Three Kindred - Ancestors - First Draft
The ancestors are the dead, those people who have gone before us. It is usually used to refer to those dead who are blood relations but it can be expanded to include those who were close to us, such as friends, or those who pursued a certain profession before us or who followed the same religious path and so on. It is common to call on them for guidance both because they walked the path of life before us and because of the common belief that the dead can somehow watch over us.
In ancient Greece there were multiple theories about what happened to those who died. One of the more common ones was that they went to dwell below the Earth in the realm of Hades, where they were nothing more than shades of their former lives who had no memories of life and were unable to communicate unless they drank the blood of a sacrificed animal (as seen in Odysseus’ visit to the underworld). Those dead who did not make it to the Underworld were usually either those who had not received proper funeral rites and returned as a ghost to seek out someone to lay them to rest (also seen in the Odyssey) or those who died before their time. The Greeks seemed to particularly fear the ghosts of those who died before completing all of life’s transitions, especially young women who died before reaching marriage or motherhood. Such ghosts were seen as being especially jealous of the living (the Greeks seemed to think that most all of the dead were jealous of the living) and would seek to vent their rage on those who did not suffer their fate. There are multiple writings of apparent mass suicides in Greek villages, young girls on the verge of womanhood who suddenly went out and hanged themselves in groups for no known reason. Such things could be viewed as the wrath of the Gods, but they could also be blamed on vengeful ghosts. These were not the only views though, some schools of thought believed in reincarnation and most mystery traditions promised some sort of blessed afterlife.
When I think of the ancestors my first thought is always of my grandfather. I have been blessed in that at the time of this writing he is the only close relative I have lost. As such, he currently dominates my ancestor altar where he is represented by a photograph, his army medals, a pocketknife that belonged to him, and where a pack of one of his favored brands of cigars rest which I sometimes offer to him. After my grandfather, I usually think of my deceased blood kin both known and unknown to me. I also honor some of the ancient Greek heroes (who sometimes make the lines between Gods and the dead murky) as well as some of my personal modern heroes. And finally, I also honor the spirits of ancient Pagans (usually I think of the ancient Greeks as the forebears of the religion of the Gods I like to worship.). I honor the ancestors by speaking to them or reading hymns, I usually offer some sort of food or drink offering and sometimes something more personal (like the cigars I mentioned earlier). Sometimes I call on them for advice or insight but mostly I like to just try and be mindful of them, to not forget them.
In ancient Greece there were multiple theories about what happened to those who died. One of the more common ones was that they went to dwell below the Earth in the realm of Hades, where they were nothing more than shades of their former lives who had no memories of life and were unable to communicate unless they drank the blood of a sacrificed animal (as seen in Odysseus’ visit to the underworld). Those dead who did not make it to the Underworld were usually either those who had not received proper funeral rites and returned as a ghost to seek out someone to lay them to rest (also seen in the Odyssey) or those who died before their time. The Greeks seemed to particularly fear the ghosts of those who died before completing all of life’s transitions, especially young women who died before reaching marriage or motherhood. Such ghosts were seen as being especially jealous of the living (the Greeks seemed to think that most all of the dead were jealous of the living) and would seek to vent their rage on those who did not suffer their fate. There are multiple writings of apparent mass suicides in Greek villages, young girls on the verge of womanhood who suddenly went out and hanged themselves in groups for no known reason. Such things could be viewed as the wrath of the Gods, but they could also be blamed on vengeful ghosts. These were not the only views though, some schools of thought believed in reincarnation and most mystery traditions promised some sort of blessed afterlife.
When I think of the ancestors my first thought is always of my grandfather. I have been blessed in that at the time of this writing he is the only close relative I have lost. As such, he currently dominates my ancestor altar where he is represented by a photograph, his army medals, a pocketknife that belonged to him, and where a pack of one of his favored brands of cigars rest which I sometimes offer to him. After my grandfather, I usually think of my deceased blood kin both known and unknown to me. I also honor some of the ancient Greek heroes (who sometimes make the lines between Gods and the dead murky) as well as some of my personal modern heroes. And finally, I also honor the spirits of ancient Pagans (usually I think of the ancient Greeks as the forebears of the religion of the Gods I like to worship.). I honor the ancestors by speaking to them or reading hymns, I usually offer some sort of food or drink offering and sometimes something more personal (like the cigars I mentioned earlier). Sometimes I call on them for advice or insight but mostly I like to just try and be mindful of them, to not forget them.