Jeez - you get one bad flu...

...and you miss out on all the fun!

If you read my blog, chances are that you also read at least one of the other blogs (Jason Miller, Frater Rufus Opus, ConjureMan Ali, de Heer Balthazar, et al)that have been part of a very interesting discussion regarding energy work in magic, and that then morphed into dialogue about cultural appropriation.

Of course, I was away on vacation for the end of January and early February, and upon my return I promptly got a downright diabolical respiratory virus that has had me laid out flat for the past week. I was so busy monitoring my fever, and drinking Chinese Medicine cough syrup like water, while trying to keep my lungs from imploding from coughing, that I came into the whole sha-bang far too late to have anything of interest to chime in. Heck, I can still barely wrangle coherant thoughts well enough to even write this meager update. Suffice it to say that I find myself agreeing whole-heartedly with the energy work perspectives professed by Jason Miller, and agreeing with ConjureMan Ali's assessment of the cultural appropriation matter.

On a completely mundane note, vacation was a blast. We visited the Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Orlando and had a purely fantastic time! I am a huge child at heart, and growing up in Orlando like I did I have an almost unhealthy love for Disney and Universal theme parks. I basically grew up with Disney as my playground, hearing behind the scenes stories of when my mother worked there as a teenager. When I was teen I also worked there briefly (I was Pluto for EPCOT Center character breakfasts), and now have my own backstage stories to relate. So, Disney feels like home away from home, and I start to get itchy inside if it's been more than 3 or 4 years since I've walked down Main Street at the Magic Kingdom. It had been about 5 or 6 years since our last visit, so it was long overdue, and many new attractions were there for the experiencing. My husband never visited growing up, so he enjoys getting the "insider's tour" of the place whenever we go. Park maps?? We don't need no stinking park maps!

But being a huge Harry Potter fan and not having been to the Wizarding World yet was just killing me, so we took advantage of my husband's annual training conference in Orlando to have a little time away. The Hogwarts Castle was just amazing - it really was like walking into the movies. The ride was great (I screamed out loud at least 3 times - mostly because the dementors are FAR more freaky in "real life" then they even are on the big screen), and the food and drink was good, but just walking through the castle was just really amazing. The detail was just mind-blowing and that alone was worth the whole day. All the Hogwarts employees kept welcoming us "muggles", and unfortunately I was not able to convince them that I was NOT a muggle no matter how many times I said it. ;) Of course I got a Gryffindor house sweater and quidditch scarf as keepsakes, so I can look eternally nerdy back here at home.

Anyway, as you can probably tell, this blog entry has no real conjure content. I'm still sick and barely conscious, but I felt badly for leaving my blog and readers alone for so long, and feeling kinda left behind on all the latest hub-bub. I hope to be better by next week and be able to get some new material up for you all.

Divining the Year Ahead

(NOTE TO READERS: I don't plan on making a habit of transplanting articles from my newsletter to my blog here, or visa versa, as I want my various outputs to have unique content. However, I decided to make an exception in this one case by posting the 3-card draw that I did on 2011 since I really liked how it came out. If you are a recipient of my newsletter, than I apologize for the repetition. If you are not, then let this be a sneak-peek of the kind of material that gets sent out once a month if you do subscribe!)

It's natural for people to want to know what to expect from a new year as it dawns around the world. Since most in North America and the UK consider January 1st to be the beginning of the New Year it's a very busy time for tarot readings, astrologers, and all manner of diviners as clients flock to find out what the next 12 months holds in store for them. It's fun and can also be very instructive, acting as a guidepost along the way when navigating life's various trials and tribulations.

I wanted to do a full Year Ahead reading for the general state of the world in 2011, but realized it would be far too long to make appropriate short-form material. Instead, I decided to do a 3-card draw for the upcoming year and post it here for everyone.

Card 1 represents the over-arching theme for the 2011.

Six of Cups - Return to Innocence

It shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone that getting back to basics has become extremely important in our short-sighted, instant gratification-oriented society. The natural world continues to be destroyed in order to feed a bottomless demand for energy and resources. Rather than focusing on community - keeping everyone fed, housed, educated, employed, and able to access effective health care - we've crafted a society that only "looks out for #1" and has little to no sense of long-term consequences of actions and choices.

A whole civilization of people has been programmed to believe that material objects will somehow fulfill them, and have become transformed into ravenous hungry ghosts...miserable shells that seek cessation of pain through consumption.

