend played she said she was haunted by the spirits afterward. I left it alone after that! I just never had any issues but spirits did try to contact me and I got spooked. I just remembered lipstick 
written all over my mirror and it read died in 1989! So anyway nothoelsr happened but that.
I really want to try channeling and mediumship so I can talk to some people that were good friends of mine. Itās been years since Iāve talked to my brother that passed away and my mother I would like to talk to my causing too! So here I am back at weāre I started looking to be more like him.
Jeannie
@Jeannie1 Ancestry is a bit easier than MyHeritageā¦ it took me a little while to figure out MyHeritage when I first started. Once I got to GeniWorld, it was just uploading the tree I had & then going through the merges which was easier. Then it just goesā¦
We watched āBraveHeartā last night & I found out that Robert the Bruce, King of Scotland is my 23rd great grandfather & Iām related to William Wallace. Iāll have to look up that relationship though.
It helped that I had some things written down about my family, like their wedding announcements or birth announcements.
If you get too stuck on ancestry, I can help you with that one. Just send me a message about what it is, I know that they have done some upgrades to the site.
Iāve been thinking about this, and words from a song Iāve heard recently, āIāve recognized your soulāā¦ feels like that happens to me quite a bit. I talk to an apparent stranger or just read their writing and Iām like, I know this person! 
Not something thatās talked a lot in these parts of the world at least. I think itās beautiful and should be talked more 
Edit for more thoughtsā¦ maybe itās a past life thing, maybe itās something to do with us being mirrors to each other. When we see something in another person that we embody ourselves and itās a thing that brings us joy and fulfillment, it feels like beautiful magick 
Challenge Entry
This is a great week to celebrate ancestors. My momās birthday was on Valentineās day.
I made an ancestor altar last summer. I have an old buffet table in my dining room that belonged to my Mother. It was the perfect place for the altar. I took it down before the first freeze and relocated it to my witch room because I needed space for plants to ride out the winter.
I donāt have as much room on the trunk as I did on the buffet, so I had to scale it down.I have my Mom and Dadās Army photos, my father in laws military flag, my mother in laws ashes, my cousins funeral program, a silly pen that a dear friend gave me, my grandfathers bible, and a few more items. I have some boxes with pictures in it that I need to go through. I know there are pictures of my grandparents in there. The ancestor altar is still a work in progress.
@Trixie_Thojrne, I am off to find this book today! I have a whole week off to dive into it! So exciting! Thanks for sharing!
Amethystās Weekly Witchy Entry.
I have a weird history with my family. My parents rarely talked about either of theirs and now that Iām older I can guess why at least on my Momās part. I had that cousin crawl out of the woodwork last year but after I mentioned something about Momās history she never contacted me again, no matter how much I tried.
As for my dad, I have some clues but not much else than that. I do know that Iām a second-generation American on that side and that Daddy didnāt start learning English until he was like eleven or twelve. I tried looking up the family on Ancestry but got stalled at my grandfather, John Vik, and thatās about it.
So I got to thinking about other types of ancestry and wrote this. I couldnāt for the life of me get it to rhyme and say what I wanted it to, so I hope yāall like it.
To Those Who Paved the Way by Amethyst
To those who paved the way for me, I honor you.
You who fought for freedoms at the expense of your own, I honor you.
Who gave me the right to worship as I please, I honor you.
Who gave me the right to read and write, vote and work, I honor you.
Those who have paved the way for me, I honor you.
You who fought for equal rights, those who marched, I honor you.
Those who fought for body autonomy, I honor you.
You have given more than youāll ever know. I honor you.
I honor you by continuing to vote. By raising my voice.
By standing up to the injustice I see in the world.
By standing up for others who cannot stand for themselves.
To those who paved the way for me, I honor you.
CHALLENGE ENTRY
I was not sure how to tackle this challenge but i got the urge to use my tarot cards. I found an ancestor spread and used it to recieve my messages.
I set up a mini altar before inviting my deities and selecting the cards.
Here is the spread with my selected cards:
They bring me order and balance. They keep me calm in times of stress and help me to manage my emotions. They keep me on the middle path and see all perspectives. They help me to learn about myself and are the inner voice that i listen to and follow. They encourage me to search for my true purpose.
I looked at this and thought inhave certainly not inherited any fighting skillsš¤£ but then considered it wasnāt that actual fights and arguments but perhaps my way of dealing with them by rising above the chaos and seeing things from all.perspectives, even those I dont agree with, like what the last xard suggested to. Its my ability to be constructive and find solutions but also in competitive situations, show why im the best while still respecting others.
