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Comment by Storm Raven on March 21, 2011 at 22:38

Sorry that took so long...

RL intruded and I was called away to "deal".

Comment by Storm Raven on March 1, 2011 at 14:20

Sorry, Mosby, I went offline and lost connection. We've been having trouble and apparently they need to re-run the line.

Comment by Storm Raven on February 24, 2011 at 13:48

I have two more blogs on other sites to move over tomorrow and one I'm writing today and then it should settle down. I hope...

Comment by Storm Raven on February 24, 2011 at 10:20

Yeah, its me

Comment by LittleWitchMagazine on February 24, 2011 at 7:58

Hey Storm, is that you? If it is; yay for finding us! <3 I joined, of course! Hope to see more from you soon!

Comment by Storm Raven on February 23, 2011 at 23:10

There's some beautiful country up that way. The mountains are gorgeous and the forests are thick and untamed with fish filled rivers and streams never more than a mile apart. Hot Springs, Arkansas is expensive but worth it, even with all the commercial tourism at the hot springs.

I know it would be expensive, but a trip to see these places is worth it. Even if you don't connect with your family the way you want, just experiencing a place like that is incredible. And, walking the streets where your ancestors lived is something beyond words too. I know, I walked the same paths as my ancestors when I went to Germany. There's something indescribable in it.

Do you have any living relative in the area? If so, can they help you out?

Comment by Storm Raven on February 23, 2011 at 22:45

Where at down south?

Comment by Storm Raven on February 23, 2011 at 21:00

Animists deal with spirits of place and there is a stronger tie to hereditary places than to new ones, so yeah, it matters. But, animism is all about the relationships with the spirits. The stronger you grow those relationships, the stronger the bond.

I can give you suggestions on how to strengthen those ties, but I cannot tell you how to "make friends" with the spirits. That's a personal interaction just like you making friends with someone else. I can not tell you how strong those ties will be, or how well you will be able to interact. I can warn you that it will likely be minimalistic, especially at first.

For instance, if you know where your ancestors are buried, especially any that would know where you're from, then you might benefit from tending their graves and making offerings while asking for that information. Then it's just a waiting game till they get around to it. It may be something simple like a post card from a relative, or an offer to do you genealogy. My communications tend toward the chills, the sinking feeling in the gut, a nervous energy or the occasional vision flashing before my eyes.

You can try the same at home, with a home alter... drawing the spirits of those ancestors already with you more strongly in the hope they may have that information. Or you could try to tie the two together with yearly visits to the cemetery and a home alter. Again, its really just making room for them in your life, offering them energy and giving them the strength to connect while you reach out to them, growing together.

It's my experience, that we need to relax and let the information come to us, though. I have received some startling revelations to questions I asked weeks and even years earlier, when I stopped worrying about. And, sometimes, there is the information that is only for us to know for a short while, just long enough to reassure us that we had an answer and it made sense.

I can't say for sure that you will ever get your answers. I don't know, that's the thing about personal relationships, they're personal. And, talking with the dead isn't like picking up a phone. There is no direct line, and the only way to open up communication is to build on existing relationships, strengthening them to the point they have the ability to come to you... when they're ready.

Comment by Storm Raven on February 23, 2011 at 20:32

You're starting to get into some seriously advanced stuff. Dream time can work, but it's hit or miss. Ouija or Talking boards are dubious at best, so is automatic (ghost) writing (you just never know who you're really dealing with). What's typically called Shamanic Journey's can take years to learn, and I would suggest, even then a trip to the land of the dead is dangerous for the advanced Shaman or Practitioner of similar arts... even guided and observed.

Calling them to you... that's more a summoning and falls outside the Animist realm and more into the Necromancy domain.

If you don't mind me asking, what's so important?

Comment by Storm Raven on February 23, 2011 at 20:13

Sangraal has a group specifically set up for Ancestor Veneration. Have you looked at some of what he has up? I believe he even has a suggestion for how to communicate with the ancestors there.

 

Beyond that, I have to wonder what you're looking for. What kind of relationship are you looking to establish with your ancestors? If you're looking for a verbal exchange, I would say that's really, really rare. If, on the other hand, you are simply looking for the emotional connection and reassurance that they are there and willing to look out for you, that's just a matter of being open to them letting you know.