There have always been voices calling for proper stewardship of the Earth and all her creatures, to decrease the toxic load we burden the land, animals, and even our own bodies with, and to look no further than our own families, communities, and spirit for fulfillment. As the Procession of the Equinoxes moves forward we see more and more voices joining in, but critical mass hasn't quite been reached yet.

The Six of Cups asks you to get back to the basics, find the simple pleasures in life, cultivate your appreciation for them, and work to help others rediscover them as well. Be part of the movement that makes positive changes on Mother Earth and wrests control of Her and Her Children away from those who are only concerned with power and money, and instead replaces them with the powerful simplicities of Love and Compassion.

Card 2 represents the energy that people may draw from throughout the year when challenging times pop up.

Four of Wands - Celebrate Your Blessings

We live in a world that would like us to believe that our lives are deficient, and that only through acquiring that Next Big Thing will we finally be happy. What? You mean you don't own the latest shoes that will make you more attractive by making your clearly inferior posterior tighter? And just imagine how much better your life would be if only you could afford a huge car with multiple television screens in it so that your kids would be able to stretch out and play video games while you drive them to karate!

What would serve us better is a sense of gratitude for what we have been blessed with. It is through cultivating a sense of humility and thankfulness that we can begin to truly appreciate all the beauty in the world and already present in our lives. It will help us find our center and keep us grounded so that we're better able to perceive when things are starting to get unbalanced. Appreciating how others have touched and influenced our lives can motivate us to reach out and have a positive effect on someone else. I bet if you look back on things the people that made the biggest difference in your life did not hand you money or give you more stuff, but instead nurtured and celebrated you in some way.

What talents and abilities do you have that you are not making the best use of, not celebrating? What do you have that you can share with others that will help uplift them? How can you better show appreciation for those that have made a positive impact on your life? In what way can you better utilize the blessings that are already in your life? Finding and acting on the answers on these questions can deeply enrich your life and relationships, and help support you during troubled times.

And finally Card 3 represents a message from Gaia to her human inhabitants for 2011.

The Hermit - The Solutions are Within YOU

Michael Jackson's song "Man in the Mirror" sums up this card very succinctly.

I'm Starting With The Man In The Mirror

I'm Asking Him To Change His Ways

And No Message Could Have Been Any Clearer

If You Wanna Make The World A Better Place

Take A Look At Yourself,

And Then Make A Change

Happy New Year Everyone!

I hope that the holiday season has treated everyone well. Ours was lovely but has ended on a sad note.

This Christmas my husband and I traveled to his hometown where his grandmother was celebrating her 100th Christmas!! The grandkids had all pooled money and donated 101 gifts to the fireman's toys for tots program in her name, and the family gathered from all over North America to party with Lily. There were 18 great-grandchildren present, as well as all the grands plus spouses, and her own children and their spouses. It was a lovely way to honor a lady who I personally feel embodies the true spirit of Christ and Buddha - loving everyone equally and having compassion for all without judgement.

After a few days of happy familial chaos, we returned home. Being from a very small family myself, large family gatherings really wear me out - so I was happy to be home and able to unwind. My waistline was also grateful to be relieved of the constant temptation of mountains of freshly baked cookies and candies that my mother-in-law always has piled on every available surface of her home during the holidays!

The next day was very sad, as my elderly bearded dragon, Little Man, began displaying troubling symptoms and was obviously uncomfortable. That trip to the vet ended up being his last, as it was determined the most compassionate option was to let him go. Although he did not actually display any symptoms of being towards The End until then, I had been intuiting for the past few months that he was ready to move on - just a very subtle shift in his energy and demeanor. When he showed those symptoms I knew in my heart it was his time.

I'm very sad to have lost him, but happy to have been able to release his spirit. I know he is being well taken care of on the other side. He was almost 12 years old, which was quite an advanced age for a bearded dragon (the vet says on average they live 6-8 years, though of course they can live longer with proper husbandry). So, he did have a long life. He will be missed dearly. However, he is on a very exciting adventure for this New Year and I will think fondly of him often.

So, for our own celebration, we're just going to sit down with some Guinness and some movies to make us laugh. I can think of no better way to ring in the New Year than cuddled on the couch with my husband and my pup, Voodoo.

One of the movies we will be watching tonight is Sita Sings the Blues! It's a fantastic and unique film that is freely distributable...so I will be embedding it here as a New Years gift to you!



On the business front, readings, consultations, and product orders will resume starting on Monday!

