#intention matters

[spyraleyes]

🕯️ Ancestor Altar – Day 8 🌿

November 3rd – Farewell and Closing the Altar

Tonight, the last white candle is lit, and copal is burned one final time as we say goodbye to our beloved dead, asking them to return again next year. The altar’s offerings are carefully removed — a symbolic gesture of release and gratitude.

This marks the close of the ancestor altar journey, a sacred time of remembrance, connection, and love that has unfolded over these past days. Each candle, each drop of water, each offering carried intention — not perfection. Because ancestral and spiritual work isn’t about having all the right tools or a flawless setup; it’s about showing up. It’s about love made visible through small, sincere acts.

As I extinguish the candles, I carry forward the warmth and wisdom of those who came before me — their laughter, their lessons, and their light. Their presence lingers in quiet ways, woven into my daily life.

To everyone who followed along, shared memories, and created altars of your own: thank you. This space of shared remembrance is powerful. Together, we have spoken names, lit candles, and opened the way for healing across generations.

May our ancestors rest in peace, surrounded by our love.

May they return next year, as always, welcome in our homes and hearts. 🤍

[theearthforce]

Do good because of love and compassion, not because of the fear of bad consequences and karma

[burning2know]

i don't want to be that person that compares a fictional character to the real world too seriously but

Solas' lies are less fundamental than some people i've gone on dates with

the idea that "you don't know anything real about this person, there's nothing to talk about" relegates the emotional to the realm of not important or not even real. Whoever actually acts according to this idea is probably very naive about people and/or horrible at social interactions from small talk to deep conversation that reveals a lot about someone. Nor have they ever talked to anyone in semi-anonymous online chatrooms or forums like MMOs or indeed, tumblr dot com. You don't know anything about them, not even their name. What could you possibly have to talk about?

[icecreamdirge]

Mean is ugly.

[new-moon-new-me]

shit do I have to stop cussing

[jusssyme]

Both, if you can. Mind and actions. You are a million things and more. Remember?

[pussythug]

Just gonna let it spill out.

I think white people talk about appropriation more than people of color. I really appreciate the consideration and conscious effort to respect the traditions of other cultures, but let the affected speak for themselves. It's all about context and intention.

We are not post race, nor are we post language. It's important to remain respectful of where people are with what they do or do not know. Attacking people for simply not knowing how their words and actions can be misconstrued only adds to the problem. Discuss it with them without making them feel like an idiot or bigot, or let the person being affected by it speak for themselves.

It is a privilege to study these ideas in schools, where many of these topics are discussed in a safe space. And not everyone has that privilege. It might be on someone's radar, when it is not on someone else's because they have never been faced with these theories and perspectives.

Appropriation is rampant in America; we all know this. Take a look at the most influential American band, The Beatles, and how they covered Motown and Chuck Berry in their early years. This isn't discussed often, yet I see guilty white folks worrying about the appropriation of yoga and the term 'spirit animal'. None of it is right, but none of it is being resolved by being condescending. If anything, we are further separating ourselves as human beings based on (lack of) knowledge rather than attempting to compassionately educate others about how we can share insight instead of banking on another culture's way of life. Yes, we should be respectful of other cultures' agencies, but we are all human and need to learn from each other. That means considering others' approaches to healing, living, exploring, creating, and being. It helps us because America is a giant racial stew, bubbling with fire and flavor, yet no singular culture of its own. Can you see why we reach out to other cultures for help?