note on ancestral magic & how to strengthen your bond with simple methods
thinking about my paternal grandmother, magic "started" for me when i was given her name, so rare and beautiful that i get stuck in the memories of countless people simply because of this fact, which can be quite dangerous, because it becomes even easier for ill-wishers to direct negativity at me and hit the mark. i think about my grandmother, who didn't speak my native language, and i barely know hers, but i always felt a connection with her. thanks to this magic and her genetics, by the age of 11 my hair was knee-length, which attracted a lot of attention, and my mother taught me how to protect myself from the evil eye. she also taught me phrases that i'd been repeating while washing my hair since childhood to make it grow healthy and long, literally rhyming spells. i still attach great importance to this
my grandmother, may the spirits protect her, couldn't act like me, speak like me, be as bold and free, so i broke the cycle. ancestral magic isn't a physical grimoire passed down to you at a certain age. everything you were taught is partly that. when i weave and braid threads, i remember her, a strong eastern woman and her life of constant needlework. when i dry my hair, i keep in my mind – i would have never achieved the same strength and beauty without her
how to make the bond stronger daily and not by specific or big rituals?
come back to your roots and traditions of one of the first ever egregore of yours – ethnicity, which are personally feasible and acceptable for you, or take less – your closest family
dancing — for example, my grandma is azerbaijani so basically kavkaz melodies and songs are lullabies to me, something that brings me comfort, even if all of them full of drums, rhythm and energetic motifs. let your national music go through your body, activate memories and move your muscles. dancing is a universal language, and probably the most unique one. listen to songs of your ancestors’ youth and old age, cause music anthropology is no joke
go through your genealogical history / family tree — where did your your ancestors live before your birth? what did they do for a living? how did they die? what are their names? there are so many questions that can help you to answer your own; their life experience and choices shouldn’t be ignored by next generations just to do exact same mistakes. do the research for all those poor nameless women, cause their sufferings and victories must be seen
look back to their hobbies and jobs — your grandma taught you how to knit a scarf to keep your warm? great! it’s a big act of love so show it back by learning and letting it dissolve into thin air. your great grandfather was a carpenter? cool! ask your relatives for stories or photos about it. maybe some of his works are still here with you, in your house. keep these memories with warmth and respect. btw, i found myself into weaving and knotting like that – turkic / iranian carpets are well-known all over the world; for me it’s almost closed practice, and one of the best form of ritual / tool for a lot of folk witches
family cookbook — easy way to get into your ancestors’ lifestyle, research about their preferences, especially if you wanna make an altar for them. for example for me it’s pomegranate, dates, hazelnuts
visiting your ancestors’ power places — your and theirs hometown, where did you spend time with them or where you feel their presence. it can be hard to get there physically but spiritually – your life is an evidence of their presence, so meditation is a key
so, when someone says : (my name), you are brave, you are skillful, you are educated, i convey part of these words to my grandmother with the same name and face but not the same story. thank your ancestors, maintain a mental connection with them, pay attention when they come to you in dreams, and what they tell you in life. i practice for all those women in my family tree who would like to do this so openly, who would like to have such resources as time, place, and opportunity but didn't. i can not thinking of their suppressed power, and at the same time, i'm sure that they always protect me
