As I rose I felt drawn to my bóveda (altar). I've been needing to connect with my ancestors for weeks now, and while I continue to tend to my sacred space - changing the water in my glasses, occasionally offering a hot cup of coffee - I still feel the deeper call to really sit with them and invite their constant presence more intentionally into my mind and heart. This morning, after giving the Boy his bowl of cereal, I set a pot on to brew, and when it was ready I brought a steaming mug to my bóveda. Instead of the fly-by offerings of late (work has been hectic, and I've been quite engaged with the Shadow Work October challenge in my "idle" moments), I stood there for a time. I thought of my grandmothers and grandfathers, all of whom have passed on. I felt the presence most noticeably of my paternal grandmother, Lillian, and I acknowledged her. I called off the surnames of all of the forebears that I know of, and then expanded out to the countries and areas of the world where I know that they came from: Italy, the British Isles, Scandinavia, Northern Africa and the Middle East, Germany, Austria and the Netherlands, Hungary...... I opened myself up to honoring all of those who contributed to my bloodlines, all of those without whom my physical being would not be. I asked them to be with me, that I may always be "open" to their support and guidance.
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| Buckland Romani Tarot |
And I just smiled, because there they all were, my ancestors, there, present, waiting for me. The 10 of Pentacles is often called the "legacy" card because of the ways in which it represents our material and physical ties to our broader family networks. Thus it is also a primary "ancestor" card. I had never seen this particular version of the 10 of Pentacles before, and there is something special in the position of these people, quietly watching...there. It felt like a warm acknowledgement for me from them.
Amid the toils of everyday work life, woven through the fabric of family togetherness, in the liminal spaces of my thoughts and dreams, my ancestors are there with me.
The Shadow Work October challenge does take up a lot of time and energy and it is more than understandable some other parts of our practice seem to be to "forgotten"
ReplyDeleteI can hardly find some quiet time to meditate. So I think it is good to carve out this much needed alone time to restore our energy and connect to what is sacred.
Thanks for reminding me
Definitely! This challenge has been so amazing and surprisingly powerful, but it's a long time to be so deeply engaged in heavy subject matter. It's nice to take a step back and tend to the other important areas of our lives in addition to this other big work we're doing :)
DeleteI read your post on my kindle while still embraced by the rising energy of dawn and a silent house. It was lovely to spend some quiet time with you as you so naturally and lovingly honored your ancestors. And the image of you with your sweet, creamy coffee in the kitchen was just the thing to pull me out of bed for my own morning java.
ReplyDeleteThat sounds lovely, Rose! Thanks for the lovely words. I hope your coffee was just right :)
DeleteMy altar also sits rather neglected of late. Still, this time of year begs for connecting with ancestors. For me, not just because of Samhain, but also because my dearest grandmother died on the 29th of October, so that is always a reminder to connect with her... She was more into tea than coffee, so maybe I'll offer her a cup today! :)
ReplyDeleteThat's wonderful! What a special time of year then. At Samhain I like to offer up little goodies that my grandmothers liked as well, like bread and jam, or cheese crackers. I hope you have a lovely holiday this month, we have just a week and a half or so to go!
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