CEMETERY ETIQUETTE 🦴

A lot of us ‘spooky’ and/or spiritual ‘peeps’ enjoy trips to places most people find “creepy” or “unsettling.” 

The cemetery is one of them.

For whatever reason, I find it peaceful and welcoming, and I always seem to “meet” someone new… but let’s not get off track, lol.

Anywho,  as someone who enjoys these places, we must also understand the importance and the how-to’s of respecting these places.

Cemeteries are places of rest for souls that have passed.

And while I do not believe every soul stays at the cemetery (because they usually go off to their families or “pass on”), it’s a sacred ground that we should treat with a certain mannerism that any living person would expect of their home.

These souls and spirits laid to rest, in these places, were -usually- living people (and sometimes animals), you don’t just go into someone's house and forgo any of their rules and start wrecking the place, right? No, you respect their home and the things within it.

Same goes for a cemetery or graveyard (as well as many other sacred and sometimes even abandoned spaces.)

So, in trying to share some knowledge on how to ‘behave’ in a cemetery specifically, I’ve decided to make an entry that includes a list, I previously made, of some respectful and necessary etiquette when going to one:

1. First, you should bring an offering. It’s a way of showing that you “come in peace”, lol, and that your intentions are “good” as well as this concept of being ‘allowed entry’ in a sense. 

-Coins are always a go-to, but if you’d like to bring any other -respectful- item, that is fine too. I sometimes bring apples or some sort of fruit along with coins and I, sometimes, make my own offering jar for any spirits that may need it. This consists of taking a small spell jar with a cork and filling it with any of the following: salt, rosemary, obsidian, rose quartz, clear quartz, thyme, howlite, aura quartz, amethyst, poppy, pomegranate, basil, lavender, apple, marigolds, copal +more}

2. Next, Be aware and respectful of where you step and No running or rolling around. As well as No lying atop a random person's grave and Do not lean on any gravestones, headstones, tombs, etc. 

-Besides the concept of energy transference and wanting to avoid attachments, being conscious of where you step, sit, etc., is a form of being respectful. You wouldn’t go to someone's home and sit where they are sitting, put your feet all over their furniture, or sit on their bed, or somewhere private to them, would you? No. 

*And yes, I understand that with our own family members, we may be more lenient. I myself tend to sit directly in front of my grandfather’s headstone, but that’s because I feel very close to him, and I know he wouldn’t take it as disrespect. What I’m referring to is when people use someone's headstone as a seat, completely disregarding that there is someone underneath them and anything similar to that kind of ‘ignorant’ and disrespectful act.

3. Third, as well as being respectful of where you step and sit, You should also be respectful of how you speak. And No Yelling or Shouting. Again, think about going into someone's home, Would you make fun of them? Insult them? Yell while they’re trying to rest? No. So, don’t do it here.

**Music, however, can be acceptable. Not loud and blasting (unless someone specifically enjoyed that in their corporeal life, but you have to be aware of other spirits/souls that may reside next to certain people-think about not wanting to disrupt neighbors, lol) but music has frequencies that can heal, bring joy, bring peace, and so on. I’d say if you wanted to play someone a song you could do so, just be aware of what your intuition is telling you. If you get the feeling of “turn it off” or “not this song”, listen. 

4. Another thing is to try and clean up anything that may be dirty or turned over {always be careful not to disturb any remains*}

**You may see a lot of people online cleaning and brushing graves and headstones, but please leave this to the professionals. You don’t know what damage could occur if you’re not properly prepared or trained to deal with certain headstones and the aging and eroding that goes on. When I say clean up, I mean, pick up any litter you see and/or if you feel called to, if someone's flowers fell over or something similar, it’s not disrespectful to place them upright again.

5. Then, Remember, Do not take any dirt or found rocks, etc. without asking permission {if you get a distinct feeling of,’ don’t take this/don’t touch this’, that’s your answer-No.}

6. And this should go without saying anyway, but never take anything from a grave -period.

Now, the next few things are in walking around as well as leaving and how to ‘go about it’:

1. Listen to your intuition, if something is telling you not to walk a certain way or do something, listen. 

-Let your gut feelings guide you and see where it leads you, but while also keeping in mind the things previously listed. Your body as well as your guides know where you should and shouldn’t venture off to, so pay attention to what your body and your mind are telling you.

2. Remember to announce (yes, out loud) that nothing/no one can come with you when you leave {if you feel a little spooked then *clap around your body and in your space, saying aloud again, that nothing/no one can come with you in order to cleanse any lingering energies}

-I like to wear protective crystals and/or necklaces, as added protection prior to going to these types of places but I still announce that nothing is allowed to come back with me.

*I say “clap” because normally people aren’t carrying sage to smoke cleanse around them, nor are they carrying florida water or any other cleansing tools, so clapping is a form of sound cleansing that can shake up the lingering energies but go with your gut and if you have another cleansing method, use it. 

3. Always bid a respectful (but also firm) “Farewell/Goodbye” when you leave.

-Again, you can tell any-one/thing- that it cannot come with you. *It is possible to be polite and firm without being disrespectful.

Now, in sharing this small list, I also want to point out that there are probably more things that I have not thought to add at this moment in time, so if someone knows of other things to keep in mind, please do not hesitate to add them in the comments.

And keep in mind, none of this is to instill fear. All of this is just to help you enjoy your time and get the best experience possible while still being respectful of the space and the spirits in it. So, take everything with consideration, do your own research as well, and follow your intuition as you venture.

Once more I’ll say, Be respectful, and you’ll be sure to have an amazing experience.

Blessed Be🔮