Graveyard, Ancestors, Mediumship, Dying, Death, The Dead

Unread post by **Flora** » Thu Feb 09, 2012 8:04 am

AngelicD - well put and I completely agree with you about an altar being like a second home. I also wanted to add to the folks who were talking about cravings for food. I realize this is a Native American belief so it doesn't complete pertain to Hoodoo but I find it consistent and true in my own life: When I keep dropping food on the floor I stop and take notice. Many NA's will leave the food on the floor until they have finished eating whatever it is they are dining on then pick up what is on the floor and either throw it outside or toss it to the dogs. I have also witnessed children leaving candies out for spirits when they are playing outside.
There is my additional two cents.
Best of Blessings,
Flora

DreamCatcher · Unread post by **DreamCatcher** » Thu Feb 09, 2012 8:51 am

Hello,

I found this topic very interesting because it helped clarify why I have some habits I've carried around all my life. As a child I use to play with a spirit boy. My family thought he was my imaginary friend but I believe hes either an ancestor or guide because hes still with me 20 years later. I used to make my mother feed him a plate of whatever I ate. If she wouldn't I'd save him some on my plate. I noticed he loved orange especially juice. To this day I still don't finish the last few bites of my food and it never clicked until I read this topic.

Bellasangre14 · Unread post by **Bellasangre14** » Sat Feb 11, 2012 12:54 pm

What happens to a person's spirit guides when they pass?

Can a surviving family member inherit the spirit guides of the one that passed and should we only honor the dead family members that we knew and/or died in our lifetime?

Thanks
Peace & Blessings
Bella

Unread post by **catherineyronwode** » Sat Feb 11, 2012 8:15 pm

Bellasangre14, it is indeed often the case that the spirit guides who assisted a person in life will contnue to assist and communicate with other family members or with other mediums or congregants associated with the Spiritualist church in which the guides first appeared.

You can actually read quite a bit more about this topic at the Association of Independent Readers and Rootworkers (AIRR) page on Mediumship. Here is the link for you:

http://readersandrootworkers.org/wiki/C ... rit_Guides

Good luck!

andy598 · Unread post by **andy598** » Thu Feb 16, 2012 3:50 am

I have an ancestory alter set up. My question is, can I light the same candle dedicated to 2 deceased family members who were husband and wife? Or will I have to separate the the light offered since it is for 2 different people?

Also, can you direct me to a section in the forum just dedicated to ancestor work.

Unread post by **aura** » Thu Feb 16, 2012 4:30 am

For the candle question a more experienced person can give you the best ''protocol'' to follow. Personally, if the two were married, I see no problem offering the light to them both.

On my own family altar I keep a single taper or Vigil burning for all the ancestors rather than single lights for specific members (unless petitioning one in particular, that is).

In the Forum, you can read through the following threads concerning ancestor work:

ancestor-spirits-ancestor-altars-questi ... 15987.html
to-have-an-ancestor-altar-or-not--t17214.html
altars-questions-and-answers-t124s120.html (page 5 near the bottom of the page & page 9 in the middle)
suicides-honoring-the-dead,-ancestor-wo ... 12622.html
ancestor-altar-t6681.html

Blessings.

Unread post by **Lee Canipe** » Thu Feb 16, 2012 10:21 am

In Southern-style conjure there are no hard & fast rules regarding ancestral altars; as a matter of fact most would probably not even use the phrase. But there are cultural commonalites which allow a person in the know to say "Ah... I see what's going on here". It is very common to have a little table or shelf with many pictures and a Bible, and just one candle for everybody (and/or just one glass of water).

Remember, back in the day simple country folks couldn't afford a bunch of fancy candles-- as a matter of fact, it was much more common to have a kerosene or oil lamp. But there is absolutely nothing "wrong" with having a whole bunch of lights... and in this day and age most of us in the USA are Blessed to to be able to get a bunch of fancy candles! Amen!