Thank you so much for reading this past year, and I hope to see more of you in 2011.

The Digital Story of the Nativity

This was too fun not to share! Enjoy and have a blessed Solstice, no matter what path you follow!

Getting Started with Ancestor Veneration

Our Dia de los Muertos ofrenda here honoring our ancestors over 3 nights - Oct. 31, Nov. 1, and Nov. 2

Honoring one's ancestors is a very important aspect of conjure practice, and from having the experience of what it can do for you, I would say that would be a very important element in nearly ANY spiritual practice. Unless you come from a culture where the dead are very taboo spirits not to be worked, like you find in many Native American belief systems, there is much value to be found in beginning a practice of venerating one's ancestors.

Even though it is a very simple thing to do, it often seems a strange and overwhelming, and sometimes downright difficult or impossible practice to begin when you are coming from a more secular culture that sanitizes death and then ignores the dead completely once they are buried (as many Western and certainly North American cultures do nowadays). The fact that once you start researching ways to honor your dead you find many very contradictory instructions and perspectives just complicates things further.

I will admit to being a magical practitioner that came pretty late to the ancestor veneration game. I had a lot of baggage surrounding the idea of "family" (oh heck, let's be honest, I still do have that baggage) stemming from the fact that the vast majority of my family was extremely dysfunctional and abusive. I divorced myself from all but my very immediate family when I was 17 and have not looked back - doing everything I can do stay out-of-touch and spiritually out-of-reach of my maternal relatives. I also never knew my father growing up (I only just tracked him down and got in touch with him within the past year), and so only had one half of the normal amount of family to start with. I loved my maternal grandmother and grandfather very much, and my mother did a truly excellent job considering all the difficulty she dealt with - other than that is was a big pile of family fail.

I was never beaten or molested or anything that horrible, and I never went hungry or without proper clothes, and always had a roof over my head - so I guess compared to very many people my childhood family life was fantastic. And I appreciate that and am grateful that I was never subjected to anything of that nature. Even so, life with my mother and her parents was far from perfect - proper communication was rarely present with screaming being the mode of choice as soon as conflict arose, and order through fear or emotional blackmail was fairly standard practice, and drama generally ran high. But between the drag-out fights and hurtful words, there was a pleasant family dinner each and every night, and unconditional support and nurturing of creative and intellectual pursuits. So there was a heavy dose of good with the bad. In my immediate family.

Outside of that the same unhealthy patterns existed, but without the checks and balances that existed in the home I lived in. Emotional abuse was vicious and downright twisted, and physical abuse was common as well. When the relatives visited or when we visited them, I got a taste of hell. My relatives seemed to sense that I had not been conditioned through abuse to the extent that they were used to, and so would do their best to inflict what they could on me while I was around.

To make matters worse, strong spiritual gifts run in our family line, and some relatives link their energetic capabilities with their abusive dysfunctions to make a powerful malevolent brew. They not only do emotional, mental, and (if you're were unlucky enough to live in their households) physical damage - but deep, lasting psychic damage as well. The worst psychic attack I have even endured and had to heal from came from a relative that visited to help care for my grandmother when she was very ill. I couldn't stop shaking for almost 12 hours, and it took months for me to recover. I still have the occasional nightmare about the incident even 16 years later.

So "family" is not one of my most favorite things. I have a pretty bad taste in my mouth about it. Honoring the people in that line seemed very counter-intuitive to me. I dragged my feet BIG TIME in starting an ancestor practice. I liked the idea of it, just like I liked the idea of "family". But it seemed like something I didn't really want to invite any more of into my life - family presence, because that had always meant drama and unpleasantness. I wanted to honor my grandfather and grandmother (my mother is thankfully still here and we have a very close relationship), but I wasn't thrilled about inviting anyone else to the party. I also didn't know how my grandmother would feel about it, as she was a very fear-based conservative Christian that didn't go in for anything "occult" or "ritualistic". My grandfather had never seemed to have much of an opinion either way, for him church was more about community than God it seemed - so I was fairly sure he'd be open to things.

But still I procrastinated. I felt confused over how to start. Some sources said you had to tend an ancestor altar every single day, and that if you didn't they'd get mad and then you'd have all kinds of spiritual trouble. I didn't want that. Other sources said you tended it weekly, and that seemed more feasible. But which one was RIGHT? Did I need 7 glasses of water, or was it 9, or would 1 do? Were the candles supposed to be white, or red? What do I do about my whole father's side of the family that I knew absolutely nothing about except for a name? And once those relatives that had attacked me passed, would I be required to put them on the altar - because I was NOT cool with that. Some sources said that without exception all ancestors go on the altar, other sources said you could omit abusive relatives. More than anything else, it was probably that last concern that kept me from beginning my ancestor practice the longest.

