Before You Light That Candle

Every single day on social media, I see images of people's candle work that make me cringe. It's not the composition of their spellwork (okay sometimes I see some goofy stuff), but rather the oblivious disregard for fire safety. Everybody needs to understand this simple fact: burning down your home is definitely a bad omen.

Always be present for a candle burn

When working with fire you need to use extreme care and caution. The dressing oils that are used are highly flammable and those dried herbs sprinkled around the candle can go up in flames real quick! It's important to never leave a candle unattended, it only takes seconds for a fire to get out of control. If you can only be present for fifteen minutes of the burn then that's how long you should notch your candles for. Get a candle snuffer and use it appropriately. Blowing out candles is not only bad magic for some spells but also a fire hazard.

Be aware of your surroundings 

That pretty altar cloth may not be the ideal covering for an altar where you burn a lot of incense. Most altar cloths are made of mixed materials that catch fire easily. Be mindful of curtains as well, a fan blowing on curtains could cause them to knock over a candle or even catch fire. Don't forget about your "familiar." Your kitty may be your magical lucky cat, but kitties have tendency to meddle with things and might burn themselves or knock a candle over (I know because I have several cats!).

Get a safe place to burn your candles

Please stop burning your candles on paper plates, that's just asking for a problem. Get yourself a metal bucket or a clay planter and line it with about three inches of sand. It may not be the romantic way you think candles should be burned, but it is the safe way to burn candles. If you must leave it unattended for a few minutes at least you know the candles have no where to go and will likely just snuff out. Again I emphasize: even if you are burning candles safely you should never leave them unattended, spirits can be mischievous and tragedy is the last thing you want from a money spell!

Have an emergency standby

As soon as you can afford it, by a fire extinguisher or asbestos blanket. This could be the thing that saves your possessions or your life. Fire extinguishers are not that expensive for the assurance they provide. Keep the extinguisher in your temple space and make sure you know how to use it.

Please be safe in your practices. A little not-so common sense goes a long way to ensure prosperity through your magic instead of tragedy.

Untying Yourself With No Ingredients Necessary

Life can be a tangled mess at times. We bind ourselves up to other people's messes or sometimes just to other people. When we try to move forward in life it seems like we are tripping ourselves up constantly. Magic doesn't seem to work or at the very least progress seems extremely slow. We know something is wrong but we aren't sure how to fix it, or maybe our budget is so tight we can't even spare the change to get what we need.

But I'm Totally Broke...

When you are broke or unable to light candles and do magic remember: there is always prayer. Prayer costs you nothing and can give you real relief from your problems. The only things that you need to prayer are your mind, your tongue, your heart, and a glass of water. Many important spirits live in water so it's important that you have a glass of water for them to manifest in.

How Do I Pray?

Many don't know how to begin their prayers so I outlined a simple formula for you to follow here. First, take a moment to relax yourself as completely as possible by tensing and releasing your muscles. Then perform the kabbalistic cross and follow with middle pillar ceremony. It's okay if you have to write down the words in the beginning but you should strive to memorize it as quickly as possible. Take a moment after the middle pillar and collect yourself and call to mind your grief and troubles so that you can give them up into prayer.

Who Should I Pray To?

For those that feel stuck and unable to move forward in their life I recommend praying to Mary Undoer of Knots.  Mary is a powerful intercessor, and will quickly intercede for anyone that prays to her with an open heart. By the virtue of her willingly taking on the command to give birth to the Son of God she undid the first knot that was created by Eve when she defied God by eating of the Tree of Knowledge. As the Undoer of Knots she can help remove those things that are holding you back in your life. Whether the knots in your life are feuding between lovers, quarrelsome neighbors, financial troubles, a lack of peace at home she can help you.

O Virgin Mary,

Mother who never refuses to come to the help of your children in need,

Mother whose hands never stop working for the welfare of your children,

moved as they are by the loving mercy and kindness that exists in your Immaculate Heart,

cast your compassionate and merciful eyes on me and see the snarl of knots that exists in my life.

Oh Mother! You know the difficulties, sorrow and pain that I’ve had because of them.

O loving Mother, I place the ribbon of my life and this knot (these knots) into your loving hands,

hands which can undo even the most difficult knot.

Most holy Mother, come to my aid and intercede for me before God with your prayers.

I cast this knot into your hands (mention your intention/need) and beg you to undo it,

in the name of your son, Jesus Christ, and for the glory of God, once and for all.

Our Lady, Undoer of Knots, pray for us!

