Saturday, October 30, 2010

Ancestors

Tomorrow the veil between the worlds is thinnest. That's why Halloween is full of ghosts and skeletons. And since things like that scare the bezeesus out of people, that's why Halloween took on a spooky flavor.

But what our pagan ancestors celebrated was a solomn holiday. One meant to honor their ancestors. Which brings me to my rare moment of deep introspection. Have you ever thought about what a crazy miracle it is that we're even here? I mean, what if just one of our direct ancestors didn't make it through that plague or famine. Who would we be then? Would I have brown eyes instead of green? Would I exist at all?

Thinking about the long unbroken chain that goes all the way back to the beginning of humankind always blows my mind. The Rom believe our ancestors become stars in the sky, and sometimes talk to them. Not such a big stretch considering the stars offer guidance wherever we are on the planet.

So, I'd like to formally thank my ancestors tomorrow. Oddly enough, I'll be spending the afternoon with my cousins celebrating a family birthday. I hope there's a cake with candles. I always light a candle to honor my ancestors. Having a buch of us with shared ancestors in one place would be that much cooler.

Do you ever think about your ancestors?

10 comments:

Wynter said...

Good thought for the day. I have photos of great and great-great grandparents up on my walls. I do think about them. Lucky for all of us our ancestors survived!

Jina Bacarr said...

Fun, thoughtful post for the Halloween season, Ashlyn! I love the part about the stars guiding us.

Hot Ash Romance Novels said...

I've done so many guest blogs in the last 3 weeks, my head is spinning.

But, tomorrow is the last one. I'll be at Shapeshifter Seductions.
I hope some of you will show up in support.

Unknown said...

Hi Ash!! I really loved that post!! I have thought about my ancestors but I never thought about where it started in my line, but it's amazing to think about!!! My uncle sent me this huge book, big like an old encyclopedia. It's has my Dad's side of the family and pictures of great great grandparents I've never seen, They had their own store in the city of St. Louis, The Sign Said Hundelt Brother's something, I think it was a meat shop, they were butchers. Hundelt is German and that was my Maiden name. I'm in the book, it's something special. But thinking back I wish I could trace back even further, I would love to have up old pictures of all my grandparents like Wynter does. My Mom has all the pictures. I hope to get them all from her in the coming year, she'll be moving that should be a good time to take them off her hands. lol

Thanks for the insightful post!!

Enjoy your family and Your special Holiday!!

~ Hugs, Christine

Unknown said...

All the time Ash. We are headed to Salem next weekend for a family reunion and to honor an ancestor who was hung during the witches trials.

Hot Ash Romance Novels said...

Very cool, Amber! I've visited graves of old ancestors I never knew but found in our family tree.

An old pagan tradition is to leave apples on the grave to sustain them until they cross over. I'm sure they crossed over long ago, but I still leave an apple. On my parents' grave, I leave birdseed, because they loved birds.

Maybe you can research some of the people in that book, Christine and find out where they're buried.

Michelle Polaris said...

Thanks for this post, Ash. I love thinking of Halloween this way. I wish I could go back and speak with some of my ancestors. The closest I may come is a trip to Russia one day.

MiaMarlowe said...

I somehow inherited a lot of the old family pictures from both sides of the house--pictures of unsmiling families on the porches of little farm houses, a multi-generational pic in front of a thatch roofed house in "the old country." My collection of rogues takes up a whole whole wall. Some of them I remember, some are merely names on a geneaological chart. I wonder about their lives, what their stories were about.

Thanks for reminding me to wonder.

MiaMarlowe said...

I somehow inherited a lot of the old family pictures from both sides of the house--pictures of unsmiling families on the porches of little farm houses, a multi-generational pic in front of a thatch roofed house in "the old country." My collection of rogues takes up a whole whole wall. Some of them I remember, some are merely names on a geneaological chart. I wonder about their lives, what their stories were about.

Thanks for reminding me to wonder.

Dalton Diaz said...

Good point. Wow, we're all one accidental kick between the legs from existence. Very humbling.