You may think that with so many issues, why would I bother honoring my ancestors at all? Because when I stopped getting into the nitty-gritty of what was wrong with all of the individual people that I knew of, there were also some pretty amazing things to be proud of to that all played into who I am today. My maternal family line has been continuously present in New Orleans since at least the mid 1800's (the trail goes cold around 1850, and I can't find anything else to note where they may have come from previously) with a family crypt that is still used in Lafayette Cemetery. That's pretty amazing and I'm very proud of that. I get a feeling of "home" when in NOLA that is deeply profound. Despite all the madness and dysfunction that runs in the family there are significant spiritual gifts and an extraordinary creative spirit that also flows through the bloodline, and I am a beneficiary of those spiritual inheritances. There is also a powerful connection to nature's plant and animal life which was also imparted to me. These are all things which are very important to me and are very significant in my life. It is an ancestral heritage which very worthy of recognition and veneration.

This cumulative ancestral energy is what started resonating within me stronger and stronger, until I really couldn't ignore it any longer. I began crafting a small shrine that represented my family lines - the patron saint of Germany (as my maternal line was all strongly German), and the Virgin of Guadalupe for my Mexican paternal line. I just started with that on a white cloth, and I would burn a candle once a week. That went on for about a year. Even though I did not feel any specific instances of my ancestor spirits being around, I will say that many very significant positive changes occurred in my life during that year.

It wasn't until fairly recently that I've felt a very palpable presence from my ancestors, and it's mainly my grandmother and grandfather that I knew and loved so well in life that explicitly make themselves known. On one occasion, when I had called to them strongly for some protective spiritual work, I have had the unique experience of feeling my entire home filling up with ancestral spirits, all linked together, and linked to me by my grandmother and grandfather. That feeling was so overwhelming - to feel that I had such a vast number of spirits that cared for me and were willing to come to my aid - that I had to stop my ritual and just have a good cry. (I also realized later than night that that day had been my grandmother's birthday.) That was a huge turning point for me.

I now look forward to tending my ancestor altar - changing the water glass once or twice weekly and adding a drop of Florida Water to scent it, and burning white candles dressed with Ancestor oil for them. Putting pictures and personal articles from my grandparents on there, and also finding items that represent specific groups of ancestral spirits (like the NOLA ones, who have 2 items now that I come to think of it, and Marie Laveau has started bringing her energy through them as well). It is becoming more and more a place of power, and a place where I enjoy spending time. I also pray for my ancestors every night, and as spoken of in my previous article on Praying for the Dead I have expanded that practice to pray for the dead in general.

Whenever I have need of something, I ask my ancestors first, telling my needs as I set a candle on the altar for them. More often than not my need is met without me needing to resort to any more complicated spiritual work. When I do perform spiritual work, I always ask for their blessing and aid, and I have noticed my work being more potent than before. Overall it has deepened every aspect of my conjure practice, and strengthened my connection to the Divine. I am very grateful that I found a way to approach ancestral veneration in a way that worked for me and allowed me to connect to my familial current without all the drama and baggage I had been anticipating and dreading.

So how can YOU start an ancestral practice? I certainly don't claim to know the One True Way to do it, because there isn't any one particular way that is any better than others. If you are working within a tradition that has specific established practices, then you're ahead of the game as you already have a system and elders to look to for guidance. Many however are just independent eclectic spiritual practitioners and, like I was, are confused as to how to get started. They may have issues with their family, or may have been adopted and not know their bloodline, or they may just be overwhelmed with all the options they have come across online and in books.

I like the technique laid out by Martin Coleman in his book Communing with the Spirits. It's simple and straight-forward, and if you want to read it in all the details I suggest grabbing a copy of that book. The Lucky Mojo Hoodoo Radio Hour archives has an episode on working with the ancestors with Mambo Angel that is very informative. There have also been several podcasts recently on 5 Star Spells, and Momma Starr's Old Style Conjure that also talk about ancestor work - so you may wish to look those up and give them a listen.