All that said, I will mention that in my experience of working with spirits, I've found the more special attention given to a spirit the more they'll give back to you.

Lee Canipe #398 (G)

sun369 · Unread post by **sun369** » Sat Feb 25, 2012 3:18 pm

My mom passed away ten years ago. Is there any oils I can use to burn candle for her ? or to call on her like contacting her ? also other dead family members ?

Thanks

Unread post by **Mama Micki** » Sat Feb 25, 2012 3:20 pm

Spirit Guide seems appropriate for this purpose.

Unread post by **Devi Spring** » Sat Feb 25, 2012 3:49 pm

Yes, or if they have any Native American ancestry, Indian Spirit Guide would also work.

sun369 · Unread post by **sun369** » Sat Feb 25, 2012 7:11 pm

Thanks to Mama Micki and Devi Spring !!!

sun369 · Unread post by **sun369** » Sun Feb 26, 2012 2:20 pm

Mama Micki wrote:Spirit Guide seems appropriate for this purpose.

I don't think my mom and other people who have passed away like my grandparents are elevated enough to be my spirit guides. They may even have less past lives than me. One of my grandmas can do trance, the rest of my family members are Catholic. I know I am an old soul. Also, I am afraid to call on evil spirits to come in and do bad stuffs.

Unread post by **Madame Pamita** » Sun Feb 26, 2012 9:25 pm

How about not using an oil at all and using Florida Water or Kananga Water? http://www.luckymojo.com/floridakanangawater.html

sun369 · Unread post by **sun369** » Sun Feb 26, 2012 9:29 pm

Madame Pamita wrote:How about not using an oil at all and using Florida Water or Kananga Water? http://www.luckymojo.com/floridakanangawater.html

thanks for your suggestion. I don't have never heard of both Florida H2O and Kanaga H2O before. So, not sure about its strenght of usage compared to Spirit oils.

Unread post by **Mary Bee** » Mon Feb 27, 2012 4:19 am

Those are both alcohol-based colognes that are often offered on an altar for ancestors or sprinkled on the ground to give them the pleasant scent.

I clean my candles with a little Florida water before I dress them, because Florida water gets rid of negative energy. But if you do this, make sure you let the candle dry very well, because flame + alcohol water =BOOM

For other dressing oils to offer to your ancestors, you can try Blessing Oil, 7-11 Holy Oil, or a Catholic saint oil if your ancestors was devoted to one saint in particular.
Good luck,
Mary Bee

Unread post by **catherineyronwode** » Mon Feb 27, 2012 10:59 am

Here is a Southern-style family altar gone waaay over the top -- and i LOVE it. This looks like grandma's bed and coverlets got moved up in the attic, and photos of the whole family on both sides, for several generations, are watching over that bed.

And here is a way to display way too many framed family photos:

taramaria · Unread post by **taramaria** » Tue Feb 28, 2012 9:02 am

I would also read up about the use of graveyard dirt. I have used this successfully in summoning ancestors on my altar.

I am far from an expert here, and there are more qualified people to answer, but I have used LM products for years with great results.

Creating an Ancestor altar with a picture of her in a frame, a candle anointed with spiritual oil, such as Spirit Guide or Lotus Oil or Frankincense. Acacia leaves from LM symbolize the Afterlife, so you can put some of that herb on the candle as well. LM sells graveyard dirt, but for altar work, you can get some off the grave of your mom, but first read on how to go about paying if you don't know.

You can also make a great oil with LM products by using a base & putting in LM Frankincense, or Lotus oil for spirit work. You may add Rose or Carnation LM Essential oils too I find that sweet is good for them,or Acacia leaves. There are many things you can do. If you read up on here about the products you can make one of your own.

