As usual, my schedule makes doing the Nine Moons as prescribed by Ian challenging. Often, I’ve had to alter things to fit my needs. This week, for example, I’m once more taking college courses at night (twice a week) and have a wedding to attend over the weekend. A busy time to be sure!
This week I’ve decided to spread my retreat out. I suppose that makes it less retreat-like in that I’m not dedicating a day to it, but I’m finding it harder and harder to do that what with the demands of work, school, and family. My wonderful husband, patient and supportive though he is, misses me when I’m away for classes, and another day apart, even while physically in the same location, seems to mildly depress him. It’s much easier for both of us, at this time, if I take an hourish out of our time together to spend on magic, meditation, and the like. I’ve started to use my mornings alone for my shrine devotional and that’s also working out really well.
This week I’ve been focusing on the ancestors. It’s hard not to given all the memorials going on for the victims of 9/11. It’s as if the veil was thinned due to attention. And, of course, Samhain slowly approaches. Images of the dead are showing up everywhere. The veil is naturally thinning as we approach that sacred time.
Yesterday, between running other errands with Weretoad, we stopped to gather some graveyard dirt. I didn’t want to get it from an unfamiliar grave. I felt more comfortable asking an ancestor. Thankfully, I have such connections in Watertown! I’ve been meaning to once more visit my ancestor, Susan, and this felt like an excellent excuse. I filled a basket with supplies to gather the dirt and gifts to give her. My husband, bless his patience, waited under a tree while I meditated over her grave and whispered my intentions to her. I very clearly felt/heard her approval so I filled a jar with soil, left my gifts, and built a wee cairn on her stone. I enjoyed our short visit. The grounds are well-kept despite the fact that it’s a very old graveyard that is no longer being added to. It’s in a lovely, shaded spot guarded by generations of chipmunks. I felt welcomed as soon as I arrived.
What is graveyard dirt for? It’s a common ingredient in many spells such as goofer dust. There are different methods for obtaining it which often depend on your relationship to the grave, your intent, and tradition. I’m going to use it in some ancestral workings. Nobody really bothers me so I’ve no need for goofer dust right now.
Author M. A. Phillips 
Such a better way to collect graveyard dirt than my usual method of trying to fill a jar from the side of a path before the groundskeeper chases me off.
LOL Yeah, I thought about going to a graveyard much, much closer to home but it’s surrounded by houses and really close to work. I wanted to avoid any trouble/awkward situations. Plus, it just felt right to go to an ancestral grave. Do you have any family graves nearby?