I will outline how I practice, which is still pretty simple and easy, and is a mesh of Coleman's instructions, a prayer inspired by the one Sallie Ann Glassman gives in herVodou Visions book, elements from The Magical Power of the Saints by Ray Malborough, and bits and pieces I found resonated with me that other practitioners spoke of. I initially began by doing this practice once a week. As the connection strengthened it became natural to increase the frequency of my ministrations. I currently burn candles and change the water about 2 to 3 times per week (basically whenever I feel the message to change it, I do), but I spend a few minutes at my ancestor altar every day communing with them. Mainly I talk to my grandmother and grandfather, as I did not personally know anyone else, but I do greet the entire line.

You will need:

*white altar cloth

* pictures of ancestors who have passed, or other representations of your ancestral line

* list of known ancestors names (if available)

* glass of water

* white candle

* oil for dressing candle (can be an appropriate condition oil, or holy oil)

* Florida Water

* print out of any prayers that you would like to say (optional)

* incense (optional)

* fresh flowers (optional)

1) Start by cleansing the space where you will establish the ancestor altar. Dust the area, and wipe it down with Florida Water.

2) Put down your white altar cloth and then arrange your photos &/or other items in a way that is attractive to you. There are no real rules for this, besides not putting pictures of anyone that is still living onto the altar. Just make it appealing to your eyes.

If there are ancestors that were abusive to you, do not feel obligated to place them on your altar or name them in your rituals until you feel comfortable doing so (if at all).

If you are adopted, or otherwise in a situation where you do not have specific pictures of biological ancestors, you can use pictures of people who took the role of family for you who have passed, and in honor of your biological ancestry you can use a general symbol of that culture. If you are even unsure of your biological cultural background, you can use a symbol that you find strongly represents "Ancestor" to you - perhaps a picture or reproduction of a very ancient statue or rock carving of a goddess or god, or a Tree of Life-type glyph.

3) When you are ready to begin, fill the glass of water with cool clear water and add a very few drops of Florida Water to lightly scent it, but not affect the clarity of the water (too much will make the water cloudy). Place that on the altar.

4) Dress the candle - a tea light is fine - with the oil while praying that it bring the light and presence of the ancestors into your life and be a blessing to them. Light that candle and place it on the altar.

5) If you are using incense, light that now as an offering to the ancestors.

6) Once the offerings are all on the altar, I say the following prayer:

I honor my ancestors, who have made me who I am.

I honor the ancestors that I have known and loved in life,

(Call those ancestors by name 3 times each. If you do not have any names, simply skip to the next appropriate line of the prayer)

I honor the ancestors in my mother's line,

(Call those ancestors by name 3 times each)

I honor the ancestors in my father's line,

(Call those ancestors by name 3 times each)

(alternatively you could say, I honor the ancestors in my adopted line)

I honor the ancestors' names who have been lost to time,

and I honor the ancestral spirits which are yet to come.

I thank you for your contribution to who I am,

and I invite your presence into my life and at this altar.

Enjoy this light and water and be you blessed in the hereafter.

7) If you have specific prayers for the blessing of your ancestors that you would like to say, you can say them now.

8) Spend a few minutes speaking from the heart to them. If you have no words to say, then just spend a few minutes of quiet contemplation on your ancestral lines.

9) When you are ready, say a farewell, and leave the candle to burn itself out.

10) Change the water at least once weekly, and also burn a candle at least once weekly. If you are placing fresh flowers on this altar, make sure to tend to them and remove them if they wilt, replacing them when necessary.

The first few weeks or months that you undertake this practice, it's best not to go with requests or petitions. Just go with the intent of establishing a connection with your ancestors and to honor with, without expecting anything in return. Wait at least 8-12 weeks of a regular practice before petitioning your ancestors to work on your behalf.

If you have some ancestors that would have been very strongly opposed to your spiritual practice on religious grounds, and you begin to feel uncomfortable about them being on your altar, you may follow that intuition and remove them. While some spirits seem to leave behind many of their earthly prejudices when they pass over, other cling to them. Even if you loved them in life, honor their choice to not be included in your altar if they make it apparent they feel that way. Also, if an ancestor had an addiction problem in life, do not offer any of that substance on the altar where they are included.

Some people get discouraged if they don't start getting dream visits from their ancestors, or other dramatic communications from them. While you do hear plenty of stories like this from practitioners, it is not a requirement that you have such palpable contact with your ancestors for a powerful connection to be successfully made. Some may never "hear" or "see" the presence of their ancestors directly, but will instead reap the benefits of a positive connection by noticing a generally more harmonious life then prior to establishing a practice and by having their needs fulfilled when putting those petitions before the ancestors. Even though I am fairly sensitive to spirits, I have only had one very concrete moment of obvious and extraordinary contact with my ancestors. Most times I am simply "praying to the air" and being able to trust that my needs are being heard and taken care of.

