Ancestral Slavic Magic

A guide to harnessing ancestral power in the Slavic Pagan tradition Raised in the Soviet Union, where she grew up steeped in ancient Slavic magical traditions, occultist and hereditary witch Natasha Helvin reveals not only how you are continually and powerfully influenced by your ancestors, but also how you can open the door to your ancestral connections in order to know who you truly are and change the course of your destiny. Helvin examines ancestor worship in southeastern Europe and western Russia and the way it shaped their indigenous magical and spiritual practices. She explains how energy flows in a familial context and how strengths and dysfunctions are passed from one generation to the next for centuries, becoming embedded in your body and mind as specific patterns that affect your life. She shares time-honored rituals and spells to help you to recognize these ancestral patterns and influences, make changes in the harmful ones, and harness your familial strengths to direct your destiny. Looking at both Slavic Pagan and Eastern Orthodox traditions concerning the dead, the author examines ancient Slavic burial and funeral customs, many of which are still practiced today in remote regions of Ukraine and Russia. She reveals how these burial rites became incorporated into rural witchcraft practices, and she explains traditional Slavic ideas on death and the afterlife, the soul, the spiritual power of colors, and magical objects. Helvin—an initiate in Haitian Vodou—also looks at the parallels between Vodou and the folk magic of the Slavic tradition. Presenting an in-depth look at ancestor worship and magic in the Slavic Pagan tradition, Helvin shows how forging a stronger connection to your ancestors can lead to increased power and understanding in life.