Communicating with the Dead
Why would any sane person want to talk to the dead? But if I had a nickel for everyone that I knew that does- or wants to, I would be pretty darned rich. Sometimes a conversation with the dead can be subtle and low-key, like speaking to a deceased relative at their gravesite. But for some, this is not enough. Some want answers. So let’s talk about being less-than subtle shall we?
“We walk on top of the bones of our ancestors” is the old Hoodoo phrase, so why is something that is around us, within us, and among us just so hard to grasp?
People call me one of the “lucky ones." I never had issues communicating with those gone before me. When I heard advice from relatives in the photos around me and from family legends, I thought I was just plain nuts. The dead do not have much issue getting their point across to me, even if I've made them repeat the message over and over for my own amusement.
It is far easier today for us to find our ancestors than it used to be. Through various web-based services, you can send in a sample of your DNA and very shortly, you can gaze back in time. Even if you are not into that sort of thing, research of where we come from and how we got here has never been easier. So once you have someone in mind, how do you make the connection?
That depends on what you intend to discover. And let’s be honest, we’re not all related to some great and valiant necromancer or witch from the past. But let me tell you a secret: if you come from poor roots, you come from witchcraft. At least by the modern Western standard.
If you want to find secrets to health-related questions, look to someone from your past that may have been responsible for life on a farm or a small village. You will find a lot of help there. But would the advice from a small villager be as valid as a banker if what you seek are answers about investing? Narrow your search to those that may be able to help you. Aim small, hit small.
My sister once asked me, “Why do all our ancestors’ foods taste so bland and disgusting?” She was referring to our mutual-hatred for our ethnic cuisine. The answer was quite simple. I said, “Well . . . probably because our ancestors were poor and couldn’t afford spices.” The poor did what they had to do without the luxury of “modern” resources. They made life happen with the items they had in their direct environment.
Food is always the best way to ask ancestors to be involved in our lives. Cooking a dish that they loved or maybe consumed in their homeland is a great way to get the party started. Not only does it harken to the very basis of surviving -- eating, but it also smells good. And smell and taste are a direct link to the oldest parts of our brain. In cultures outside of the US (not including indigenous peoples) where talking to ones ancestors is not so taboo, it usually happens around feast time with tons of food and tons of incense. Incense also being a fantastic way to draw the dead near to you.
So there is a lot to know before you start. First of all, what are you looking for in this relationship? What kind of ceremony or ritual will be best for what you want to accomplish? This is all all up to you, but ultimately you have to learn to listen. Once you let them know you’re available to chat, be prepared for the flood gates to open. How they come to you will depend on you and what they think is the best mode for getting the message across, but they will talk to you and sometimes at the most inconvenient moments.
I also need to give some advice to keep you safe. Here are some simple rules:
Protect yourself at all times! Know what you are getting into and how to get out of it. Whatever form or method you are using to contact them, have a safe way to reestablish your link to the life you are living and understand your rituals well. Become an expert at it. This will help you if ever faced with something that wants you for nefarious reasons.
The dead will never ask you to harm yourself, someone else, or change your free will in any way. That just isn’t their purpose. If you hear or experience something of this nature, it is a usurper that wants to use you. And if they ever ask you to join them, gently and surely back away.
Listen without judgement. Sometimes the message may come as a riddle or a twisted lesson. Learn to find the subtleties in which the dead place their logic and look for answers everywhere, not just where you expect to find them. I was once told, “Learn to listen and you shall profit, even from those who speak poorly of you.” That is an important concept. You may even get rich knowledge from entities that are harmful. But you have to learn to discern what is reality and what it not.
Be of a pure heart, spirit, and nature. While most cannot live a life of abstinence, it helps intensely. Do I know why? Not at all, but I’ve heard a ton of theories. But if you are not working on yourself and your shadow in a determined and holistic way, you are not going to get great results. This type of work takes sacrifice -- not only from you, but of you. If you are greedy, selfish, angry, gluttonous, those traits will work against you and make it more difficult to please them.
Practice, be patient, be disciplined and they will show you favor and want to see you progress. But remember, the dead are not obliged to do anything. If they believe in you the way you believe in them, you will find success in your endeavors.
Happy Struggles,
Bror Vovk