Live Blog 2 - Sadie Van den Bogaerde

Hearing Doña Ofelia speak is very powerful. Her wisdom and passion for her practice is so clear, and she inspires me to think about the spiritual aspects of life. Her ofrendas take my breath away- the precise attention to detail, the deliberate thought behind every object on the altar, the symbols to represent those who couldn’t be shown through photos. I have so much respect for Doña Ofelia and Rosanna for their commitment to this practice at all levels. For example, when they refused to involve fictional characters for the altar for the movie Coco, but rather used the photographs of people’s loved ones, they upheld their traditional to its full significance. I also was so amazed to learn about all the fine details that Doña Ofelia uses to personalize each ofrenda she creates. The organic materials used to form a beautiful altar honoring Juana Maria so perfectly represent her life, which she maintained through indigenous knowledge. The altar for the women lost in Juarez was also particularly moving, and the ‘lágrima’-style papeles picados so beautifully honored their tragic loss, while celebrating their lives.