9 Days of Prayer

Novenas are powerful Catholic prayers that take place over nine days. It is important that you pray at the same time each day to get the fullest effect. Consistency is key to getting results in desperate times. Her Novena can be found here.

The Power of Psalms

You may also feel that you have extra baggage weighing you down as well. The Book of Psalms has useful prayers that can help remove blockages and negative energies in your way. The most powerful psalm I have found is fifty four as it works quickly to send evil back to its source. However, if you are having issues trying to end a toxic relationship I would recommend number fifty six. If you are worried about your living situation and stressing over bills I recommend number seventy three.

Be Consistent

The most important part of working through prayer alone is consistency. Prayer is a direct means of communication with your spirits, therefor you want to be a consistent as possible. Make sure that you pray at the same times each day. Setting reminders on your phone can be very helpful. The more consistent you are the faster and more consistent your results will be. 

An Easy Way To Increase Your Daily Blessings

Probably one of the greatest practices that someone who works conjure or magic can do is the practice of charity. As one of the greatest of virtues Charity opens the heart to those in need, heals, and demonstrates worthiness of prosperity from the spirits. As an act of penance it can alleviate the weight of misdeeds and misfortunes and return missing blessings.

What Is Charity?

Charity is the act of generosity towards those less fortunate than yourself. It is recognition of empathy that you have towards the suffering of another person and acting upon it. The act of giving a few extra dollars from your pocket to the person on the street corner, or buying a hungry person a sandwich is an act of charity. Taking the time to assist an elderly or disabled person is also an act of charity. In fact, most act of goodness towards other humans can be charitable, especially if you are someone who has a hardened heart or little sympathy.

Why Should I Be Charitable?

Those that seek the help of their ancestors, saints, and spirits are seeking the charity of beings that don't have to give of their time and energy. Beyond a merely transactional relationship with spirits, there can be an underlying element of trust being developed. The spirits watch you carefully as they bless you to see what you do with their generosity. Do you share the blessings that they give to you or do you hoard it? When the spirits give you real power do you use it to heal or to harm? These answers to these questions define your character to the spirits and may affect your future blessings.

What About The Drug Addicts/Alcoholics I see?

Charity does not discriminate what suffering is worthy or not worthy of your assistance. Even if you come upon a person in the throws of addiction, and you know that any aide that you give them may lead to them continuing in their self-abuse, you should still offer what you can to alleviate their suffering. Despite what may appear as obvious to you, your kindness to them may have an impact on their future decisions. This will not always be the case, but it's better to err on the side of goodness.

The Suffering You Alleviate May Be Your Own

There is a common expression in Afro-Caribbean Traditions that states that a single act of evil requires ten acts of good to correct. When someone that has felt powerless or has been victimized is introduced to power it is not uncommon to see them become cruel and intolerant. This type of sickness is more common than most are willing to admit. The purpose of power is to heal and correct sickness and imbalance. When the heart is hardened by life acts of charity help to open it and soften it to the world. Charity also offers a path of atonement for your misdeeds as well.

How Charitable Should I Be?

This is a difficult thing to answer for each individual. The basic guideline is to give what you can after you have taken care of yourself. It's important to remember that if you are not taking care of your own needs you will not be able to help others. Some fall into a sickness of developing a savior complex and spend their money and time fretting over the needs of others without first helping themselves. Your security in life grants you the ability to be generous with others. 

Charity Opens The Path To Blessings

As you practice the act of generosity towards others, you may notice that the spirits begin to bless you in ta variety of ways. This prosperity is meant to be shared with others around you and in your community. As you become blessed you should also bless those you encounter, not just with money alone, but with generous and kind expression. 

Edit: I change the title of this blog to get you to read about this important practice. The word "charity" should never be an aversion to you. Many of you want to claim to be empaths so start demonstrating your empathy towards others through your actions.

Protecting Yourself

Spiritual wards and protection are often treated as a sort of mystery on the web. People will ask, "how do I protect myself?" and are generally met with silence or weak answers. However, creating a general protective ward can go from quite simple to very complex. For the sake of this blog I'll discuss simple wards you can create with very little effort and cost to you.

Psalm 91

The Book of Psalms is a well known work for those in the world of conjure and Afro-Caribbean traditions. Each psalm is a sort of spell or command to divinities and are often used in supplement to spiritual work that people undertake. Psalms can do anything from reconcile love, return evil to it's source, and even protect you from very specific situations.