For my Ancestors I am in the process of making an oil from LM products, with Lotus Oil (Spiritual) & Carnation. Where I am from and possibly others, wen you walk into a funeral parlor you are hit with the scent of Carnation. To me it smells spiritual. You may want to use rose. I am going to anoint white LM chime 4 inch candles and burn them on an altar with pictures of my relatives. I may also burn some LM Acacia on Charcoal.

Unread post by **Madame Pamita** » Tue Mar 06, 2012 12:54 am

MaryBee wrote:flame + alcohol water =BOOM

Mary Bee - I once added a few drops of florida water to dress a vigil candle and it made quite a show (unintentionally!) - fortunately I hadn't added too much, but it was a little lake o' fire there for a few seconds!

Black_Rose83 · Unread post by **Black_Rose83** » Tue Mar 06, 2012 1:14 pm

Please excuse me in advance if this question has been answered. I wish to ask the ones before me (my ancestors) for help in my work. I feel most comfortable working with ancestors as opposed to saints or other deities because of the blood connection. The problem is, besides seeing a few old photographs as a kid, I know very little about my relatives. I only know that there is a lot of Native American blood on both sides. Most of my mother's people were Pentecostal (COGIC), but my father's people resided in southern Georgia and Florida. There is very much talk about "rootwork" in that town to this day so I have reason to believe and least some of them knew a little something about Hoodoo and rootwork. There is a small family cemetary but I live 8 hours away. I would have to travel that far to obtain whatever photos or belongings of their's have been salvaged. Even then there are no guarantees. So my question is how would I call upon them with no physical representation of them?

Unread post by **Mama Micki** » Tue Mar 06, 2012 1:20 pm

You can still set up an ancestor altar with candles, flowers, and the names if you have them. You may be able to research online to find out more about your family. There may even be some pictures out there.

Unread post by **Mary Bee** » Tue Mar 06, 2012 1:26 pm

Hi there; '
I lived in North Florida/Southern GA for years and I know that rootwork runs deep there

Here's what I recommend. Set up a little table or corner in your home. Clean it off well, and put a white cloth on top. Get a clean glass and fill it with cool water. Get a white candle, a tea light is OK. You can put any religious symbols that you knew your family venerated: a Bible, a cross, etc. Put a picture of a map of Georgia on there too, to stand in for your family for now.
If you have a few names of deceased family members, write them down and bring them to the table.

Now light the candle and sprinkle a little bit of the water on the ground. Say whatever prayers mean something to you: the Lord's Prayer, Hail Mary, or read a bit aloud from the Bible. Then call out the names of the ancestors you know of first; "I honor my grandma Smith. I honor my great uncle Jim" and so on. When you've read off the names of the ones you know, then say something like "I honor the ancestors of my blood whose names I don't know from the Native American Nations" and whatever else is your lineage (the Irish, the German, and the like). Then just talk. It may feel weird at first, but just talk as if you were on the phone to them. Tell them you're giving them a place of honor in your home so they can be refreshed and work with you. Don't ask them for anything just yet. You have to build the connection. Ask them to help you discover them.

Mondays are a traditional day to honor ancestors but what's more important is that you're consistent. PIck one time each week and go to the table: light a candle, sprinkle water, call them out, etc. Keep the table VERY clean: don't put your empty coffee cup there or your keys

Do not put any pictures of living people on this table; it's a space for the dead.

Then pay attention to your dreams. Ancestors will often speak to you in dreams. Start paying attention to anything your family says that may give you a clue. You may have a dream to add an Indian statue to your altar. You may have the sudden urge to make a cup of coffee or a plate of rice and beans for the table. Honors those impulses. And let us know how it goes

Good luck,
Mary Bee

Unread post by **MissMichaele** » Tue Mar 06, 2012 6:40 pm

Saturday's another good day for working with the ancestors -- or with the dead in general (taking things to the graveyard, for instance).

My own ancestor altar has an empty picture frame to honor those relatives I don't know.

