Cookies for Spiritual Connection

Ancestor Work

Happy Friday!

I just want to remind you all that Connecting With Your Crystals starts 11/1! The learning target for this is to connect deeply with one type of crystal over the course of one month. It is geared towards every level of practitioner from beginner to expert.

Everyone is free to join. If you would like the paid tier, I am extending the 15% off until Sunday 10/27. Everything will go out Monday so it gets there in time. You can sign up here with code: PREORDER to get that 15% off. That code will also work for 15% off the crystals in the shop (golden sheen obsidian palm stones, labradorite towers, flower agates). The paid tier includes 30 days of group coaching, 4 crystals, and a physical copy of the Connecting With Your Crystals Workbook.

Back to regularly schedule programming… COOKIES

I have always said I’m a cook not a baker. I make art. I don’t do chemistry. No, truly. I don’t. The only reason I graduated high school was because I threatened to report my chemistry teacher for his blatant sexual harassment of students, and he gave me an A instead of my deserved 24%. High school me was a lot scrappier than 36 year old me.

All of that being said, I am finding my footing with baking, and within that practice, I am feeling more connected to my ancestors (especially female) than ever. A lot of that has to do with active ancestor altar work, but it is hard to deny the direct involvement of domestic tasks and female ancestors. These are tasks that, up until these major life changes this summer, I have never felt attached to in any way, shape, or form.

Since really starting my ancestor altar 6-8 weeks ago, I have really noticed an even bigger shift in my ability to access these more traditionally “female” tasks, especially baking and cleaning, which in the past have never brought me joy or a sense of accomplishment. Now? I take pride in these things, and they are sparking inspiration, joy, relief. I am also finding a sense of routine within these mundane tasks, which I desperately need.

I have also been working on my needlecraft. I don’t know a lot about most of my ancestors. I have names, but I don’t have personalities. The female ancestor that I know most about is my nana, and she gardened, baked, cooked, canned, sewed, knitted, crocheted, did pottery, etc, etc, etc. I did not grow up with her though so I missed out on a lot of domestic and artistic opportunities and education.

I grew up, instead, with the White Feminist side of my family tree, and truly? Thank everything good and great because no one needs to grow up with the “morals” of Idaho and Eastern Oregon. But it does mean that none of us (my generation nor my mom’s) got any education in these more traditional domestic arts. It’s ok. It is just taking me a longer time to connect to ancestral work in general let alone through these areas that are under developed.

As I continue to cook and bake and cross stitch, I feel part of myself becoming whole and better connected. As I create and focus on a creative and spiritual existence, I feel myself accessing realms of the past more consistently. If I need to keep baking cookies and cakes and crisps to build relationships with my ancestors, then that is the burden I carry ;)

Again, I know a lot of names, but I don’t have anything that is passed down. I don’t have recipes or anything like that. I just have the random stories of great grandma’s silver dollar pancakes every Saturday morning, her red velvet cake that tastes infinitely better than any other cake made today, and “Nana’s awful waffles.” Ok, I did have Nana’s waffles, and they were decidedly awful. I did have to choke them down. And my other great grandma couldn’t cook well.

My grandma is still alive (83 and still working out 6 days a week), and I know sooner rather than later she will join the ancestors, but despite 36 years together, there is still nothing that is traditional or family secret recipes, hidden skills, etc. Instead, her legacy is one of fatphobia, contrarianism, and childhood bullying.

I think one of the hardest things about ancestor work for me is getting beyond the harm that my ancestors have caused. In my life, I try and do what I can to rectify the damage from their voting habits, their shitty attitudes, and the harm. In my spiritual life, I talk to them about what I am working on, my hopes, my dreams, and who I am voting for and why. I hope that in death, their spirits are more cleansed, less hateful, and more open to love and acceptance. It is a hard balance. I feel that if nothing else, food and crafting can unite us.

How do you connect to your ancestors? If you don’t, is it something that you are interested in? Do you feel connected to your ancestry when you cook or bake? When you garden or hike? When you run and build a business?

Wishing you well this week! May your life offer what you need in this moment.

With love,

Aventurine ✨