My persistence and resillience. My work ethic and never give up attitude, even when things go wrong. I take a break and come back with a fresh perspective. I also stand up.for what i beleive in, even when others try to bring me back down.
Follow your heart and intuition. When something seems good, do more of it and when sometjing isnt so good, remove it from your life. Also i should appreciete the things inhave and my life and the accomplishments that I have.
I have passion, motivation and enthisiasm. Use it to venture into the unknown and take risks. Try new spirtitual practices that appeal to me. Take time to listen though before jumping in. Pay attention to messages and signs before jumping in, not after it is too late.
I have so many skills and the confidence to attract wealth and abundance. Apply the skills I love to use to something that could bring wealth. Remain disciplined though and ensure that I am methodical and plan appropriately. Do not neglect spirtitual abundance though. Consider whether and material wealth can help others close to me. You may also be oc service to others in a work position. Look for those who would benefit from your experience as a mentor.
I then decided to pull out another card asking which ancestor was with me. I pulled the 8 of pentacles. I focused on interpreting the personality type and considered this as a dedicated and hard worker, always aiming to get better, becoming an expert almost, perhaps to the point of being a perfectionist. Someone who is committed both in work and in family. I immediately thought of my grandpa. He was committed to his family and was of the mind that if things arent done properly, dont bother doing them. This brought a smile to my face.
I am by no means a tarot expert. I am very much still learning but these interpretations brought messages i could certainly relate to.
My grandfather is always by my bedside so that i can feel his presence. He was very special to.me and had a massive impact on who i am today and this is my way of keeping him with me
Blessed be
Alan
Itās time for a friendly reminder:
This challenge will soon close
If you would like to participate and havenāt done so already, please post about your challenge experience(s) by the deadline:
ā February 21, 7:00 AM CET (Central European Time)
Ancestor and spirit work are very intriguing and often exciting areas of the Craft, but they can certainly be emotional and challenging areas to explore as well 
To all those who have explored ancestry, heritage, and spirit work so far- full respect to you! As always, the coven has been amazingly creative in how you approach this theme- there are so many wonderful entries exploring methods of ancestry work on display in the forum this week.
Thank you so much to everyone who has joined in so far! 
If you havenāt already shared an entry but would like to join in, this is your friendly reminder that you still have a bit of time left to do so!
Blessed Be! 
My Challenge Entryā¦ 
Merry Meet all! 
I have been getting late since last two or three challenges I guessā¦ but thatās because I have not been keeping well and holding up nicely for past two weeks, as I have been getting attacked by energy vampiresā¦and lots of other exhausting perks of being an empath! 
I personally got sooo depleted of energy and stregth that now I am getting stress headaches frequently. But I still believe that I must NOT give upā¦thatās what I am being told by Tarot everytime I do a reading! Huhhh, enough of my exhausting stories! I guess I am more than happy now, that I was able to take some time and energy out, for this challenge. So, in this challenge I decided to simply set up my Ancestor Altar, I placed photos of my late grandparents on it and I lit a blue candle with a chalice of water to offer them. 
I also placed freshly plucked flowers - calendula, dianthus, marigold and baby roses, from my pots, in front of their pictures! 
I sprinkled some coarse sea salt on my altar as I formed a semi circle with it, at last I closed my eyes and prayed for my grandparents, to be peaceful and happy in heaven! I chanted the small prayer for my ancestors provided by Spells8 and sat there for a few more minutes as I visualized their presence with meā¦
Okay hereās another picture just to show how pretty the flowers were looking from up close! 
This last one is special as it is a close up picture of me in my gramdmaās lap! 
I really miss her, but I wish that both of them are happy in heaven because honestly, thereās a long story behind my grandmother entering into heaven & how I had helped her to do so; thatās why I wish she stays with my grandpa somewhere up in the clouds, happilyā¦I love her more now that I had witnessed her pain of not being able to go up because of her past, not-so-good karmaā¦a story for some other time maybeā¦ 
Blessed be everyone and stay loved forever!
@Solasta_Amore that is a beautiful entry & setup! Iām so happy you were able to set something up for them. I love having my ancestor altar & I try my best to keep up with the offerings each day. Or at least leave a cup of water for them every day. Itās really lovely 
Iām sure they are happy to be honored by you in such a special way! 