Hope this helps,

Miss Michaele

Unread post by **Jasmina** » Wed Mar 07, 2012 10:18 am

Ohhhh, the empty picture frame for unknown ancestors is a good tip, Miss Michaele - thank you

I light a candle for each ancestor I have picture of + one stated that its for all ancestors that I never have met.

Black_Rose83 · Unread post by **Black_Rose83** » Fri Mar 09, 2012 6:39 pm

That is certainly a beautiful idea Marybee. Thanks for all the info. I'll let you know how it goes. I still however have one more concern and that is if I'm working with the dead, what are the chances of me inadvertently letting in unwanted spirits? I'm sure my ancestors will protect me, but I want to be safe nevertheless.

Unread post by **Mary Bee** » Sat Mar 10, 2012 3:27 am

When you honor your ancestors, you can call out that you only want contact with the dead of your blood line. Ask your ancestors to protect you from any wandering or troubled spirits.

Mary Bee

BLUE SCORPIO · Unread post by **BLUE SCORPIO** » Thu Mar 22, 2012 8:44 pm

Hi to all members of LM

Firstly let me say i dont know if im in the right forum as i did not find any forums dedicated to Ancestors - so i will opologies in advance

My sitaution is that im in the process of making a place of dedication to my ancestors - a few questions i would like to be answered is

1. i have several pictures of my family who have passed on - but in 2 seperate photos there are living memebers who are still alive including one of myself - will there be any adverse situation for me being that i am in the photo of the departed

2. i had a steady relation with father - seeing him from time to time - as i never grew up with him - but things was always pleaant when i went to see him - during the 90's my father had a serious stroke, he couldnt move and he also became blind - during his 15 years being bed ridden i only saw him twice - once when the situation happened and a week before he departed - so i hadnt seen him for all these 15 years - only because i was too much of a weakling to see him in that condition - all my family use to beg me to go and visit him - but i just didnt go - untill the final week before he died - I HONESTLY THINK HE WAITED AND WAITED TILL I CAME TO SEE HIM - the week or so after i saw him - he died

Now my fathers picture is on my ancestors alter - DO U THINK HE WILL BE ANGRY WITH ME?

Thanks

Unread post by **Mary Bee** » Fri Mar 23, 2012 3:37 am

1. Traditionally you should not put any pictures of living people on an altar for your ancestors. When I created my ancestor altar and I had some pics of myself or other living folks with my grandmother, I took the photos to a photo lab (like in a drug store) and asked them to crop and reedit the pictures; most big chain photo places can do that for you nowadays and then print out the new pictures.

2. I should see no reason why your dad would be angry to have his picture on your altar. I think it's a great way of honoring him, and you can even talk with him now and apologize for not visiting more often when he was bedridden, and ask him to talk with you in your dreams.

Good luck,
Mary Bee

Unread post by **aura** » Fri Mar 23, 2012 3:42 am

Hi BLUE SCORPIO,

there is one truth about most parents out there: they will love their children no matter what. I think that although you may not have been able to express your feelings to your father in life - he knows the guilt you may feel about this now in death. Unless you sincerely feel his anger (in which case going to his grave regularly to talk, ask for forgiveness and leave offerings would no doubt help - and it would help even if he isn't angry, just to develop an closer bond) then having his picture on your ancestors altar is just fine.

For the photos you have, make sure there are no living members in there (for you as the living member, it's debateable - some would say its fine, other not). If that's the only picture of the family member that you have, cut off the part of the photo with living people.

Finally, I've moved your post into the longer thread on Ancestor Work Questions and Answers. If you take the time to read the information, you'll glean lots of useful information for your Work.

Blessings and best of luck; spending time with your Ancestors is extremely rewarding

BLUE SCORPIO · Unread post by **BLUE SCORPIO** » Fri Mar 23, 2012 4:56 am

Thanks a million Mary Bee and Aura - i wil take note

goldentouch97 · Unread post by **goldentouch97** » Sun May 27, 2012 7:43 am

Where can i find appropriate prayers fi use on ancestror altar ?

goldentouch97 · Unread post by **goldentouch97** » Sun May 27, 2012 7:51 am

I wanna build one in my house,who can help me to find the right rules fi doing that,i have spiritual link with my father and his mother.