For the sake of general spiritual protection we will look at psalm 91, as it is considered a ward against demonic influences and witchcraft. I've included the psalm below:

¹ Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High
    will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.^[a]
2 I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress,
    my God, in whom I trust.”

³ Surely he will save you
    from the fowler’s snare
    and from the deadly pestilence.
⁴ He will cover you with his feathers,
    and under his wings you will find refuge;
    his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.
⁵ You will not fear the terror of night,
    nor the arrow that flies by day,
⁶ nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness,
    nor the plague that destroys at midday.
⁷ A thousand may fall at your side,
    ten thousand at your right hand,
    but it will not come near you.
⁸ You will only observe with your eyes
    and see the punishment of the wicked.

⁹ If you say, “The Lord is my refuge,”
    and you make the Most High your dwelling,
¹⁰ no harm will overtake you,
    no disaster will come near your tent.
¹¹ For he will command his angels concerning you
    to guard you in all your ways;
¹² they will lift you up in their hands,
    so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.
¹³ You will tread on the lion and the cobra;
    you will trample the great lion and the serpent.

¹⁴ “Because he loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him;
    I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.
¹⁵ He will call on me, and I will answer him;
    I will be with him in trouble,
    I will deliver him and honor him.
¹⁶ With long life I will satisfy him
    and show him my salvation.”

I'm sure that reading this psalm it is apparent that this psalm should protect from a variety of misfortunes and calamities that may befall you. So, how do we employ this psalm to create an appropriate ward?

First you will need a clean unused piece of paper, a pen, and some holy water or kabbalah oil.  First anoint yourself, then write the psalm out in it's entirety on the paper. anoint the paper with the holy water/kabbalah oil. If you wish you can light a candle and recite the psalm. After the candle burns out fold up the paper and carry it in your pocket or bra. At night sleep with the psalm on your nightstand next to your water, and be sure to recite the psalm before you go to sleep.

Saint Medallions 

For those that are not on a budget, getting a saint medal can be a quick and easy route for protection. What's convenient is that the saints have very specific powers and you can easily sort out what you need. 

Everybody knows Saint Michael the Archangel is powerful against the demonic and witchcraft. Saint George should be worn by security guards and police officers. Saint Brendan and Saint  Nicholas should be carried by sailors and those who work near or around the water. Nurses can wear Saint Agatha of Sicily. There is a patron for almost every vocation.

Saint Christopher is helpful in automobiles especially if you have a long traffic commute. In fact, about 15 years ago I was in a serious car accident. My care was completely totaled, yet I was unharmed. When I looked down the Saint Christopher medal my grandmother had given me was sitting in my lap.

It is best if you can have your medallion blessed by a priest, most will do this with no questions asked, but you can always dedicate the medallion to them with a novena.

Buying Ward or Guard

Finally, there are top tier wards for those whose spirituality may require a higher level of protection. These are made by priests of most African tradition religions and made specifically for the spirituality of the client. They are often loaded with spiritual medicines to strengthen the client and keep the spirit near them. These types of wards or guards can be cost prohibitive to some, but for those that can afford them they find them invaluable. 

However, we all must start somewhere and if you are on a budget, the psalms can be quite useful. As you advance you may and should upgrade your protection so that you are less likely to face calamity or unexpected woes.

As Fine As Possible

There are a lot of questions that beginners in conjure have beyond just spells, especially when they are trying to transition from store bought condition oils to their own. First let me say: There is nothing wrong with buying oils and products from others especially if the seller is both gifted and competent in making their product. That being said, it's important to make sure to have a few things when you want to produce your own powders.

Don't let your budget stop you from getting started by any means, you can get most ingredients in powdered form from a dollar store. These suggestions are listed as a means to advance yourself.

Mortar and Pestle 

One of the first things you want to get for yourself is a mortar and pestle. This handy dandy ancient tool will allow you to grind and process your dried herbs into powders. When you go shopping for this try looking in Asian and Indian markets, you will save a bundle than what you might spend at some grocery stores. You don't need a gigantic mortar, but you want one that is big enough to allow you to grind and blend ingredients easily.

Remember, as you beat and grind your herbs to speak your intentions over them. Always speak to the herbs, your words and breath move the spirits and instruct them on how they need to work for you.

Quality Sifters

When you process your herbs into powder, the finer the powder will generally improve your results. Especially if you plan to use the powder to lay a trick. You want it to be as fine as possible so that when you blow it into the air it virtually disappears. Get a series of sifters that get increasing fine, so that as you process your herbs and dusts they turn into the finest possible powder.

