#ancestors veneration

[florencebrennan]

I just have the most beautiful experience till now since I started ancestors veneration.

I'm not good at trance so I use music, this time I've chosen this Witcher 3 music ambient. The video visuals were peaceful so I put them on full screen with the phone light at minimum.

Completely dark, I rang my new bell. Meditation while listening to the music, so I could relax myself. I've given them offerings (violet incense, edible rose petals, a glass of water, an anointed candle with olive oil). I've prayed the Rosary, luminous mysteries on Thursdays. While praying, offering three to my ancestors known and unknown, another two to them and the Holy Souls in the purgatory. After being done with it, I've asked them if they want or need something from me with a spanish playing cards deck... I got the 5 of cups, which is about loved ones together, celebration, living life and not losing a chance to enjoy.

They want me to get better. They want me to live, to enjoy life. They want me to not give up. I ended up crying. I love them so much, even if I don't know most of them. I can't even describe it.

[thevillain-s]

HOODOO: “If freedom don’t ring, these “roots” gonna sing!!!!”

[emeraldislewitch]

i cannot say it enough: RESEARCH IS WORSHIP RESEARCH IS WORSHIP RESEARCH IS WORSHIP RESEARCH IS WORSHIP RESEARCH IS WORSHIP RESEARCH IS WORSHIP RESEARCH IS WORSHIP RESEARCH IS WORSHIP RESEARCH IS WORSHIP RESEARCH IS WORSHIP RESEARCH IS WORSHIP RESEARCH IS WORSHIP RESEARCH IS WORSHIP

research your ancestors, research your gods, research the land you come from, listen to the stories told by your family, your community, your elders and take notes. research research research.

[pagan-stitches]

I started work again last night on this red work piece. The design is from the same vintage Czechoslovakian pattern book as the bottom piece that is used in May celebrations. The current piece is intended for use at the winter solstice.

[3rdeyeblaque]

On September 10th we venerate Elevated Ancestor, Voodoo Queen of Louisiana, & Saint, Marie Catherine Laveau on her 222nd birthday 🎉

[for our Hoodoos of the Vodou Pantheon]

Marie Catherine Laveau was a dedicated Hoodoo, healer, herbalist, & midwife who, "traveled the streets [of New Orleans] like she owned them", as the most infamous Voodoo Queen of New Orleans.

Marie C. Laveau I was born a "Free Mulatto" in today's French Quarter in what was then, New France); to a mother & grandmother who were both born into slavery & later freed via freedom papers. It is believed that she grew up in the St. Ann Street cottage of her maternal grandmother.

She married Jacques Santiago-Paris, a "Quadroon" "Free Man of Color", who fled as a refugee from Saint-Domingue, Haiti from the Haitian Revolution in the former French colony . After his passing, she became known as "The Widow Paris". She then worked as a hairdresser catering to White families & later entered a domestic partnership with a French nobleman his death. She excelled at obtaining inside information on her wealthy patrons by instilling fear in their servants whom she either paid or cured of mysterious ailments. Although she never abandoned her Catholic roots, she became increasingly interested in her mother’s African traditional beliefs. The Widow Paris learned her craft from a ‘Voodoo doctor’ known variously as Doctor John or John Bayou.

Marie C. Laveau I is said to have intiated into Voodoo career sometime in the 1820s. She's believed to be descended from a long line of Voodoo Priestesses, all bearing her same name. She was also a lifelong devout Catholic. It didn’t take long before Marie C. Laveau I dominated New Orleans Voodoo culture & society before claiming title of Queen. She was the 3rd Voodoo Queen of NOLA - after Queen Sanité Dédé & Queen Marie Salopé. During her decades tenure, she was the premier beacon of hope and service to customers seeking private consultations - to aid in matters such as family disputes, health, finances, etc, created/sold gris gris, perforemed exorcisms. While her daughter Marie II was known for her more theatrical displays of public events, Marie C. Laveau I was less flamboyant in her persona. She conducted her work in 3 primary locations throughout the city: her home on St. Ann Street, Congo Square, & at Lake Pontchartrain. Despite one account of a challenge to her authority in 1850, Marie C. Laveau I maintained her leadership & influence.

