I need to put up my ancestor altar before Thursday. It’s time. I’ve got help in the office this week, doing a bunch of my back filing (and believe me, there’s a bunch). She came across the memorial card for my dear friend who passed in 2013; it’s sitting on my desk, his face staring at me.

It’s time.

It’s time because there’s an eclipse. It’s time because Mercury Retrograde is for tying up loose ends. It’s time because i want to set it during the dark moon, which is now. It’s time because the veil is thinning, with the peak being on November 7th (astrological Samhain).

It’s time because I haven’t been allowing myself enough space to grieve. Earlier in the year, I took down my ancestor’s altar, because it was too much. It felt like it was collecting cobwebs because there were so many people on it and the noise was unbearable.

Those that I honor, those that have gone before me, are not just blood relations. To be sure, there are some of my physical lineage there, most notably my father, who passed away just over a year ago. But my ancestor’s altar honors two of my best friends, several friends who have passed away from cancer, an overdose, and two suicides. It honors a friend whose legacy includes an amazing amount of love and being killed by pirates. This year, a friend who froze to death in a parking lot decades ago will go back on. A kitten I have not allowed myself to grieve properly will be added.

My ancestor’s altar honors those who have taught me something important and those I have loved; they are frequently the same thing. My lineage is not restricted to those with whom I share blood. I am not so insular, my world is not so small. It is important to me that I acknowledge everyone whose efforts have brought me to this place where I now stand – family of origin, family of marriage, family of the heart, as well as my spiritual lineage. I am blessed to have so many people I cared about that my number of those who have passed is high. I need to remember that as well.

2014 is a Universal 7, in terms of numerology; a spiritual turning point, a merging of the physical with the Divine. Even if you don’t normally put up an ancestor’s altar, this might be a good year for you to do so. Who do you honor? Who do you consider as someone who has gone before you?