Honoring our dead is a labor of love.
Without them, there is no we.
Thinking of how each of our ancestors paved the way for us surrounds me with so much love and gratitude.
And it's with that feeling of gratitude that I began burning ancestor money.
Ancestor money, or spirit money, is made on joss paper. We burn it so that our ancestors are able to receive it in the spiritual realm. Ancestor money allows your ancestors to buy lavish gifts in the afterlife. It also spiritually relieves them of any debts that they may have left in the physical realm. This frees them up to abundantly bless us in the living world.
I chose Thursdays, because planetary magically speaking, Thursdays are ruled by Jupiter. It's the best time to petition for good fortune, health, and prosperity. Thursdays also attract long term accumulation and the preservation of wealth.
You don't have to know your ancestors to honor them. We all know that we came from somebody who came from somebody. I encourage you to look into your ancestry. I have yet to run into someone who knew their exact ancestry! It always enlightens us.
Whenever I pray or start my ancestror money ritual I always begin with, "To all of my ancestors both known and unknown..." That way I am including them all!
Remember to always refreshen your water on your ancestor altar before burning! It makes it so much easier to see Spirit movement during your rituals. (I'll discuss ancestor altars in a future blog).