Ancestor veneration

This will be the first article in an alphabet series, I am totally new to blogging, so I am borrowing this Idea from a post by blogger Thalassa regarding the Pagan Blog Project, (seen below.)

Ancestors

Ancestor worship and reverence is a big part of many cultures, peoples, and faiths. Many paths include it and many people find it a good way to stay in touch with the world around them and themselves even. Ancestors don’t have to be worshipped like gods, but being respectful never hurts, having the blessings and protections of the parts of your family who came before you is never a bad thing.

Respecting your ancestors can bring you help in many forms, but it should not be thought of as a tit for tat sort of situation. Don’t think of them as a means to an end, or a tool to be used, it is disrespectful and defeats the purpose of honoring them. Just keep them good tempered and in your thoughts and when a time comes that you do need something, they may be more inclined to offer assistance.

Honoring your ancestors can take many forms, some people make offerings and keep altars, some people honor them in what they do, they say prayers, research their family backgrounds, memorize all the people who have passed on.  It all depends on what speaks to you. Even non-pagans have some form of ancestor veneration. In Hispanic Catholicism, they light candles and leave glasses of water out for passed loved ones, with pictures of the deceased and various saints to look out for them. Families who can afford it have big stone monuments built for loved ones, (grave stones) and most grave sites are marked in some way. Even scattering the ashes of the deceased is a sign of respect for loved ones.

Ancestors can be anyone who has gone before you, they all now have some knowledge that you do not possess, (even if it is just “what comes after?”) Anyone who was not respected in life is going to be harder to establish a connection with after death, even if just for protection of your family. Also those who were not good people in life are not necessarily going to change that in death, but some do.

I personally have very few people in my ancestry I can actively remember, anyone I did not know personally was not often talked about, and in the early days of my immediate family there was some turmoil that separated me from the paternal part of my family permanently. This does not stop me from making connections, or giving family the respect that they deserve. I don’t have photos of my own, just memories and things that remind me of those who came before. These things occupy a wall near the table my actual altar resides, and they surround a tiny mirror, as it is said in many cultures that they reside on the other side of the mirror.  (This is usually the case, but I am currently packing up to move, so everything is shuffled about. Pictures will be posted at a later date.)

Thalassa’s post-  http://nuannaarpoq.wordpress.com/2013/01/08/pagan-blog-project-from-the-arche/