Unread post by **aura** » Sun May 27, 2012 9:09 am

Hi goldentouch97,

Please begin by reading this thread on working with Ancestors and setting up Ancestor Altars. Most of the answers you're looking for (and some you're not!) will be found here.

Blessings and best of luck, working with Ancestors is truly rewarding.

Unread post by **Lee Canipe** » Sun May 27, 2012 9:33 am

Prohibitions about not putting photos of the living among the dead is not something familiar to traditional conjure. Quite the opposite, if you want the dead to watch over someone alive you put their pictures together. Keeping photos of the dead & living together strengthens the bound between the living & the dead. This stuff about not having pictures of the living on an altar of the dead comes from Afro-Caribbean and Latin American traditions.

Lee Canipe #398(G)

Unread post by **Joseph Magnuson** » Sun May 27, 2012 11:32 am

Thank you, Lee, for that last informative post. Even I will sometimes for get this, as it is such a strong belief of the Afro-Caribbean and Latin American that it will stick in my brain as a DO NOT DO THIS, but every now and again I will read a post like the one above and remember where that info came from. Thank you.

Unread post by **Doctor Hob** » Sun May 27, 2012 11:36 am

I agree with Joseph; thanks, Lee. I had very recently gotten hung up on the same detail. Thanks for the clarification.

goldentouch97 · Unread post by **goldentouch97** » Mon May 28, 2012 1:23 pm

what about the words in the holy bible who say : living people is not allowed to comunicate with dead people ?

Unread post by **Lee Canipe** » Mon May 28, 2012 3:42 pm

goldentouch97 wrote:what about the words in the holy bible who say : living people is not allowed to comunicate with dead people ?

The Bible says a lot of things. Some verses condemn necromancy, while some talk of spiritual gifts and spirits. Even King Saul consulted with the spirit of the prophet Samuel using a medium (1 Samuel 28:3-25). Part of being a rootworker is the ability to see the truth in the Bible; sometimes as literal words, sometimes in spite of the literal words.

Lee Canipe #398 (G)

goldentouch97 · Unread post by **goldentouch97** » Tue May 29, 2012 11:26 am

ok Lee Canipe,i understand what u say.who can tell me how to buy the graveyard of our ancestror,cause i know is not easy to get it,let me know the rules.

Unread post by **Joseph Magnuson** » Tue May 29, 2012 11:35 am

goldentouch97: Make sure you read these two pages:

Graveyard Dirt: http://www.luckymojo.com/graveyarddirt.html

Graveyard Dirt: Collection, Purchase, Burial in Grave, Uses: graveyard-dirt-collection,-purchase,-uses-t5465.html

goldentouch97 · Unread post by **goldentouch97** » Fri Jun 01, 2012 9:43 am

Thanks Joseph Magnuson,many info on this,i wan setup my ancestror altar soon for my father,since he died we stay in link by dreams,i dream about him everytime,but my biggest problem is he was cremated,and i put the ASHES in the river.What can i do for build my altar ?

Unread post by **Doctor Hob** » Fri Jun 01, 2012 10:55 am

--goldentouch97,

Dirt from an ancestor's grave is the most direct link, but you can use other things. Pictures of the ancestor, things they owned, or even things that remind you of them are all acceptable for use on an ancestor altar. You can offer them candles, and cool water, and other things they enjoyed in life.

Unread post by **Lord SP** » Fri Jun 01, 2012 11:13 am

Along with family can you place dead friends on the Ancestor Altar as well? Because along side my ancestors I have four friends who died and I would like to honor them as well...Thank you in advance

Unread post by **Doctor Hob** » Fri Jun 01, 2012 11:21 am

Yes, you can include your friends on your altar.