Thank you Siofra!
You are very welcome Every time I see that pentacle that you use for candles I just love it so much too!
Aww haha! Thank you love!!
Challenge Entry
Working with ancestors: I have not done it to date intentionally. When I was 13, my Nanny died. I was devastated. I grew up in a home with an abusive step father and a mother who didnāt like me. My Nanny treated me like I mattered. I didnāt get to see her often as she and my mother didnāt get along. After she died, I would be overcome with grief at times, she visited me. My room was always kept hot, door to my room and window closed, I liked being warm. I was thinking of her and the room got really cold but I also felt calm and at peace. A couple of weeks later, I was out for a walk and was overcome with grief again and I was enveloped with her scent and she ātoldā me she was at peace and everything was ok.
Fast forward to when my other grandmother died. I was in my early 30s and was just getting past my agoraphobia so this phase of my life is a bit of a blur. I didnāt know my grandmother as well as she was my dadās mom. And my mother told me this past summer that although they were interested in being a part of our lives, my mother was done with them so she moved on. I got to know her when I turned 18. I referred to her as the white witch, although she was super Catholic. But if I was in need, she called. It was uncanny and supercool. Anyway, we (the family from near, far and wide) were all at her house and talking stories about Gran. It was the most beautiful funeral experience I have ever had. She had filled so many people with love it was evident in the room. Anyway, she was super picky about the stove being left on- it was a gas stove. I was 26 before she let me cook dinner on her stove- keep in mind I have been cooking from a young age and living on my own since I was 18. Anyhow, that day I had been in the kitchen talking to my Uncle Ian. I went to leave the kitchen and I couldnāt. I was being kept in. It was weird. I canāt explain it but I couldnāt leave. I looked around and I noticed that the stove was on. I turned it off as it was needed any longer. Then I was allowed to leave the kitchen.
I have said in previous posts that I have been scared of my experiences and hesitant to delve into them. I think that is why I like the tarot. It is not the same kind of experience. Just writing about my Nanny brought tears to my eyes, and for me that is something as I donāt normally cry, not for over a decade.
I have read the article on connecting with ancestors here on spells 8, which has lead me to the Divination Oil link to create an oil to enhance physic abilities. I am creating this oil today- just gotta get some vitamin e.
I know I have other ancestors other than my grandmothers but per the article, it is good to start with those I knew. After my white witch died I contacted a physic I knew, she was talented, and asked her about contacting my grandmother. She did, my grandmother (Gran) was nice and reassuring but asked why I was contacting her, she was moving on to another plane of existence. The impression I was given is that she wasnāt interested in staying connected to the earthly life she left behind. So I havenāt tried since. So, I will contact Nanny and let the tears flow. I donāt understand how the afterlife works so I am hoping I am not drawing her back to somewhere she wanted to move away from to.
I pulled a tarot spread to ask what was keeping me trapped in moving forward with the mundane tasks of life (Chariot- which I received many times this year regarding my year readings), connecting with others (basically told I focus too much on doing and work and how I am not doing things right rather than being), and with opening to my physic abilities (lovers, 10 of swords, king of wands-make a choice, surrender, there is fear, how I chose to react to my experiences was immature, I need to make a decision, engage and observe, inner fire was dampened due to fright, also likely ego, need to learn the lesson and work on my meditation practice and protective abilities)
My Nanny loved working with astrology, this week I have been looking up what sign the moon was in and what to expect for the day. It has been oddly (not oddly) accurate and has helped me deal with the day a bit better.
Sorry for the long post! I am off to create the oil and figure out which stones I have to use when I attempt to connect with my Nanny. While the oil is infusing, I will be working on what the cards have been telling me in preparation for connecting. I am thinking of doing it on my birthday next month as I will have the day off and no one will be home. That will give the oil plenty of time to infuse and for me to prep.
If this post doesnāt count, that is fine. It was well worth the challenge to get me to look at some stuff I need to look at.
Part of working with ancestors, in my mind, is to see the life patterns we have today as part of the generational learning that has been passed down through the families. If I can heal negative patterns of the past, I can heal and change the patterns for my children. That I have been trying to heal for a long time, of course, for a long time I have also been in a holding pattern, scared to really live for fear of the change and loss that will come- it will be so unknown and unfamiliar. Scared that I will be punished for succeeding (childhood pattern here). This is my justice year, next year will be hanged man and the year after that death. So, face consequences, prepare and transform. I think that is why I am on Spells8, so far it is you guys who have kept me on this path so that I am actually willing to move from this stuckness. We shall see what the next few years will bring. Wow, sorry, such an emotional post for me. I am crying again. I am such an ugly crier! lol.