The Queen died peacefully in her sleep in her ole cottage home on St. Ann Street. Her funeral was conducted according to the rite of the Catholic Church & in the absence of any Voodoo rites. To her Voodoo followers, she's venerated as a Folk Saint. In² addition to her Priesthood in Voodoo and title of Queen, she is also remembered for her community activism; visiting prisoners, providing lessons to women of the community, & doing ritual work for those in need.

She is generally believed to have been buried in plot 347, the Glapion family crypt in Saint Louis Cemetery No. 1, New Orleans. As of March 1st, 2015, there is no longer public access to St. Louis Cemetery No. 1. Entry with a tour guide is required due to continued vandalism & tomb raiding.

We pour libations & give her💐 today as we celebrate her for her love for & service to the people, through poverty, misfortune, bondage, & beyond.

Offering suggestions: flowers + libations at her grave, catholic hymns, holy water, gold rings/bracelets, money

‼️Note: offering suggestions are just that & strictly for veneration purposes only. Never attempt to conjure up any spirit or entity without proper divination/Mediumship counsel.‼️

[propheticeve]

If someone claims to practice Hoodoo but says they don't pray, then they are not truly practicing Hoodoo. Don't let the trend followers on social media make you believe that prayer is bad. Praying as a beggar is bad because it spiritually opens a portal, and begging is a form of low vibrational energy. This low vibrational energy allows spiritual leeches and parasites to attack you, leading to spiritually transmitted demons, psychic attacks, mental episodes, and freak accidents. However, with proper prayer and an understanding of how your words can access different realms, you are truly practicing Hoodoo correctly.

[kemetic-dreams]

According to Dr. Yvonne Chireau, "Hoodoo is an African American-based tradition that makes use of natural and supernatural elements in order to create and effect change in the human experience."

 Hoodoo was created by African Americans, who were among over 12 million enslaved Africans from various Central and West African ethnic groups being transported to the Americas from the 16th to 19th centuries (1514 to 1867) as part of the transatlantic slave trade. The transatlantic slave trade to the United States occurred between 1619 and 1808, and the illegal slave trade in the United States occurred between 1808 and 1860. Between 1619 and 1860 approximately 500,000 enslaved Africans were transported to the United States. 

From Central Africa, Hoodoo has Bakongo magical influence from the Bakongo religion incorporating the Kongo cosmogram, Simbi water spirits, and Nkisi and Minkisi practices. The West African influence is Vodun from the Fon and Ewe people in Benin and Togo following some elements from the Yoruba religion.  After their contact with European slave traders and missionaries, some Africans converted to Christianity willingly, while other enslaved Africans were forced to become Christian which resulted in a syncretization of African spiritual practices and beliefs with the Christian faith. 

Enslaved and free Africans learned regional indigenous botanical knowledge after they arrived to the United States. The extent to which Hoodoo could be practiced varied by region and the temperament of the slaveholders. For example, the Gullah people of the coastal Southeast experienced an isolation and relative freedom that allowed retention of various traditional West African cultural practices. Gullah people and enslaved African-Americans in the Mississippi Delta, where the concentration of slaves was dense, Hoodoo was practiced under a large cover of secrecy. The reason for secrecy among enslaved and free African Americans was that slave codes prohibited large gatherings of enslaved and free African people. Slaveholders experienced how slave religion ignited slave revolts among enslaved and free African people, and some leaders of slave insurrections were African ministers or conjure doctors

[saintmachina]

folk music makes me go feral. you’re telling me that I’m singing along to songs that have been circulating among commonfolk and kings alike for hundreds of years, set to tunes that are hundreds of years older than that? you’re telling me these ballads have outlived empires and revolutions? you’re telling me this reel could have been played to entertain my ancestors while they spun wool by the fire? absolutely bonkers stuff.