Unread post by **ConjureMan** » Sat Jun 02, 2012 3:21 pm

Actually the prohibition against putting photos of the living with the dead is also found among many Spiritualist churches in New Orleans and it is from there that the influence derives. The Afro-Carribean influence being relatively new and mostly limited to places like Florida and the larger cities like Los Angeles and New York.

CajunBarbie · Unread post by **CajunBarbie** » Sat Jun 02, 2012 5:07 pm

goldentouch97 wrote:what about the words in the holy bible who say : living people is not allowed to comunicate with dead people ?

I happen to be a conjurer that tries very hard to abide by the bible. I agree that necromancy is prohibited and therefore because I am of the Christian faith I do not indulge in it. However, one can still communicate with spirits because not all spirits are dead people. God is a spirit as the bible says and when you come to him you must come in spirit and in truth....angels and demons are also spirits...these are spirits that were never people so communicating with them would not be considered necromancy. In fact, if one is actually a literal follower of the bible "necromancy" is impossible. The bible states "And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.' Therefore it is impossible to communicate with dead ancestors (if you are a follower of the Word of God) and if you think you are chances are you are communing with a deceptive demon (is there really any other kind). IMO stay away from necromancy/demonology...pretty much anything you hope to accomplish can be accomplished through God and his angelic hosts or simply through the use of sympathetic magic...

Unread post by **Joseph Magnuson** » Sat Jun 02, 2012 8:11 pm

If you know what to look for, and properly take your time, you can avoid "deceptive demons" and connect with your true ancestors. It has worked for me. I have had great success with necromancy. I would also not classify it as "necromancy/demonology" as you so put it. I find them to be two VERY different avenues.

Unread post by **Doctor Hob** » Sat Jun 02, 2012 8:20 pm

I would never assume to argue with anyone's system of beliefs, for every person is free to choose their way. That having been said, there are any number of faithful workers who both venerate and call upon the spirits of the dear dead. There are also countless workers, like myself, who work with other spirts, as well. Among these other spirits are the Saints, and Angels, as well as what could be defined as Demons, and other entities that disregard such labels. These practices are not vices to be "indulged", but simply choices. Just as some workers choose not to work break-ups, or court case spells, so does each worker choose which spirits they will work with, or choose not to ignore the spirits that call to them. These choices can certainly be influenced by one's culture, religion, and so forth, but it is a choice that one must make for themselves.

Unread post by **Joseph Magnuson** » Sat Jun 02, 2012 9:16 pm

I could not agree with you more, Mister Hob. Well said.

Unread post by **Papa Newt** » Sat Jun 02, 2012 10:22 pm

Nicely said Mister Hob.

emdeluxe · Unread post by **emdeluxe** » Sun Jun 03, 2012 3:45 pm

Hi everyone,
I have an ancestral altar shared by my husband's ancestors and my own. When I leave water, it is often cloudy and moldy by the end of the day. The other day, the water was completely gone. I am wondering if perhaps there is an unhappy ancestor up there. My husband's daughter is there. She was 19, mentally ill, died somewhat mysteriously, and not exactly positive energy. Might the water mystery have anything to do with her? Any other thoughts?

Unread post by **jwmcclin** » Sun Jun 03, 2012 3:50 pm

I recommend a reading to see if someone is not happy. http://www.readersandrootworkers.org

emdeluxe · Unread post by **emdeluxe** » Sun Jun 03, 2012 3:58 pm

jwmcclin-that's a good idea. I'm also going to try leaving 2 glasses of water to see what happens. Maybe we have a personality conflict amongst them-a little drama LOL!

Unread post by **jwmcclin** » Sun Jun 03, 2012 4:08 pm

Unread post by **MissMichaele** » Mon Jun 04, 2012 4:57 pm

You might also try cleansing the altar and everything on it with Florida Water -- which might help with cleansing away mold spores, too, because of its high alcohol content (high enough to be flammable, even).

