Paganistan: Notes from the Secret Commonwealth
In Which One Midwest Man-in-Black Confers, Converses & Otherwise Hob-Nobs with his Fellow Hob-Men (& -Women) Concerning the Sundry Ways of the Famed but Ill-Starred Tribe of Witches.
What Do We the Living Owe the Dead?
What do we the living owe the dead?
Three measures of respect: respect of body,
respect of offering, respect of memory.
Respect of Body. It is our responsibility to see that the bodies of the dead are disposed of with respect, whether to earth, fire, water, or air.
Respect of Offering. It is our responsibility to make offerings to the dead, and on their behalf. When and how this is done, and what form these offerings take, varies from culture to culture.
Respect of Memory. It is our responsibility to remember the dead, and to keep their memory alive by telling their stories.
The dead are many, and some day we will join them. Let us give them due respect, that those after us may do the same when we ourselves are gone. Ask: What stories do I leave behind that they will tell when I am dead to keep my name alive?
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