[tears-of-amber]

I’ve heard some people saying you can’t or shouldn’t work with your ancestors if you’re white. I think this is an exaggeration of what is actually reasonable. Use discernment! Not all your ancestors were bad people. Perhaps most are. But you DONT have to work with those rotten ones (Nazis, sexists, homophobes, abusive assholes, slave owners). The truth is, not everyone in history was evil like that. Did your white ancestors benefit from white privilege? ABSOLUTELY. So do ALL white people, even the ones who don’t like or subscribe to racism. Even current living ones. The misconception with ancestor work is that you have to apparently “like everything about them and treat them like a flawless deity”. Which is so SO wrong. You should treat your ancestors like you’d treat your living family and friends! If your friend started calling someone homophobic or racist slurs would you continue to take their advice and hang out with them? NO. So, ultimately what I’m saying is that discernment is key. My white great grandmother was an amazing woman. She wasn’t perfect, but she was beautiful and strong of heart. She was a bold and flamboyant woman, and was an advocate for women expressing their sexuality and pursuing their dreams at a time when that was absolutely frowned upon. She made mistakes, but she grew from them. I had the honor of having her in my earlier years of life. And she didn’t discriminate against the lgbtq community, in fact was friends with a lot of gays because they were working in the same industry as her (dancing, modeling, art, etc). I love her and I love working with her. I honor the right things she did, and I learn from the problematic decisions she made and regrets. So yeah, don’t discount your ancestors just cause they’re white. There’s a good chance they‘lol be racist. But there’s an off chance that instead they’d actually genuinely ok people who you can learn from their experiences. I hope this post doesn’t come off wrong. I’m not saying honor racists and homophobes. I’m saying don’t throw out the nice babies with the yucky bath water.

Reblog with polite corrections or perspectives if you find this wrong or dumb in anyway! I’d love feedback and am willing to hear others perspectives!

[florencebrennan]

It's going to be an unpopular opinion but witchcraft it's about communicating, communing and sometimes working with spirits. Spirit flight. Spellwork is operative magic. I don't have problem with spellwork, I do practice folk magic... But people have blurred its historical meaning.

I've read a post about a "hereditary spiritualist" talking about how witchcraft practitioners shouldn't interact with spirits and stay away from them... First, if you're an spiritualist is literally your craft. Second, it's the core of witchcraft.

At the end of the day everyone will do whatever they want. You don't want to interact with them? Fine, but don't tell everybody else what to do like is written in stone because you maybe had a bad experience or never tried.

Practices and people evolve, plus we all are from different parts of the world with their traditions/folklore/religions.

[rainbluealoekitten]

being pagan is awesome because sometimes you're doing elaborate rituals with blood offerings to a being who might be older than earth, and then the rest of the time you could be trying to convince your ancestors that they could have cider offerings if they ✨ do their thing ✨ to get you some

[thetwotorches]

Basic Ancestor Veneration

I have essentially been away for a few months to take care of the recently dead and also my own ancestors, so I thought I would share what I do for myself because it is very simple and very accessible for anyone who has been wanting to take care of their family line and doesn't know where to start or doesn't have a great deal of time.

I lived in Asia for several years, so this basic structure is similar to how I saw and learned it while living there. The way it was conveyed to me is that you don't necessarily need to have ties to Asia to do things this way- it is so basic at its core anyone can benefit.

I will now detail a simple ancestor veneration setup in a temporary style and share some more permanent alternatives if you decide you would like it to be more permanent.

HOW TO SET UP:

First please pick out a nice sheet of paper. You can fold it into a neat square or thick strip for either horizontal or vertical writing. Please do not use scissors to trim anything on the paper, please crease and tear cleanly if you must resize without folding. If you choose to do this and accidentally make a large rip or chunk, please start over.

On this paper now write "The Temporary* Place For The Ancestors of X X" (the X's being your own first and last name) very neatly. If you make a mistake, start over completely with fresh paper- marking or scribbling out is unacceptable. (*If you decide later on to make this a permanent thing, I recommend using a thin piece of wood in the same shape, and writing or carving the words onto it, or using a nice piece of board. At which point you may omit the word 'temporary' from the signage.). This paper will act as the anchor for your ancestors to come to.

Please create a stand of some sort for this paper to go on; the idea being that the paper should be able to stand as straight up as possible without leaning or falling over, but without the paper standing like a greeting card with the folded paper open to do so. Do not poke holes or pin the paper to anything. You could fashion something out of cardboard, or if you are especially handy the preferable, more permanent choice is out of wood with fitted pieces if you are looking to make something more permanent (no nails used please).

