Thinning of the Veil
With the veil thinning and our ancestors getting closer than they are the rest of the year, how are we welcoming and remembering them?
We talk about honoring our Gods and we set our altars with seasonal pieces, bringing in the magic of the season.
How are your ancestors represented? Have you set their photos or a piece of jewelry or something that represents them on your altar? Have you set a cup of your father's favorite coffee on the altar for him?
Our ancestors are never really gone. As long as we remember them. As long as we speak their names and talk to them in the quiet moments, they stay right here. Right by our sides. To guide us when we are listening. But what of those whose names have faded into the echos of time?
It's not just about the pictures or the offerings. It's also about how we saw our father love our mother like she was his everything because she was. And how he learned to treat a woman like that from his father. It's grama who knew the power of a calm demeanor and a quiet voice, even when she was upset. Because her grandmother learned that from her grandmother. It's in the memory of an uncle who never had his own children but learned the magic trick to make his nieces and nephews laugh.
The memories are not just pictures or clips from the past, they are the guides and lessons they taught us through their deeds. Your inheritance and mine.
And so a son learns to treat his wife like a treasure. And a granddaughter learns that a quiet voice and dignity are the graceful power of a woman. And a niece learns that she is loved and how to connect with her niece through laughter. And magic tricks of her own.
And then, that generation passes those things on to the next. And the next. And the next...
It is most likely that 300 years from now our descendants may not know our names. But you will still be with them. When you pass on through your deeds, the best parts of who you are. And give them a Legacy so strong, each generation passes it down long after your name is just a carving on a dusty wind-worn headstone.
What deeds will your descendants inherit from you? What behavior will they learn to model that will be passed down and carry you with the line of your people into the future? And what legacies have your ancestors gifted down to you?
This year when the veil is thin, be aware that they are right there, your ancestors. Looking on. What part of themselves will they see alive in you? What of them will you pass on to the next generation? They are questions worth knowing the answers to. And I hope you find them this holiday season as the veil is the thinnest.
Folkbuilder Melisa Mills
