With the Veil between our world and those who have shed this mortal coil thinning, and Samhain fast approaching, our minds turn to thoughts of those we have lost. Our Mighty Dead are always with us in some way. While creating an Ancestral Altar can be a beautiful and cathartic experience, having kids, pets and other constraints can make having one in our space a challenge.
A few years back, I began researching ways to honor a lost partner that would be portable and easily integrated into my every day working Altar, a way to keep him as part of my spiritual practice. I came across an interesting way of honoring past loved ones in the creation of an Ancestor Altar Jar.
An Ancestar Altar Jar is a contained, protected and easily moveable jar created to honor the memory of a single loved one. Place their picture and a few momentos in a jar. Then, it can be placed on your family altar, wherever you may choose. This creative idea allows you to create a tamper proof contained memorial piece for a lost loved one, even beloved pet.
You will need/can use:
• A large clean jar with a tight fitting lid.
• picture of the loved one you are honoring.
• momentos that you have from the person.
• items that remind you of the person.
You can arrange everything and then seal the jar, or change out the items to reflect the seasons, or different aspects of the person’s life. This would be a good project for kids and individuals that may be having a problem finding a way to honor a recently passed relative or pet, or as a way to come together as a family to honor a passed member collectively, with each person contributing something. You could even do it for a beloved departed pet. Would also provide a weatherproof option for your outside Samhain and ancestor altars.
The Urban Crone…
The Urban Crone 