Tarot Alkhemy

“Do you know how we gods — Olympians and the like — maintain our power?” she asks…

I shake my head.

“Our power comes from faith,” she says softly. 

“The more people who believe in us, and the more fervently they believe, the stronger we become. When fewer people believe in us, we grow weaker. We perform miracles and great deeds to ensure they do not forget us, to ensure our survival.”

–I, Medusa by Ayana Gray

A timely message that resonates deeply for me (and during Black History Month, might I add). I’ve seen the great reviews for Gray’s latest novel. Little did I know, I would walk away from this book with a new found inspiration to post about something near and dear to my heart. Ancestor veneration.

In short, venerating Ancestors is a practice done across several cultures that involves a deep reverence and honor for the lives of those who came before us. This is not to be confused with ‘worship’. Worship is reserved for the Most High, or whatever deity aligns with you. Veneration is for what we deem as sacred.

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In the above quote, Athena is speaking to Medusa about how she has been able to maintain her power for thousands of years. In the book, we see how she has been honored and revered by having an entire city and its people devote themselves to her. To designate a sacred town, temple, and priestesses for her creates a self-maintained continuous generator of energy devoted to keeping her energy alive. 

Though this leans more into the realms of worship, the concept of both it and veneration remains the same. We do not need oppressors telling us when to honor Black history nor feel they can threaten us by erasing the significant role our Ancestors have played in the establishment of this country. 

For many years, Ancestor veneration turned into me only remembering their survival. With that, I also noticed my own energy becoming sadder and more depressing any time I thought of what they went through to get me here. Everything was soooo serious. 

I have since been enlightened to also recall their joy. I remember my Mom telling me how my Grandpa would buy 1 gallon of vanilla ice cream and split it between the 13 of them, never thinking twice about it (lol!). Though they didn’t have much, they had each other, and something sweet to look forward to. Now, I laugh more in their memory. I smile more because of where I come from.

“If we Black folks, only recall the horrendous things done to us throughout history, we can lose our greatest gift — our capacity for joy.” – Leslye Joy Allen

We empower ourselves to preserve the memory through these tips:

Remember. First, with your own Ancestors. It’s beautiful to remember the more visible ones (i.e., Assata Shakur, Toni Morrison, Zora Neale Hurston, etc.). But we must first honor the lineage we come from. It is ok to not know their names, nor vibe with those you remember. We honor the Ancestors who mean us well and have our best interest at heart. If you’re adopted but still come from a loving home, I have always been taught it is ok to honor your lineage and that of your adopted parents. The key here is to set intention of venerating those who mean you well. They will reveal themselves to you in time.

Talk about those Ancestors with your family. Learn about who they were, what they did for a living, dust off those family photo albums, write about them, sing/dance for them, get creative with it.

Create a sacred space to venerate them. YOU are the first altar. Their blood and genes run through your veins, therefore, they are always with you: 

• Treat yourself well
• Get adequate rest
• Make space for play/pleasure
• Be mindful who you exchange energy with
• Adorn yourself

Then, if able, consider a physical space in your home that will serve as your altar. This is your meeting place with the Ancestors. It is where you will leave offerings, perform workings (if you don’t have a separate working altar), converse with, venerate, and more. 

It can be as elaborate as an entire room, as private as a closet, or as discrete as a bag of tools (designated journals, photos, cards, crystals, herbs, etc.) you use that you set up when needed and secure in a sacred manner when complete if you are in a home where you aren’t able to practice freely. If all else fails, remember when I said YOU’RE the altar? I meant it!

Establish your routine. You know how almost every religion has a set of rules they’re governed by? Or how the day of worship never changes? This is how we empower our practices to mean something beyond haphazard devotion or only going to them when we need something. What day(s) of the week do you reserve for housekeeping and tending to the altars? Do moon workings resonate with you? This is how we establish veneration as a practice. We honor our ancestors and remember them through sacred routine. 

The Ancestors know we have human problems to deal with, so things may shift. This is where I HIGHLY recommend keeping your routine SIMPLE. If there’s too many steps or it becomes too time-consuming, we’re less inclined to maintain the same level of energy towards it long term. Start with small gestures, then observe and listen. Your Ancestors will help you venerate them well if you allow them to.

Lastly, devote time to learning yourself. One way I’m learning more about where I come from is learning me. There are so many amazing people out here doing great things, and I am learning to also include myself in that number. 

So, I begin exploring who I am through what I find interest in. I invest in my spiritual practices more. I meditate more. I eat foods I love (mindfully). I read and write more. Listen more. Essentially, I am working towards being fully embodied. My pull to do certain things can be on my own accord, but I also see it as an opportunity to learn if any of my Ancestors share the same passions. The more I learn about me, the more I learn of them.

In closing, I, Medusa is a book I am so grateful found me at this point in time. This may have been a Medusa retelling, I find so many gems in it that align with my own story and how I want to be remembered. Every post I write to explore deeper and share my thoughts with you feels like the kind of veneration I seek for my Ancestors, and eventually, for me.

Gratitude for reading!