@mary25 I am going to try family search.org, although I have been told I am related to Chris Pratt and Lucille Ball on one side and Mary, Queen of Scots on the other-but my grandmother was probably teasing as I had always had a fascination with her. I like your altar!
@Susurrus so cool! What an interesting history. You have some pretty cool relatives. 
@Aurora_Hestia I love rabbit holes! Yours were super interesting.
@Trixie_Thojrne - you had me at quick ;). Thanks for the book suggestion-it is on my list!
@CelestiaMoon i like the idea of exploring spiritual ancestors. That chart would be interesting, including when you found it and where you were at in your life when you made the connection. Very deep.
@Ostara I am glad you found out your brother was a closet witch. Such a nice connection to have. Your ancestor closet witches you may be able to figure out by some of the actions they took, wrote, possessions they had. I hope you like detective work! That would be super fun.
What a beautiful altar!
@Garnet it is funny that she was a dirty little secret given she was cleared. But I guess the whiff of an issue can be enough to be shushed up.
I love this quote! I agree with it wholeheartedly. You got me thinking, there are some things that go one with others I donāt know that impact me more than others and it isnāt what happened it is the who. I wonder if I am related to them or have a past life connection.
@christina4 great photos!
@Nixi glad to hear that you are still giving the challenge a go!
@Kasandra i like the movie Brave. I am going to have to watch it again through different eyes.
@Phoenix_Fire the grand tableau, I donāt know anything about it, but this sounds like a great exploration for this challenge.
@Amethyst I canāt say enough how much I love what you wrote!! So moving, honouring and empowering and inspirational!!!
@Cosmic_Curiosity eeek! I donāt why I didnāt know about this spread but I didnāt. I am so going to do this!!! Excuse me while I bookmark this post to come back to later. 
@Solasta_Amore big hugs to you! your altar is so beautiful! I love your pentacle in the middle!! Did you make it?
That is a cute photo of you and your grandmother.
Thanks so much! I was at a loss as to what to do, you know? Glad you liked it!
Challenge Entry
For as long as I can remember, my uncle has been researching our ancestry on his parents side. Growing up, we had a plaque of my ancestorās Medal of Honor and my uncle worked to restore his rank which was wrongly demoted. There hasnāt been as much work on my motherās side that I have seen.
This week I tried to learn more about my motherās ancestry. My fatherās side has been in the USA since its founding, but my motherās side has not. My great-great grandparents on one side were all born in Germany. The other side I think were all born in Italy, but I am not sure. In researching Germany and witches, there was not a lot of information that I found beyond witch hunts and trials. I plan on looking more into non-witchy customs from their regions. I also plan to look more into magic and non-magic customs from Italy.
I have a small ancestor altar which I need to add more photos and items to. I also found this read interesting.
This is so true. Iām not really able to dig far into my ancestry and this is one of the things that makes me a little disappointed that I canāt. I have a lot of trauma to heal from and I would have loved to see where it stemmed from.
And the rest of your post, I wish I had the words to but it makes me want to give you a big hug
I hope youāre feeling better soon! Being an empath can be so wonderful, but so tough sometime.
And your altar is beautiful!
Thank you for sharing the spread! This seems like an interesting one to try. Iāve been trying to explore my tarot cards a bit more and this seems like a great way to.
Your words were beautiful This spoke to me a lot because my family also rarely discussed their ancestry and now itās too late to learn.
@Ostara Your ancestor altar is wonderful!
Thank you @Solasta_Amore and @Aurora_Hestia!
@Phoenix_Rose my brother is really into our genealogy. I have 4 children and 7 grandchildren, so thatās pretty much as much genealogy as I can take right now. Lol!
He found something really interesting though. My great great grandfather was named Charles Sallier. Lake Charles in Louisiana was named after him. His best friend was a pirate named Jean Lafitte. To make a long story short, Jean Lafitte gave my great great grandmother Catherine a broach, and Charles thought they were having an affair. He shot Catherine and fled, but the broach stopped the bullet and she survived. There is a restaurant called LaBleuās landing and the story is on the wall. Maybe Catherine was a witch. Lol!
