Someone incredibly special to me recently passed away tragically. It’s still shocking. I’m taking my time to mourn and process. Grief has a way of reshaping us. It takes us apart, piece by piece, until all that’s left is what’s most true. In this episode of The Practice of a Hoodoo Baptist, I sit down with my partner, comedian and creative spirit Nore Davis to talk about grief, ancestors, and the ways our rituals can hold us when the world does not.
This conversation is about more than mourning — it’s about remembering. We talk about how practices of ancestor veneration can soften grief, create space for laughter alongside tears, and remind us that our people have never left us.
From altars to prayer, to calling names out loud, to the simple act of living in their joy — we break down what it means to build a daily practice that keeps the dead present in our lives. Nore shares how comedy, storytelling, and memory work are his forms of spiritual care. Together, we explore how grief can become not just a wound, but a doorway.
In this episode, we explore:
What ancestor veneration looks like in everyday life
How grief can connect us deeper to spirit and lineage
The role of ritual, prayer, and creativity in healing
Why comedy and joy are sacred practices in times of mourning
How to live with grief in a way that honors both the pain and the beauty
This one is tender. It’s a reminder that grief is not something to “get over” — it’s something we learn to walk with, guided by those who came before us.
Grief is not the absence of our ancestors. It is the proof of their presence. Each tear is an offering. Each memory, a prayer.
Let me know if you appreciate anything from this episode.
