Almost Heaven ✨

My maternal grandfather, Johnny Francis Morano, has been on my mind lately.

My great grandparents, Salvatore Morano and Maria Tricocci, southern Italian Roma people, settled in West Virginia after immigrating from Italy in 1901. Johnny Francis, one of 12 siblings, was born on September 8, 1919 in Harrison, West Virginia.

A place where the veil is thin. Where storytelling is thick. Where the land still weeps not-so-long after the Trail of Tears.

In seeking connection to him, I’ve been listening to the Inside Appalachia podcast and have been on a mission to find out more about the history and folklore of the region (West Virginia). Anything I can find to help me understand who this man was before he was “my Grandpa John.”

This morning I woke up hearing “country road, take me home.” I listened to it while I made my breakfast and found myself crying.

I heard my guide Felícita whisper “your grandfather is ready for his prayers.”

Today I’ll be marking my calendar, dedicating days to my grandfather’s elevation rites.

I encourage you to check in at your altars, check in with your good guides and ascended ancestors. Ask them who among your family tree is ready for their prayers.

While the season and celebration of the ancestors may be the Fall, the preparation for that season begins now.