Honoring Ancestors Through Media

So in my last post I pondered the question of media on the Internet and our descendants.  Hopefully in the many years to come we will still have the Internet, and then there comes the point where we have media stored from generations past.

Today I'm honoring my ancestors.I would want my own descendants to know that I have worked to create a better future by improving myself, my surroundings, and instilling the morals I believe will carry us into a better future. I would want my children to know that I love them and will look over them. I'd have them know me, not just for the dates of major events in my life, but the small details that make up who I am. In generations past we did this through stories past down from father to son. Yet so often those stories are lost, changed, or simply forgotten. That is why the Internet is going to change the way the new generation will connect with their past. Never before have we been able to look back 200+ years and see a video of our ancestor alive and well.

How do you think our social media will change future generations? 

Will they trace their ancestry through social media? 

What would you say to the generations that follow?

A Message from My Ancestors

I don't have a picture of my Granny, so here's

Grandpa. (Big Mike)

I don't meditate often enough. Usually I'm dealing with my son all day long but today I got lucky. My husband and my son are taking a nap, so I have the living room all to myself. I decided to do a little meditation. I didn't really know where it was going to go. Usually I just find my special spot and relax next to a flowing stream. But today I was greeted by my ancestors. All of them were there, though most were in the shadows. I saw a few faces I don't really know, but felt they are related to me and are watching and supporting me.

My great-grandmother Edna (Granny) is the one who stepped forward to speak with me. My grandfather was also in the background. He waved, and sends me love. But it was my granny who needed to speak because she is the one most experienced with poverty.

She raised 12 children in the depression so if anyone knows about living in poverty, she would be it. Her message for me is to be patient, do what I can and try not to worry about the rest. Which is easier said than done. Patience is not one of my virtues!

When I pushed for more, like how to get to the other side where I could see my family living in a good home with nice jobs, that information wasn't forthcoming. All I know is that to the North of me is where I'll find a job and live eventually. How far north I don't know. When I'll find it I also don't know.

But Granny reassures me that she and everyone who watches over me are there and supporting me.
I wish I had more answers, but I suppose I got the answers I need to hear and not what I want to hear.

I really wish I could find the time to meditate more often and for longer periods of time. But for now this mini-meditation will have to do.

Do you meditate every day?

30. Share or write a guided Samhain meditation.

A Samhain Guided Meditation

By: SalemWitchChild

Oct 23, 2011

Lets begin by sitting in a comfortable position. Breath in through your nose and out through your mouth. Become aware of each part of your body starting from your toes. Relax each muscle as you work your way up to your ankles, calves, knees, hops, arms, hands, fingers, shoulders, and neck. 

See yourself sitting in your home next to a window. You look out that window and see a willow tree with a Raven sitting in its branches. The Raven calls to you and invites you to the other realm. 

You walk outside and stand before the Raven and the willow tree. The Raven spreads his wings and the leaves of the tree transform into a shimmering doorway. This is the Samhain veil between worlds. 

The Raven calls you to follow as he enters the veil; you follow. 

On the other side you see the street of your childhood home. Ahead you see your ancestors are waiting for you outside of your home. Each have a message for you. Some just wish to be remembered, others have a message or advice to give. Listen to your ancestors and ask any questions you have now. 

The Raven calls and awaits you at the door to the veil. It is time for you to give your thanks to your ancestors for their love and advice. You follow the Raven through the shimmering veil once again. 

On the side of the living, you face the Raven and the willow tree and give thanks for their assistance. The Raven calls and promises to open the Samhain veil next year. 

Begin coming aware of your breathing and your body. Move your neck, arms, hands, fingers, legs, and toes one by one. You become more aware of your surroundings and finally are awake. Remember each message your ancestors gave you. Write them down so that you may reflect upon their advice. 

I hope you have had a wonderful visit with your ancestors. 

Blessed Be

This is apart of 31 Days of Samhain

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Remembering our Angel Baby

Source

In January of 2000 I had the happy pleasure of announcing that I was pregnant with our first child. However in March when I went for my second prenatal appointment the doctors discovered that my baby had no heartbeat and had died several weeks beforehand. My husband and I were devastated. I refused to believe they were telling me the truth. After all I had just heard the heartbeat a month before. Everything was going so well. I wasn't really sick and had only mild pregnancy symptoms which I would later attribute to loosing the baby for many years. Though I later learned no symptoms of pregnancy is not an indication of miscarriage.

Anyway, I refused to believe my doctor. So instead of letting them do a D&C right away, I made an appointment with another doctor for a second opinion. It was a Friday so I had to wait all weekend before I could get the second opinion. I had such high hopes that weekend. I had convinced myself they had to be wrong.

That following Monday I experienced mild cramping as I was getting ready to leave, but being the stubborn scorpio woman that I am, I refused to believe my baby was dead. As we were driving to Lexington our car broke down. This was in Versailles, KY and the road we were on is treacherousness if you are on the side of the road. Some kind construction workers picked us up and took us to the gas station where we could make a phone call. By then the cramping became worse and I admitted to myself that we wouldn't need to get a second opinion. That horrible moment where I told my husband that I was having a miscarriage is forever etched into my memory.