NOTE: some herbs will have a limit as to how fine you can get them by hand*

Steel File

Some herbs and roots are initially tougher to process. It can be very frustrating if you don't have the right tools for the job. A steel file  can make your world make easier. It can let you powder a hard root, gemstones, or even precious metal.

Mill



A grain mill is a little bit of an investment but it can save you quite a bit of time when you are trying to initially process your products. A coffee mill is also suitable for this purpose as well, except you won't want to ever process your coffee though it as it can contaminate future use. Whatever you decide to use make sure to clean it thoroughly after each use.  It will also save your hands and wrists from hours of processing with the mortar and pestle. Even after you run something through your mill you should still process it in the mortar and pestle.

Again, the above is merely a suggestive list of things that you should have to advance yourself and your conjure. The finer your products and ingredients, the more refined your results will be.

Why A Peaceful Home Is Important

Facebook conjure groups are riddled with questions and requests for love spells, revenge spells, money spells, and so on. I can't remember the last time someone asked, "How do I make my home peaceful?"

A peaceful home is the foundation upon which you create a quality life for yourself.

If your home is chaotic your relationships will be in turmoil, unexpected bills will keep cropping up, and your enemies will seem to be around every corner. A home that lacks peace will never let you feel restful and at ease when you need it most. Your nights may even be disturbed with restless sleep and maybe even nightmares.

Clean House

In order to cultivate a peaceful environment you must first have a clean and tidy environment. Go through your house and do your best to clean up and organize your space. The deeper you clean the better your results will be, don't be shy about getting into all the nooks and crannies to clean. That closet that you never open because of the mess? It's time to get in there.

Burn incense

Next, you want to clean the air with some form of incense. Frankincense is great for this purpose. It will raise the energy and sweeten the home. If you feel that you need something a bit more heavy duty you may wish to try burning some bay, garlic skins, and salt, but I recommend following up with frankincense. Make sure when you fumigate the house that you open all the windows first. Go deliberately from room to room and fan the smoke into the corners, cabinets and closets.

Sweeten the Home

Once you have fumigated the home you may wish to come back with some perfumes and waters to continue sweetening things. I mix some Florida water, sweet herbal waters (sorry its a proprietary recipe!), a little liquor, and seven strong men (for some extra oomf) in a spray bottle. In the same fashion as before go from room to room lightly spritzing each room and speaking your desires for peace and prosperity. 

Pray and Meditate

Your home should be feeling pretty good by this point. Now, you should place yourself before your spiritual or ancestral altar and begin to pray and meditate. Thank your ancestors, guides, and guardian spirits for bringing peace and prosperity into your life as sincerely as you can. You may also wish to clean yourself with a spiritual bath as well to fully get in touch with these energies.

Keep the Peace

At this point you are likely feeling really good about the vibe you have in your home, but what happens from this point forward will dictate how well you maintain it. A peaceful home is as peaceful as the people that cross through your threshold. 

• Be mindful of who you allow into your home. 
• If you have friends that love drama maybe it's better to meet at their place or somewhere else. 
• Consider putting up wards above your door or in your home to better protect your peace. 
• Burn incense regularly to keep the air sweet
• Keep up on the tidiness

If you can maintain your peace you will be free from distraction and allow yourself to prosper.

Make Sure It's Not You

Part of the role of being a spiritual worker is being a counselor to your clients. Sometimes people come to you because they want some sort of magic done, but after that first cleaning suppressed blockages begin to surface. Pandora's box is opened and it's time for the client to face their struggles so that they can grow.

You see, real magic is more than just the conjure. It's creating lifelong change, and to accomplish that change sometimes the spirits will prescribe cleanings in order to remove the unnecessary. For some people, this process can be arduous and confronting. How they react will oftentimes dictate the results they will receive.

Taking the Medicine

A client contacts me saying they are tired of being under appreciated and wants a new career. I tell them when to come by so that we can do the consultation and get the ball rolling. When I start pulling the cards I can definitely see difficulty at the workplace, but that the difficult is coming from their own mouth. They spend their work time gossiping and creating resentment amongst their coworkers. I inform them that the problem is coming from them and their response? "I never realized that I was upsetting people, can we still fix it?"

Naturally, I start doing the work to sweeten their current job, but more importantly I do the work to clean off the bad vibes from the agitated people off them. I warn the client that although the work has been done to smooth things over at the workplace that they must make a real effort to change their behavior. They agree and go on their way. A few weeks later things are much smoother at their job and they even got recognition for their project.

