I'm sure there are others better suited for this question but I would start out by asking what culture the deceased where apart of then focusing my research into what types of work and honor that culture does. There is a good book on honoring ansestors I can recommend but I need to find the name... I'll see if I can't find it and get back to you.
Found the book. I personally liked it alot (one of my teachers has an exerpt so I may be biased.) Though I think my first recommendation stands, especially if you can find a living teacher to help with cultural learning and such.
I use a shelf for honoring my past loved ones and for honoring my ancestors in general. I have photos of them, their obituaries maybe, items that i feel are linked to them. This is a very emotional thing, and i feel like you should trust your gut and how you feel when creating your own. But you can put shirt buttons on the shelf, maybe a toy truck that looked like grandpas if he was into trucks, certain dried flowers if a particular loved one liked a specific kind (i used dried roses because my mawmaw loved red and pink roses). I also have a leaf i picked up from the last time i saw one of them and we had a conversation about it being good luck if you catch it out of the air, and i have a small jar with grave dirt that rolled up to my shoe while we were burying one of them.
Those are only my experiences though, but like i said, feel it out. Photos, special trinkets or items that remind you of them, candles if you think that works, and have a little offering plate - interact with it often to build a relationship. I pour a cup of black coffee for them every morning, and light a stick of incense. From time to time I'll leave bread w/ butter, or candies if it was a kind they liked, and during Samhain I leave a big plate of food.
I'm sure there are others better suited for this question but I would start out by asking what culture the deceased where apart of then focusing my research into what types of work and honor that culture does. There is a good book on honoring ansestors I can recommend but I need to find the name... I'll see if I can't find it and get back to you.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00RU1OE0Y/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1
Found the book. I personally liked it alot (one of my teachers has an exerpt so I may be biased.) Though I think my first recommendation stands, especially if you can find a living teacher to help with cultural learning and such.
Good luck and many blessings!
I use a shelf for honoring my past loved ones and for honoring my ancestors in general. I have photos of them, their obituaries maybe, items that i feel are linked to them. This is a very emotional thing, and i feel like you should trust your gut and how you feel when creating your own. But you can put shirt buttons on the shelf, maybe a toy truck that looked like grandpas if he was into trucks, certain dried flowers if a particular loved one liked a specific kind (i used dried roses because my mawmaw loved red and pink roses). I also have a leaf i picked up from the last time i saw one of them and we had a conversation about it being good luck if you catch it out of the air, and i have a small jar with grave dirt that rolled up to my shoe while we were burying one of them.
Those are only my experiences though, but like i said, feel it out. Photos, special trinkets or items that remind you of them, candles if you think that works, and have a little offering plate - interact with it often to build a relationship. I pour a cup of black coffee for them every morning, and light a stick of incense. From time to time I'll leave bread w/ butter, or candies if it was a kind they liked, and during Samhain I leave a big plate of food.
Hope you work it out :D