I can't obviously speak for everyone, every Pagan or even every Heathen, but even knowing some of the things my ancestors may have done, I honor them For better or worse, I am who I am in response to who he was, and what he did.

Every family no doubt has niðlings in its past. I don't argue that a niðling should be honored while alive or dead. I also understand that not everyone can even know who all his ancestors were. This is true in my case on my father's side. But that does not mean I cannot, on my altar, or should not, honor them, my ancestors, in general, with the proviso that some of them are unworthy.

And obviously, a person can rise above who he is, or who is family is, or what his family has done. Only the weak surrender to their fates (which they helped themselves to shape).

But I see us as part of a lineage; as I said, part inheritor, part progenitor. We are part of a continuum and like it or not, we cannot escape our ancestors or their deeds, for they have shaped the present in which we found our beginnings.

I think respect is earned not simply given because of status or position. I don't know any of my ancestors so, while I honor my heritage by being proud of who I am, I don't necessarily praise my ancestors. Because, well I simply don't know them or if they deserve it.

And I disagree totally with the notion that person can be or should be judged via association. Deeds, not association, should determine a person's value imo.

Perhaps honoring ancestors within the context of the old days was more central because a person *knew* who was who. It's not so easy these days. *two cents* (:

I got back to being active on the internet since yesterday. I moved home to Howrah for a three month vacation after my second semester end exams were over in the end of April and will be home with my parents till the end of July. My third semester begins in Pune in August.

I brought my computer here and so had to disconnect my internet connection at Pune and get a new one here in Howrah.

Thanks for all your comments on "Upstream From Lethe"

I will be back to reading your articles here and will be commenting on them from now on.

Hope all is well with you and that you are doing fine.

May the gods look after you and your children and may the mother goddess, Zeus, Shiva, Ganesh/Hermes and Asclepius shower their blessings on you.

Talk to you soon. Do email me.

Hugs
Indrani.