Be Honest About Yourself

Another client comes to me for a love and reconciliation spell with their recent ex. The cards immediately reveal that their are hard feelings coming from the ex. The ex saw the client as overbearing and jealous. I informed them that in order to successfully get their ex back these issues would need to be addressed. I received a cavalier attitude that said, "I can manage it with magic," from them. That's not to say that I felt they were insincere, but rather expected magic to do all the work for them.

I decided to take on the case although I lacked certainty in the long term outcome. The results manifested rather quickly, however, they certainly didn't last. That same pattern of behavior that made the relationship fall apart in the first place destroyed the new opportunities that were created.

Be Prepared to Grow

Taking a moral inventory is important when evaluating your life and happiness. When you are honest with yourself and work hard to improve, magic is much easier. If you try and fight the current you will only increase suffering for yourself. Although magic can alter circumstances for you in various degrees, it largely relies on you to hold on to it.

The next time a candle spell or sweet jar doesn't work out, stop and take an honest look at the role you played in the matter. Uncrossing and cleansing often helps release the psychic bonds that hold us back, but we ourselves must create the resolve to not fall back into those bonds.

Why Water?

Water and libations are a key role in maintaining relationships with spirits. A glass of water on their altar or on your nightstand invites communication with spirits, as well as, allows the spirits to refresh themselves. Some traditions even dictate how many glasses of water should be on an altar and how they should be arranged. 

A Medium of Communication

Water is the medium by which spirits are able to communicate with us effectively. Keeping a glass near your head at night will allow them to refresh not only themselves but you as well. When you are offering water to a spirit you are demonstrating peace and respect to them, allowing them to cool themselves and manifest for you. 

Water Helps Manifest the Spirits

We make these types of offerings to keep the spirits manifest in our lives, so that they remain interested in our affair. We also do this in a minimalistic fashion so that we do not give too much to these invisible forces where they dominate us, but rather just enough to keep them present and effective. 

Communication in Dreams

To use water as a medium for communication simply take a glass of water, add a pinch of salt, and place it on your nightstand before you go to sleep. Be sure to speak over the water and ask the spirits to come and speak to you in your dreams. Reciting psalm 23 over the water will also help with the manifestation you are seeking. 

Communication During Prayer

Having water on your spiritual altar will call the spirits to be present when you pray and meditate. your meditations will begin to seem deeper, and your mind should have more revealing messages. Again you want to refresh the water as soon as a cloudiness begins to appear. In the beginning the water may get cloudy quickly, and that is oaky. This is happening because the connection between you and the spirits is being purified. 

Things You Should Know

Don't be surprised if a build up begins to form on the glass that you can't seem to scrub away. That is how the spirits mark their territory. Once you start using a glass for the spirits you are best to consider it to be their glass moving forward. Don't use the glass for other things and DO NOT drink the water. 

If you use tap water, it's best to let it sit out over night before offering it, this is because of chemicals that are used to clean the water need to evaporate. Another misunderstanding with tap water is the bubbles that form, this is a natural process of compressed gas escaping the water. Having bubbles or no bubbles is not an indication of the presence of spirits. 

Incorporating this little bit of knowledge into you regular practices will add a depth that may have been missing before. Many may find they sleep better and remember their dreams more clearly. If you don't already have water out I recommend you start today.

Magic as Medicine

Magic, Spellcraft, Hoodoo, Rootwork, Conjure are all words we use to describe when we wish to alter the current state of the situation to something that better suits our needs and desires. It can be a very useful tool to allow us to go after opportunities that may not be otherwise available. We get ourselves into trouble when the power of magic enchants us and we suddenly feel we need to have every little situation under our control.

Wanga Sick

This sort of magical sickness is sometimes called wanga sick in certain traditions. Wanga is a word from Bantu origins that means something like undulations. Wanga is actually a great term for magic because we must stir the pot in our lives to so that we can create new opportunities for ourselves. However, this sickness occurs when we stir the pot too much and never let our lives settle. Faster and faster, increasing the temperature, until we have a disaster that has a major impact on our well-being.

Realizing that most magic is a medicine, and medicine as we know can be abused. There is a way to better avoid this by setting up a system of procedures to follow in most situations.

It's In The Timing

Enchanting things is an act of passion. When you act on those desires and pent up passions you release energy. Although most people won't be consciously aware of what they are feeling, they may unconsciously react with fear and revulsion if you come into contact with them right after working. The best time to work is late in the evening when the world is quiet, and allow for your self to "come back down" after you start. 

