The recent posts on Ancestor Worship got me thinking - for those of us whose goal is apotheosis, is there any value in ensuring that we will receive offerings as an ancestor after death?
In my own case, I’m an only child and currently childless myself. I have three cousins, all of whom are conservative Catholics. Given that, if I want to receive offerings after my death, there will need to be some groundwork done in preparation of that eventuality. So my question is, as someone that intends to be joining the gods after death rather than the mortal dead, is it worth the time and effort to lay that groundwork? What is the advantage?
It also raises the further one for me, of is there any possible advantage to making a small offering to the benevolent dead who also died without issue - along the lines of The Tomb Of The Unknown Soldier which is a convention in many countries, a war memorial to honour those who died in conflict without ever being identified.
I realise opening a channel to any wandering deceased people out there’s not really a great idea, but I do wonder - especially with people who were magicians (witches, warlocks, whatever) in life and found themselves ostracised or who died young because of it - whether there’s be any upsides to doing that?
[quote=“Arkhilokhus, post:1, topic:4431”]The recent posts on Ancestor Worship got me thinking - for those of us whose goal is apotheosis, is there any value in ensuring that we will receive offerings as an ancestor after death?
In my own case, I’m an only child and currently childless myself. I have three cousins, all of whom are conservative Catholics. Given that, if I want to receive offerings after my death, there will need to be some groundwork done in preparation of that eventuality. So my question is, as someone that intends to be joining the gods after death rather than the mortal dead, is it worth the time and effort to lay that groundwork? What is the advantage?[/quote]
In many African and Diasporic traditions, the only way to advance to “godhood” is through the proper ceremonies being performed by living ancestors. In some such traditions it is considered a spiritual negative to have no one perform the rites for you.
From my own experiences seeing misas and seances where powerful ancestors came through on different people, it is absolutely imperative that you have some sort of veneration of the ancestors in your personal practices. You will still be among them even if you become “god-like”. I have met godly ancestors that were on par with the Lwa, but I know they attained such a position because they were priests in life and had the mantle carried for them by the younger generations.
I believe that is exactly what you’re getting at. Leaving offerings for the dead souls who are in pain is more of a public service than a thing to do for results.
Cheers - yes, I’ve done a lot of psychopomp work along those lines over many years (it’s kind of a thing in core shamanism: battle grounds, hopsitals, prisons, even just asking a guide you trust to take you where there’s a need) - so yes, I agree it’s also a good thing to do that kind of work, not just from hoping for gains.
[quote=“Lady Eva, post:2, topic:4431”]It also raises the further one for me, of is there any possible advantage to making a small offering to the benevolent dead who also died without issue - along the lines of The Tomb Of The Unknown Soldier which is a convention in many countries, a war memorial to honour those who died in conflict without ever being identified.
I realise opening a channel to any wandering deceased people out there’s not really a great idea, but I do wonder - especially with people who were magicians (witches, warlocks, whatever) in life and found themselves ostracised or who died young because of it - whether there’s be any upsides to doing that?[/quote]
That reminds me of the Classical Athenian practice (possibly done in other Greek poleis as well) of Hekate’s Deipnon, where food was left to the Restless Dead every month on the New Moon (or what we call the New Moon, as the Greek Noumenia actually referred to the next night). I’ve done this for two months now, taking food and the leavings of my altar to Hekate out to a crossroad, evoking Hekate as leader of the apotropaioi while keeping my eyes firmly on the ground, then walking back home without looking back. I think this is more to keep said ghosts from making mischief, so I haven’t really noticed any result from this, other than it seems to make Hekate happy (which, as far as I’m concerned, is reason enough).
I figured I’d post a little bit of a follow-up to this thread.
I recently addressed this question to Hekate, as She is, inter alia, my primary magical mentor. Her response was that, due to the specific approach I’m taking to apotheosis, Current 66 (aka MAS’ Queen of Hell trilogy), at an appropriate point the energies of the Qlipphoth will separate me from my familial hamingja (briefly defined: a spiritual essence and power shared by all members of a given family, living and dead). This the question of progeny, at least for me, largely a moot point, although She also emphasized that prior to that point, continuing to do what I can to strengthen my hamingja will benefit my personal goals. She used the analogy of staying on a rising platform until the proper moment, then leaping off.
While a good deal of this is obviously specific to the path and entities I’m working with, I thought this idea of separation from one’s family was interesting. Much of Thomas Karlsson’s work on the Qlipphoth talks about using those destructive energies to separate oneself from various attachments, and this new piece fits right in with that. I find myself speculating which Qlipha actually separates one from one’s family; I’m tempted to say Gamaliel due to it’s connection to Luna, which in astrology is connected to the family and ancestors via it’s natural rulership of the Fourth House, but there are certainly other possibilities.
Go pester Hekate with questions until she manifests a “CLOSED FOR VACATION” sign in your vicinity.
Cause really, could not help you with that. Thing is, I am in a similar predicament as you are: No one would be left to “venerate” me or anything, and I wouldn’t want to because I have an innate fear of living behind an impostor shadow perpetuated by how people used to perceive me instead of , you know, actually being me the one who answers their petitions.
So my take is two fold: Either I get good enough with psychic vampirism and try to hold onto my material presence here, or I don’t do it solo and work with some entity who will either allow me passage into some Paradise equivalent or guide me around in staying around.
Tarot, runes and the similar is how I would approach the subject in this matter before and after serious evocation with my mentors. Wish you the best, mang.