Once the paper goes onto the stand, please refrain from touching it with bare hands as much as possible. Move it by its stand if it must be moved, or take a piece of cloth in your hand to pick it up.

Once your paper is sitting straight up in its stand in a dedicated place, please choose a nice bowl, preferably a plain white, that fits neatly between your hands. Fill it about half way with clean, fresh water. Place this bowl, with its water, before the upright paper.

WHAT TO DO:

With the offering of water made before the paper, you have essentially finished the foundation of this veneration and may speak to/call/interact with your ancestors as feels best to you. The most basic thing I personally do is bow, but if there is a bigger occasion I will do other things.

HOW TO MAINTAIN:

Replace the water in the bowl every day with fresh water. I pour out the previous day's water onto my plants so that it does not go to waste and can also feed something alive. After replacing the water each day, I will do my desired interactions.

HOW TO DISPOSE/CLEAN UP:

If you have written on your paper that this is a 'temporary' place for your ancestors- perhaps the time you have allotted has now come to an end or you have decided on a more permanent setup that is more sturdy than paper and cardboard, etc- then there will come a time to clean up the space. Here is how I do things.

Take the last bowl of water and carry it outside. Toss the water forward to empty the bowl and point it away from your house. Go back inside and retrieve the paper- this time you may carry it with your bare hands, but please show respect. You may say some parting words, or just keep to a reverent silence. Once you are ready, light the paper on fire to dissolve the anchor and send them on their way. Please make sure the paper has wholly burned to ash- this may require re-lighting some pieces. You can also collect any remaining ash in your hands and rub them between your fingers to break up the larger pieces and send them along on the wind.

The stand you made you can either keep for next time or toss, it no longer serves any function or has any relevance.

~~

I hope this has been useful. I think our ancestors are some of our strongest supporters- remember that they don't just go back to people you know or knew, but far beyond that. I hope we can take the time to recognize them throughout the year.

[pagan-stitches]

I made some good progress last night.

[3rdeyeblaque]

On August 30th we venerate Young King Brother Fred Hampton on his 75th birthday 🎉

Deputy Chairman Fred Hampton was the one of THE greatest orators, leaders, and visionaries to join the Black Panther Party Of Self-Defense 🖤✊🏾

Fred Hampton was born & raised in the Chicago suburbs of Illinois. Civil liberties, rights, and laws were always of great interest to him. After graduating high school, he enrolled in a pre-law program at Triton Junior College in River Grove, Illinois. He joined his local NAACP branch to get involved in the civil rights movement. He rose to the position of Youth Council President for his strong leadership and organization skills. In this position, Brother Hampton mobilized a racially diverse group of 500 young men/women who successfully lobbied city officials to create better academic services and recreational facilities for Black American youth.

In 1968, he joined the Black Panther Party of Self-Defense, headquartered in Oakland, CA. Shortly thereafter, he was selected to head the Chicago Chapter. Here, he created strong personal and political ties with his mentor & chaplain, Father George Clements at the [then] Holy Angels Catholic Church; which served as a safe haven for the Panthers targeted for police surveillance or harassment.

Brother Hampton accomplished a great many things as a young, prolific leader of the BPP Chicago Chapter. He successfully negotiated a gang truce on live television.One of his greatest successes was an unprecedentedly integrated approach to sociopolitical unity; he formed a “Rainbow Coalition”, which included: the Students for a Democratic Society, the Blackstone Rangers, a street gang and the National Young Lords, a local Puerto Rican organization. He was the first leading Panther to achieve this. This alliance is what truly struck the cord of fear in the Chicago P.D. & the FBI. In an effort to neutralize the Chicago Chapter of the BPP, the Black Panthers were placed under heavy surveillance & were subjected to several harassment campaigns.