I hope this encourages some of you that have been thinking of starting an ancestral practice to give it a go. It doesn't have to be as complicated as it may sometimes seem. Simply open your heart and mind in gratitude, and see what manifests.

Blessings upon you and your loved ones this All Souls Day!

Momma Starr Releases "Black Hawk: Working with His Spirit" !!

I just wanted to drop a note to let everyone know that Momma Starr of Old Style Conjure has finally finished and released her book Black Hawk: Working with His Spirit!

This is going to be a very historically important work in the world of conjure, as this particular spirit tradition has had precious little useful info written about it. It has left many workers who do not have access to a very old school rootworker to learn mouth-to-ear from, and who may otherwise be drawn to work with Black Hawk scratching their heads and trying to find threads of information where they can. Until now if you were looking for information on working with Black Hawk, you were limited to biographies about him, or the wonderful book The Spirit of Black Hawk: A Mystery of Africans and Indians by Jason Berry which looks into the spiritual churches of New Orleans that venerated Black Hawk which has some lovely pictures of altars and practitioners, but does not include practical information on working with Black Hawk (but is a great introduction to the spiritual tradition surrounding it).

Momma Starr has now set out to remedy this, spurred on by Black Hawk himself!

If you listen to Momma Starr's fantastic podcast, Old Style Conjure Podcast, which she hosts with Dr. Love Bug, then you've probably already been tantalized by her interview with the worker who taught her how to work with Black Hawk and White Eagle, as well as from the amazing amount of information that she and Dr. Love Bug share on their broadcasts. Her last episode was actually devoted to speaking about and teaching about how to work with Black Hawk, so if you're unfamiliar with Black Hawk, or want to get a taste of what her material will contain, I suggest surfing over and taking a listen to her Black Hawk and How to Call on His Spirit podcast.

I have ordered a copy of the book, which you can too from the PayPal link that is provided on the first page of her Old Style Conjure Ning Community. She is selling the book for $34.95 and that includes shipping (at least for the time-being).

If you are able to make it there, Momma Starr is also teaching an in-person class on how to work with Black Hawk at the Traditional Folk Magic Festival that is being held in New Orleans on November 13-14. I am doing my best to be able to attend as this is a once in a lifetime opportunity.

So, once I get my copy of her new book (which she told me she put into the mail today - hooray), I will post a review of it here...but if this is a subject which interests you, I encourage you to go purchase your own copy today!

Praying for the Dead

It's that time of year again! The veil between the worlds grows thin, and the spirits of those who have gone before are closer than ever. You find many different spiritual paths taking the opportunity to acknowledge and remember our ancestors and friends on the other side - whether it be a NeoPagan Samhain circle, a Catholic All Souls Day mass, a Vodou Fete Ghede, or even a secular nod to those traditions through the holiday of Halloween.

In the Latin American countries you find communities everywhere gearing up for Dia de los Muertos, the Day of the Dead, which actually takes place over several days - Oct. 31, Nov. 1, and Nov. 2. In some places in Mexico, such as Oaxaca, the Dia de los Muertos celebrations are the largest and most important religious event of the year - even bigger than Christmas or Easter! It's a time when the dead are honored and remembered and invited to visit and enjoy the company of their living friends and family once again.

Being half-Mexican we have adopted the celebration of Dia de los Muertos in our home, and I've been busy constructing our ofrenda with pictures with our loved ones on the other side. It's a refreshingly upbeat and colorful observance that pokes fun at the fear death often holds, recognizes that death in no way is the end of life, and serves to strengthen the goodwill and ties to ones ancestral spirits.

But while I anxiously await October 31st to really light up the ofrenda and invite my ancestors in for a few days for a visit and to partake of some of their favorite foods and pleasures from life, I like to take the opportunity of the thinning veil to make a nightly prayer observance for the dead. Now I acknowledge my ancestors daily in prayer, and clean and work their altar at least once a week - but offering prayers for other disincarnate souls is a lovely practice, and you can find many lovely prayers to aid you in this practice. I wanted to share with you some of these, so that if you feel so inspired you can also take up the practice of praying for the dead.