An even more appropriate spiritual cologne would be Kananga Water, with a similarly high alcohol content (yes, I just tested it: fiery fun

) and a sweeter fragrance, not so sharp. It's also a traditional offering for the dead, like the kananga (ylang-ylang) flowers from which it is made.

Unread post by **Doctor Hob** » Mon Jun 04, 2012 6:32 pm

MissMichaele wrote:An even more appropriate spiritual cologne would be Kananga Water, with a similarly high alcohol content (yes, I just tested it: fiery fun ...

Heh...Miss Michaele, I look forward to meeting you one day. Great advice.

LeChatNoir · Unread post by **LeChatNoir** » Mon Jun 04, 2012 8:51 pm

I can testify personally on Florida Water getting rid of mold and their spores...after Katrina our place was filled with mold and NOTHING would take that stuff off....and then I got the idea maybe I should just (ahem) "cleanse", so I went crazy with the Florida Water (I don't even know why that was what popped into my head, but it was)....it worked like you wouldn't believe and that stuff NEVER came back!! Yeah, please follow MissMichaele's advice and suggestions. These folks here are the *real* deal.
P.S. I *did* wear gloves & a mask because I didn't know what kind of mold it was or anything, but its a little different than your situation....

SeleneAnna · Unread post by **SeleneAnna** » Thu Jun 14, 2012 5:54 pm

I am new to this kind of spell work exactly, but I was raised Catholic with Irish and Italian/Romani roots so I am used to ritual work with Saints and herbs. However, I was raised extremely respectful of Graveyards and Ancestors. I am having a bit of trouble working up the courage to bury anything in a graveyard or to remove earth from a graveyard. I also live in a very Christian Midwest area where even Catholics aren't considered Christian enough, and am afraid of legal problems if caught with anything in a cemetery. Do you have any advice you can share for the most respectful practices for graveyard work? I have seen common mention of use of silver dimes as payment to the spirits there. Is there anything else that I can/should do so that the spirits know that I mean them no disrespect or harm? Any advice on how to explain trying to bury something like a mirror box if caught? Thank you for your advice! x

babaylan · Unread post by **babaylan** » Fri Jun 15, 2012 7:59 am

add bottle of rum ...

Unread post by **Doctor Hob** » Fri Jun 15, 2012 11:40 am

Rum is primarily used in Caribbean influenced traditions, like Voodoo and Lukumi (Santeria). You're more likely to see whiskey offered in hoodoo.

As far as respectful behavior in a cemetery; it isn't much different than respect to the living. You're coming into their home, so be polite. I talk with the dead the same way I talk with the living. I introduce myself, tell them what kind of work I'm doing, and ask them if they will help me. I typically pay with dimes, but you will find that some spirits ask for other things.

People don't pay as much attention to cemeteries as you might think. I've gone into a cemetery near my home and done work while a funeral was going on a ways off. Nobody even realized that I was there. A trick Miss cat suggested, that I've used successfully, is to take some flowers in a paper cup. Dig your hole, put whatever needs to go in at the bottom, then plant the flowers on top. You can also take tools to clean and tend the area around a grave. This is both respectful and good cover for the work your doing.

All that said, you should check local laws to be sure there aren't any specific thigs that could jam you up. Always good to know how you'll need to go about your work.

nana664 · Unread post by **nana664** » Fri Jun 15, 2012 12:11 pm

Mister Hob wrote:.

As far as respectful behavior in a cemetery; it isn't much different than respect to the living. You're coming into their home, so be polite. I talk with the dead the same way I talk with the living. I introduce myself, tell them what kind of work I'm doing, and ask them if they will help me. I typically pay with dimes, but you will find that some spirits ask for other things.

I'm glad you said this because I've been meaning to ask a question. How do you know what they want and if they're willing to help you, if you don't have the gift of spirit communication?