Every year as Samhain approaches, Pagans begin talking about honoring the ancestors. The veil grows thin, the beloved dead draw near, and we prepare our altars with photographs, candles, flowers, offerings, and other reminders of those who have gone before us.
It’s a beautiful tradition, and one I have practiced for decades. There is something profoundly moving about setting aside time to acknowledge the people whose lives touched ours, whose blood runs through our veins, or whose influence helped shape the people we became.
There is also something about the approach of Samhain that seems to convince people that everyone who has ever died has become wise, benevolent, and deeply interested in helping us navigate our lives.
I have some reservations about that.
The ancestors were people. Some of them were extraordinary people. Some were loving, generous, courageous, and remarkably wise. Others were stubborn, selfish, dishonest, manipulative, or just generally unpleasant to be around.
Some of them were assholes.
And as far as my experience has shown me, dying does not automatically cure that condition.
To read the full article, go to the Green Egg Blog: https://greeneggmagazine.com/2026/10/23/the-ancestors-were-people-some-of-them-were-assholes/