I like using a rosary of real bone skulls for my prayers, but even having a unique set of prayer beads for the purpose can really aid in the focus. You can find some stunning momento mori rosaries, chaplets, and prayer beads from Etsy artisans such as Artista Muerte (who made the gorgeous rosary pictured above), Elegant Medical, Forest Glen, and others. Use search terms like "bone rosary", "skull rosary", and "rosary of the dead" to find interesting items. Of course you are not required to have special prayer beads or any prayer beads at all - you can just pray from the heart.

Here are some of the lovely prayers that I offer. I usually will start with one of these prayers and then move into praying in my own words. I originally did not resonate with the idea of a Purgatory which is present in so many of these prayers, but I came to personally understand it as the state of being for soul's who have not perfected yet, and is subject to at least one further incarnation before being able to become One with the Divine (at that would be most of us, I think). And of course, lost souls who are bound to earth through some tragedy or another can of course use our compassion and our prayers for them to be relieved of their burdens so that they may move on. Spiritualist prayers will often include phrases asking for blessings and elevation for the souls who have passed, and I see this as another form of that same practice. So for me, praying for the souls in Purgatory, is praying for blessing for and for the elevation of the souls in between lives who still have work to do in their evolution. I realize this is not the orthodox Catholic doctrine on the matter, but it is how I connected with the practice in my own path.

A similar but simplified practice involves a specific prayer on each day of the week for the dead. Each short prayer is followed by an Our Father, a Hail Mary, and a De Profundis.

A PRAYER FOR THE POOR SOULS FOR EACH DAY OF THE WEEK

Sunday

O Lord God Almighty, I pray Thee, by the Precious Blood which Thy Divine Son Jesus shed in the garden, deliver the Souls in Purgatory, and especially that Soul amongst them all which is most destitute of spiritual aid; and vouchsafe to bring it to Thy glory, there to praise and bless Thee forever. Amen.

Monday

O Lord God Almighty, I pray Thee, by the Precious Blood which Thy Divine Son Jesus shed in the garden, deliver the Souls in Purgatory, and especially that Soul amongst them all which is most destitute of spiritual aid; and vouchsafe to bring it to Thy glory, there to praise and bless Thee forever. Amen.

Tuesday

O Lord God Almighty, I pray Thee, by the Precious Blood which Thy Divine Son Jesus shed in His bitter crowning with thorns, deliver the Souls in Purgatory, and especially that one amongst them all which would be the last to depart out of those pains, that it may not tarry so long a time before it comes to praise Thee in Thy glory, and bless Thee forever. Amen.

Wednesday

O Lord God Almighty, I pray Thee, by the Precious Blood which Thy Divine Son Jesus shed in the streets of Jerusalem, when He carried the Cross upon His sacred shoulders, deliver the Souls in Purgatory, and especially that Soul which is richest in merits before Thee that so, in that throne of glory which awaits it, it may magnify Thee and bless Thee forever. Amen.

Thursday

O Lord God Almighty, I pray Thee, by the Precious Body and Blood which Thy Divine Son Jesus, which He gave with His own hands upon the eve of His Passion to His beloved Apostles to be their meat and drink, and which He left to His whole Church to be a perpetual sacrifice and the life-giving food of His own faithful people, deliver the Souls in Purgatory, and especially that one which was most devoted to this mystery of infinite love, that it may with the same Thy Divine Son, and with Thy Holy Spirit, ever praise Thee for Thy love therein in eternal glory. Amen.

Friday

O Lord God Almighty, I pray Thee, by the Precious Blood which Thy Divine Son Jesus shed on this day upon the wood of the Cross, especially from His most sacred hands and feet, deliver the Souls in Purgatory and in particular that Soul for which I am most bound to pray; that no neglect of mine may hinder it from praising Thee in Thy glory and blessing Thee forever. Amen.

Saturday

O Lord God Almighty, I pray Thee, by the Precious Blood which gushed forth from the side of Thy Divine Son Jesus in the sight of, and to the extreme pain of His Most Holy Mother, deliver the Souls in Purgatory, and especially that one amongst them all which was the most devoted to her; that it may soon attain unto Thy glory, there to praise Thee in her, and her in Thee, world without end. Amen.

There are plenty of other prayers for the dead that are available. I will provide some links that you can browse if you so wish. There are some moving and powerful ones out there, so it's really just a matter of finding which ones resonate with you and will be pleasing for you to incorporate into your own practice.