Versailles KY Cash Advance. Where I had a Miscarriage

While my husband made the phone call for his father to pick us up, I walked around the corner to the closest business. It happened to be a Cash Advance. The old lady there was kind enough to allow me to use her bathroom. She could tell something was wrong but I didn't tell her what.  To this day I really hate to look at this picture. This is where my baby exited my body, I was taken by ambulance to the hospital where a D&C was performed. I sat in shock, just hoping I was dreaming. Realistically there was no way to know if the baby would have been a boy or a girl. However to us, the baby would have been male, and named Seth Andrew.

As I sat in the hospital waiting to enter surgery, I meditated on why I was loosing the baby. Goddess let me know that the spirit attached to the baby wasn't ready to be born. But we were promised a year later we would have a baby. A year almost to the day, we learned we were expecting our daughter Sierra Belle. I'm at peace with loosing Seth. I know it was meant to be. But that doesn't make the pain of loss any less. He will always be apart of us.

Sierra 1 month old

This month on the 31st all witches and Wiccan's around the globe are celebrating Samhain, which is the 3rd harvest sabot and a time we honor our ancestors. All too often our babies are forgotten because they were with us such a short time when we honor our dead at Samhain. So this post is to remember that even if you never got to hold your little one, light a candle for your sweet babies. Now is the time to remember and honor them.

Blessings, Love, & Light

This post is in honor of Pregnancy & Infant Loss Remembrance Day 

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5. Give us a short Autobiography of an Ancestor (Living or Dead) of yours.

Edna Justice

Edna Justice was my paternal great grandmother. "Granny" is what I always called her as a child. She lived with my grandmother in London, Ohio when I knew her. She was born in S. Union Township, Ross Ohio in 1908 to Allen and Daisy Justice. Granny married Jessie O Pence in 1929 which is also my grandmother Alice birth year. Some hanky panky before marriage granny?? lol I can't even assume it was conception on her wedding night. Grandma was born in September that year and the wedding was in August. So Granny was already pregnant when married. Its funny what you learn when you do genealogy isn't it! 

During Granny's marriage she had 12 children. I don't know all of their names and during the depression they lost the farm and the kids were separated to live with various other aunts and uncles. I know that would be very hard to deal with. I'm not sure how she dealt with that! Her husband died in a mining accident in Dec 1956. 

During the time I knew her, she was a kind woman with a heart of gold. Because of some health issues she was not suppose to eat sugar. Every time I chose to go to my grandparents house (Which I did only to see her) she would ask me to climb the counter to reach the top shelves to get her sugar. My grandmother hid the sugar from her. I always obliged. I figure everyone deserves to be happy. Whats an extended life if your not happy? So she got her sugar, and I got my favorite lunch, mac and cheese. :) 

At bedtime my granny was a fountain of bedtime stories and fairy tales. I can't recite all the ones she knew by memory. With 12 children I suppose she had to be pretty good at telling bedtime stories! I wish she had written them all down. Unfortunately that's information lost we'll never get back. 

In July of 1999 I was just finishing my Senior year in high school. My boyfriend (Now husband) drove me to Ohio so I could see granny for the last time. By then she had been put into a home. Earlier that year she had suffered a stroke and one side of her body was paralyzed. She couldn't speak anymore, but with Lance's help I think we communicated pretty well. That visit was very hard for me because I had to say goodbye. I left a few crystals with her, charging them with healing and love. Though I knew no amount of healing was going to extend her life, and I wouldn't be so selfish as to want that, I wanted her to have peace and love that she gave me my entire childhood. She taught me how to be a loving kind person. I unfortunately don't have many pictures of her. And what pictures I do have are stored with my mother in Kentucky. So I'll just have to include her ancestry sheet here. 

I wrote a poem long ago about her, so in closing I'd like to share it. 

In Remembrance of Edna Pence

Sitting here staring at a blank page, 

all I can think of is my granny aged. 

The feeling of her silver hair, as I brush it through. 

How it flowed long and glistened like snow. 

and fills my heart with a Christmas song. 

As I sit here tonight, remembering my granny, 

I remember sweet child's stories whispered in my ear. 

How dear her gift was I did not know

Its always too late when you realize these things, 

SO take it from me

Don't be a fool

Pay attention to the people aged

They just might have a story to tell that will save the day. 

Edna Justice

This is apart of my 31 Days of Samhain

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4. A favorite picture that represents Samhain.

I found this picture at The Rosemary Tree blog. It doesn't look like the owner has posted since January, but I followed her anyway.

I think this picture honors Samhain perfectly. You've got your crone /ancestor, a spooky cave representing darkness and the fire there that would be burning bright in winter. Plus your spiders and jack o lanterns. So many interesting things going on in this picture!

This is apart of my 31 Days of Samhain

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