Remember Good Hygiene

When you do work sometimes those energies stick to you or you attract entities into your aura. Again people can sense these invisible energies and may react to them in an unfavorable way. It's important to cleanse and uncross regularly to release those energies from your aura.

More Flies With Honey

Grab the sweet stuff first. Try to start correcting an undesirable situation with a person by first trying to sweeten them up. Is there a coworker that seems like they have it out for you and constantly aggravating you? Your natural reaction may be to grab that vinegar, but instead reach for the honey and try and make them sweet to you. The person that was once tattling on your every little move is now singing your praises. 

Maybe They Just Need Some Training

Maybe you've been having an issue with your direct supervisor and despite having done a honey spell on them they still talk down to you and belittle you. This is when you start reaching for those commanding oils. They are trying to walk all over you? It's time to put them under your heel and start walking on them! However, once the behavior is corrected it's best to now stop working on them. Think of it like training a dog: there is no need to correct the dog if the behavior stops. The lesson has been learned whether or not they realized they were learning. If you continue having a power trip, expect a rebellion!

Why Can't Some People Just Learn?

You've been fair this whole time, and no matter what you can't seem to polish this turd. No matter what you do they consistently have it out for you. It's time to just throw them in the thrash. Now, you bust out those black candles and DUME oil. At this point you have done your best to apply lubrication to the squeaky gears, but all the social lube in the world won't fix what is broken. 

There is no one size fits all approach to every situation. Everyone is different and everyone will react in ways you may not expect. The above approach is to give you a frame of mind of how to approach magic and not become entranced by its power, that is how you develop wisdom. Besides the negative impact on your life, you just look plain goofy thinking you are all powerful while working a 9 to 5 job like the rest of us.

What Should Be On My Ancestor Altar?

An altar is a place where you commune with particular spirits. It is a place where offerings are made or magic is done. In a very real sense it is a representation of your relationship with spiritual beings. So, before placing things haphazardly in this area some considerations must be made.

Who Are My Ancestors?

Your ancestors are the countless generations that preceded you in this life. They are those that struggled and toiled so that you could have the existence that you have today. Ancestors are generally the direct genetic line to you but also sometimes extended family. For those that are adopted they generally will have two set of ancestors those they were born with and those of their adoptive family. in general, your ancestors are there to assist you with life's difficulties. 

How Do I Build An Altar?

With all spiritual relationships, things should be taken one small step at a time. The very first step is to establish a place in your home where you can commune with them. This place should allow privacy for both you and your ancestors. If you are limited on space I recommend getting a simple cabinet where you can open and close the doors when you work with them. 

On the altar for them you should place a white plate of a cloth, I prefer to use a plate as it is generally fire safe for you to burn candles upon. You may want to put up some pictures in the area of deceased. I placed a casket cross from my great grandmother's funeral here as well. Try not to clutter the space, and be mindful that you may want some room to do magic. 

Salute Your Ancestors

Now that the place has been neatly and mindfully arranged you can salute your ancestors here. Take a moment beforehand and clean and organize your home first. It's a little bit of something extra to let them know you are taking them seriously, it will also ensure that the energy moves smoothly during the ceremony. It helps if you do some simple quiet relaxation before hand as well.

How Often should I Give Offerings and What Should I Give?

In the beginning, a weekly tea light and a glass of water is all that is necessary. This is because you are greeting them into your life, elevating them, and asking them to help. However, there is nothing wrong with giving a small offering to them such as some tobacco, liquor, white flowers, or even some incense. Generally, in giving flowers to your ancestors its best to give white flowers, leaving them on the altar until they wilt. For incense I recommend burning frankincense for it's harmonizing and purifying qualities. 

Let me emphasize that less is more! You can bog down your ancestors with frequent and large offerings. A small amount is all that is necessary, and it should be removed after 24 hours. More offerings doesn't mean that you will get what you want because offerings are not bribes, they are signs of appreciation and respect.

Every Relationship Is Different
When you start this process it may begin blissfully, and seem like life will be smooth sailing. For some this may be true, but for others they may encounter difficulties. Stubborn and difficult ancestors do exist, and they may seem like they are blocking your progress. These ancestors require extra attention and need to be purified through your service and acknowledgement of them. You don't have to like each other, but if you help them elevate they will no longer be an obstacle for you. Your job here is illumination and elevation.