Challenge Entry #1: Ancestor Work
My first challenge entry this week is for the Ancestor Work Challenge.
One of the aspects of my practice that I feel most passionately about is working with Ancestors. I am still very much in the beginning stages of connecting with, honoring, and working with my Ancestors. However, I have a strong connection to one of my Ancestors, my paternal great-grandma, who at this point has been my Guide in everything I do relating to food and cooking.
Long story short, I was meditating in the shower one day, and all of a sudden, a random name popped into my head, so I meditated on the name and questioned who that Spirit was. At that time, I found out that she was the Spirit that had always been with me in the kitchen – and interestingly, the reason I could tell when something I was cooking needed more salt just by smelling it. As time passed, I began consciously working with her while I was in the kitchen, and our bond deepened and she was present with me more often.
One day, I was looking through old family photos and came across a picture and instantly felt the presence of my kitchen Guide, and just knew that the picture was of her. I asked my dad who the photo was of – sure enough, it was my paternal great-grandmother!
I am continuing to get to know her and learning to work with her.
In addition to working with my kitchen Guide, I am also going to read Ancestral Whispers: A Guide to Building Ancestral Veneration Practices by Ben Stimpson for Book Club XXXI to hopefully deepen my practices and gain new perspectives.