I particularly like and use is the Short Prayer for the Faithful Departed:

O most compassionate Jesus, have mercy upon the Souls, detained in Purgatory, for whose redemption Thou didst take upon Thee our nature and endure a most bitter death. Mercifully hear their sighs, look with pity on the tears, which they now shed before Thee, and by virtue of Thy Passion, release them from the pains due unto their sins. O most merciful Jesus, let Thy Precious Blood reach down into Purgatory and refresh and revive the Captive Souls which suffer there. Stretch forth unto them Thy strong right hand, and bring them forth into the place of refreshment, light and peace. Amen.

Blessed Souls! We have prayed for you! We entreat you, who are so dear to God, and so certain of never losing Him, to pray for us miserable sinners that are in danger of being damned and of losing God forever.

There is also the Novena for the Relief of the Souls in Purgatory. It is sometimes performed beginning on the day of the passing of someone close to you. When someone you love passes, it brings the shadow of death clearly into our vision, and this can be an opportunity to undertake spiritual practice to help us grieve and move forward, while helping to obtain spiritual benefits for not only the loved one who is now gone, but all the dead who dwell in various planes of existence in between incarnations.

Because this practice involves several daily prayers and meditations, I will simply link to it below so as to conserve space here.

NOVENA FOR THE RELIEF OF SOULS IN PURGATORY

The Memorial Prayer for the Suffering of Souls in Purgatory I really like because you connect with so many different souls from all walks of life and pray for their wellbeing.

Almighty God, Father of Goodness and love,
have mercy on the Poor Suffering Souls,
and grant Thine aid:

To my dear parents and ancestors;
(Jesus, Mary, Joseph! My Jesus have Mercy.)
To my brothers and sisters and other near relatives;
(Jesus, Mary, Joseph! My Jesus have Mercy.)
To my benefactors, spiritual and temporal; etc.
To my former friends and subjects;
To all for whom love or duty bids me pray;
To those who have suffered disadvantage or harm through me;
To those who have offended me;
To all those who are especially beloved by Thee;
To those whose release is at hand;
To those who desire most to be united with Thee;
To those who endure the greatest suffering;
To those whose release is most remote;
To those who are least remembered;
To those who are most deserving on account of their services to the Church;
To the rich, who now are the most destitute;
To the mighty, who now are as lowly servants;
To the blind, who now see their folly;
To the frivolous, who spent their time in idleness;
To the poor, who did not seek the treasures of Heaven;
To the tepid, who devoted little time to prayer;
To the indolent, who were negligent in performing good works;
To those of little faith, who neglected the frequent reception of the Sacraments;
To the habitual sinners, who owe their salvation to a miracle of grace;
To parents who failed to watch over their children;
To superiors who were not solicitous for the salvation of those entrusted to them;
To the souls of those who strove for hardly anything but riches and pleasures;
To the worldly-minded, who failed to use their wealth and talents in the service of God;
To those who witnessed the death of others, but would not think of their own;
To those who did not provide for the great journey beyond, and the days of tribulation;
To those whose judgment is so severe because of the great things entrusted to them;
To the popes, rulers, kings and princes;
To the bishops and their counselors;
To my teachers and spiritual advisors;
To the deceased priests of this diocese;
To all the priests and religious of the whole Catholic Church;
To the defenders of the Holy Faith;
To those who died on the battlefield;
To those who are buried in the sea;
To those who died of stroke or heart attack;
To those who died without the last rites of the Church;
To those who shall die within the next twenty-four hours;
To my own poor soul when I shall have to appear before Thy judgment seat;

O Lord, grant eternal rest to all the souls of the faithful departed,
And let perpetual light shine upon them.
May they rest in peace.
Amen.

There are also some other litanies for the dead as well that, if you find this form of prayer moving, may wish to peruse.

LITANIES FOR THE HOLY SOULS IN PURGATORY

I hope this has inspired you to consider praying for the dead as part of your spiritual practice. I have found praying daily for the welfare of my ancestors has deeply enriched my path and opened many doors for me. This has in turn heightened my awareness and compassion for other souls, and initiated my desire to pray for blessings for other spirits as well. Of course I've always felt a connection with the dead that many others simply do not, and found comfort and beauty in funerary art. I guess that is why the joyful play that the Latin American countries display towards death have always appealed to me. Perhaps praying for the dead is not for everyone all the time, however during this time of year when the veil is thin, I feel it's more fitting for more people. And so it is in the spirit of the season that I offer this information to you!

Blessings to you and yours, both here and in the hereafter!