November 2 is Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead), a day to celebrate the ancestors who have left us. A key element of Día de los Muertos is the ofrenda, a large altar to celebrate the ancestors. As a practitioner, you can create an ofrenda to initiate or maintain a relationship with the ancestors to facilitate future workings.

First clear a dedicated space large enough to hold your offerings. In this space, you’ll place photos of those who have passed beyond the veil. These can be ancestors of blood (such as grandparents) or ancestors of spirit (these are deceased luminaries you admire, for example, Carrie Fisher).

Then decorate the altar with orange marigolds (these can be fresh flowers, paper flowers, or even pictures) and, optionally, papel picado (cut-out tissue paper decorations that can easily be found at Latin markets or on the web). Finally, add your offerings. These should be things that your ancestors enjoyed in life, like their favorite foods (especially pan de muerto), drinks, movies, etc.