Hey BellaBabes!!
It's been awhile! But seeing as how I am now reppin' LolaBella Alchemy fulltime, **insert a squeeeeeee here lol**, I'll be updating this blog more habitually!
Let's get into ancestor altars...
Ancestor veneration is a big part of my heart and practice. Ancestor altars are different than your magickal ones. This altar is specifically for your ancestors and should hold items that represent them and honor them.
It doesn't take much and most items you can purchase at a dollar store or local grocery store. Your typical beginnings of an altar set up are:
White candles (at least one)
a glass of water (I prefer a pretty wine glass because, well, I'm just bougie lol)
Fresh white flowers (I generally stick with daisies, lilies, or roses)
Any pictures of your people (optional) **I shouldn't have to express that these would be pictures of people related to you who have passed on. Living family members are not ancestors.**
It is also customary to "gift" your ancestors with items that they liked while living. Every morning, I make them a cup of black coffee and sit at my altar and drink my first cup with them. Talk to them. Talk about ANYTHING. They are listening, I promise. The more you include them into your daily life, the more your relationship grows. They protect you. They "gift" you in return. As your relationship builds, quiet yourself in front of your altar and LISTEN. Often you will receive messages back from them.
I change the water weekly, more than that if I see movement in the glass. The water serves as a conduit for their spirits. Bubbles that form are a usual sign that they are present. Next to the water glass, I also have a glass of wine as a gift. My ancestors LOVE wine. Sometimes I substitute the wine for a liquor. Rum works lovely!
The white candles can be scented or unscented. I like to interchange the scents with the seasons. There is almost always candles burning atop my altar. It serves as a beacon. A lighthouse, if you will. Keep them lit for as long as you can (while using fire safety) and if you need to put them out, snuff them with the back of a spoon or a candle snuffer. NEVER BLOW CANDLES OUT. Blowing out candles breaks the connection.
I also like to keep metallic dollar bills on my altar along with some real dollar bills and pieces of ancestor money. Because....well, because. Who doesn't like money? Plus, it allows them to bless my finances.
Keep your altars clean and do not set things on the space that aren't meant to be there. This is a place of deference, not a place to set your glass while you're watching Netflix, you feel me?!?!
Your ancestors are keys to your past which hold power towards your future. Honor your dead. It's really that simple.
All my magick,
Lola