Hello Mrs Bree! 👋
I wanted to ask if there are some etiquette tips when dealing with spirits?
I might be getting a job as a groundskeeper at a cemetery and just want to be respectful, even if those burried there follow a very different path than my own.
I've always had spirits visiting me and my mom since we were both young. (The universe likes to send me those who are dead and/or dying, it seems.) So spirits following me don't bother me too much, but I don't want to outright offend any either or bring them home to my partner.
No rush on a response!
May your week be filled with all that you need and love that warms like a hearth on a chilly autumn morning!
I don't do very much spirit work. Actually, I tend to avoid it like the plague. But generally speaking, I think everyday manners are a good place to start.
If you're working in a cemetery, you're more likely to encounter human spirits than anything else (statistically speaking), so just treat them the way you'd treat the living - with care and respect and kindness. Don't talk to them like brainless children (unless of course they ARE children, in which case just be extra patient and resist the urge to babytalk) and don't automatically jump to Possible Threat like the ghost hunting shows always seem to. Just be polite, set boundaries where you need to, respect their space, and mind your manners.
And speaking from personal experience working in a mildly haunted environment, try to have a sense of humor about it. Nine times out of ten, even the most mischievous happenings are just dead people being bored. Like, "Oh that's the third time this month the coffee tray in the break room has moved to the other side of the counter. Very funny, Matilda."
And if something feels grouchy or mean or just plain Leave Me Alone, try to just avoid them where possible and don't panic. The human dead are perfectly capable of being assholes without any need to conjure demons where none exist.
All this being said, burial grounds tend to be less haunted than you might think. Most of the residents are sleeping or have moved on. Other people's grief and regret can sometimes hang in the air, so make sure you take that into account if you're especially sympathetic. (Yes, sympathetic. Not empathic. Different beast.) And of course, a little personal protection in the form of a charm or talisman is always worth the investment.
Good luck with your new job and I hope this helps!
