Ancestral Veneration in Southern Folk Magic in a time of Modernity
The spiritual veneration of our loved ones and the ones of whom we know not, is the result of resilience they once possessed. Cultivated through tradition and rites for beyond the veil, or the celebration of life that exists between our fingertips in the aether, we as humans have a long history of what that ancestor veneration looks like. Through cultural contexts and the survival of those older traditions through the synchronization of pre-Christian ceremonies and herbal remedies mixed in with the Catholicism that shapes most of the western world, and the Byzantine influence that shapes Eastern Europe and parts of Northern Africa and Western Asian countries. And to be frank, all of the world in some type of capacity.
In particular, ancestor veneration in the lens of someone who is multicultural is, well, interesting, to say the least. How, in a country that thrives on multiculturalism, but at the same time wants the monolithic cultural identity that is shown in the modern context of globalism, have those traditions lost once they arrive on its shores? Because ancestor veneration comes into contact with the subject of death, a topic which is not normally talked about in lighter conversations. Polite society if you will.
However, understanding the veneration of our ancestors, shows us a glimpse of where our people come from, and the connection that we have with each other through these rites. Through the prayers, the offerings, the shared communion that is the afterlife itself. It takes a simple act to connect and to listen. To hear the stories of those ancestors passed on in the habits that we do as a people.
In the context of Southern Folk Magic and Southern Conjure, the ancestors have always and will always be with us. Now, it doesn’t mean you can call on every single ancestor. Frankly, that would be a lot of people in one room don’tcha think? It would leave for some slightly characters, and really seeing how family feuds can play out. I speak from experience with that in mind. The ancestors were human at one point, but in a sense have understood the meaning and secrets of life and the progression seen from the outside looking in, but actually seeing it. Almost like the saying “you have to look at the situation like looking outside of the forest to get a clearer point of view”, as in see what is around you before making a choice or decision. That’s where the ancestors come into play. They are those eyes watching over, and in the veneration, we can see what we miss, what is outside the line of sight.
The practice of this type of veneration is mixed with the African influences from the Transatlatic Slave Trade, the colonization of European settlers, and the Indigenous practices that have been on this land for thousands of years. Tools such as tobacco, pine, the wearing of white, the river water in baptisms and trance, the Bible or other holy books placed on an altar, the offerings of foods and music and dance that one’s loved one had enjoyed in their human life. These aspects make up a base of said ancestor veneration; the tools in which to communicate.
However, with the basis of ancestor veneration through the Southern Folk magic lens, if someone is of a different culture, but has southern roots, those cultures can be incorporated as well. The concept of the veneration is to remember where someone comes from. The faces, the spirit shown in their eyes, that’s what one is bringing to life.
In my own experience with ancestor veneration, I noticed at first that it was a little intimidating. My mother’s side of the family consists of Southern roots in North Carolina, Texas, Alabama, frankly all over the south, and Rusyn roots, while my father’s side of the family is Afro-Puerto Rican from the Bronx, which culturally consist of West African, Taino, Spanish, North African, and Sephardi origins. How could I bring them together in this space that holds so much? Where a lot of ancestors were colonizers and the others the oppressed? How would they blend and mesh? Some relatives who passed on didn’t like some relatives who were on my ancestor table; tension that is still felt today in some instances. It wracked my brain for years, somewhat tiptoing around the idea of having two altars, one for each side of my family. I’ve even had the advice given that I put a white sheet in between the altar to have them shielded from each other. Not to mention the ancestors who weren’t that great in their living life, and making sure I don’t contact them in prayer or meditation.
The process was endless. Trying to understand and balance everything I could find about those cultures and traditions, made me learn something as well. Not everything needs to be done all at once. In some points of life, I will lean towards one cultural aspect and veneration and others I will lean in a different direction. To add to that sentiment as well, it allowed me to comprehend that as a living ancestor. Yes, a living one, we will grow and learn about ourselves and where we come from. The strength we hold, the cunning we possess. The physical marks on our body that we inherit from one ancestor, and the wit of the other. Unfortunately we can inherit mentalities and mindscapes that we in this modern context, are meant to mend and heal. To break that curse plaguing one’s family. It can be a hard thing to do, but the weight is measured in gold.
Ancestor veneration is an extension of us. It is to remember how far we have come and what our people went through in their life. In that same aspect, we learn the old ways of doing things. How to cherish family moments, the laughter in our voice, the bold moves we make in our everyday life. We, as that living ancestor, continue on the legacy from which we came from. Either to continue it or change it, is entirely upon one’s journey. And the only thing needed to start is a white candle, a glass of water, and a name. From there, the journey of ancestor veneration in the Southern Folk magic tradition begins.