By 1969, several Black Panthers and Chicago cops either suffered injury or were killed in shootouts across the city, which resulted in the arrest of over 100 members. On Dec 4th of that same year, under the FBI's initiative, the County PD & Chicago PD conducted heinous, unlawful, and unnecessary raid on the Black Panther Party's HQ in the early morning hours while Brother Hampton, leader Mark Clark, and other Panthers slept. They fired over 100 rounds into the apartment without warning. Twelve officers executed Brother Hampton as he slept, drugged by a sedative slipped into his drink by "Panther"/FBI informant O'Neal. Naturally, in Jan 1970, the County Coroner's office ruled the Black Panther leaders' deaths as "justifiable homicide".

Over 5,000 souls attended Brother Hampton’s funeral. Many civil rights activates eulogized him, including his good friend and mentor Father George, who also held a Requem Mass for him at his church.

After many years of coverups, internal investigations, lawsuits, raids, and conspiracies confirmed, the FBI, County PD, & Chicago PD finally admitted to the wrongful deaths of Brother Hampton and Mark Clark. In 1990, and again in 2004, the Chicago City Council passed resolutions commemorating December 4th as Fred Hampton Day. Today, Brother Hampton rests at the Bethel Cemetery in Haynesville, LA where his parents are from - which continues to endure violent desecration from White Supremacist vigilantes/supporters.

" You can kill a revolutionary but you can never kill the revolution. People have to be armed to have power" - Young King Fred Hampton

We pour libations & give him💐 today as we celebrate him for his love of our people, his relentless dedication to the BPP cause, and his young yet wise spirit that lives on. May be the find restful peace in spirit that he was/is denied in the physical.

Offering suggestions: flower offerings at his grave, libations of water, prayers and frankincense toward his elevation

‼️Note: offering suggestions are just that & strictly for veneration purposes only. Never attempt to conjure up any spirit or entity without proper divination/Mediumship counsel.‼️

[propheticeve]

Hoodoo is CLOSED to non black AMERICANS

Hoodoo is distinct in that it involves working with specific ancestral spirits and deities, many of whom remain unfamiliar to the broader spiritual community. This sacred connection extends beyond mere knowledge; it is an intimate relationship with spirits deeply ingrained in the Hoodoo pantheon. These spiritual entities are closely tied to the experiences of Black Americans, and understanding them requires a profound awareness of one's lineage.

:

Hoodoo is considered a closed practice, meaning that access to its teachings is earned through guidance and mentorship. True practitioners are taught; they don't self-proclaim. Unfortunately, there is a concerning trend of non-Black individuals claiming to practice Hoodoo without a genuine understanding of its essence. Many cannot name a single spirit from the Hoodoo pantheon, exposing a significant gap in their knowledge.

It's crucial to distinguish Hoodoo from general folk magick practices. Hoodoo demands practitioners to delve into their lineage, understand their history, and grow in spiritual wisdom. The conflation of Hoodoo with generic folk magick demonstrates a lack of comprehension about the unique cultural and historical underpinnings that define Hoodoo. Hoodoo requires knowledge of the American slave trade and its affects on black Americans

Ancestral spirits within Hoodoo are discerning entities, recognizing color and lineage. Contrary to the notion that spirits lack prejudice, Hoodoo practitioners assert that ancestral spirits work closely with their descendants. Given the historical context of slavery and oppression, it becomes inconceivable for these spirits to collaborate with those from the very lineage responsible for their suffering.

:

Unlike some other African Traditional Religions (ATRs), Hoodoo has resisted commercialization and exploitation. Its practitioners emphasize the sanctity of their belief system, urging others to respect and protect it. The appropriation of Hoodoo by those outside its cultural lineage is viewed as a disservice to its profound spiritual significance.

:

Hoodoo is not merely a set of rituals; it is a sacred tapestry woven with the threads of Black American history, spirituality, and resilience. The claim that anyone, irrespective of background, can practice Hoodoo disregards its closed nature and the imperative to honor its cultural specificity. It is time to acknowledge and respect the boundaries of Hoodoo, safeguarding its authenticity and the spiritual legacy it represents.

[crazycatsiren]

My ancestors: "Child, you are made from tough materials. You have the blood of warriors in your veins. You got this."

Me, eating ice cream out of the carton, drinking Mountain Dew, sobbing my eyes out: "I know. I'm trying. I love you."