It took me a while to realize that my own ancestry had a place in my spiritual life. I spent time borrowing from other people’s traditions before turning toward my Italian and Sicilian roots and asking, “What about the people I come from?”
I understand the curiosity about other spiritual paths, including closed practices that require community membership, invitation, or initiation. But while we’re looking elsewhere, we might overlook something meaningful in our own heritage. I believe those traditions can be just as powerful, and even more personally meaningful because they connect us to our ancestors.
Growing up, I watched my grandmother and parents practice Maloik clearing, even though I didn’t understand what they were doing. Maloik is what we call the “evil eye,” traditionally believed to come from another person’s envy or ill wishes. The clearing is a folk ritual intended to release that influence.
At a client’s request, I’m now offering Maloik as part of Reiki sessions. It’s a way of honoring something I witnessed in my own family and bringing that connection into my work.
If you’re curious about your own spiritual roots, start with a family story or a remembered custom. There may be something there you’re ready to understand a little better.