Postponing the end of the world

an affective cartography in memory of my grandmother

Abstract

This article aims to reflect on the religious practices of my ancestors, recovering a cultural heritage that was and is subjugated in society and within the family. We engage in a form of writing, engaging with authors such as Evaristo (2020) and Krenak (2020, 2022) from the perspective of ancestral futures and affective cartography. Using the ethnography of memory duration by Ercket Rocha (2000), I sought to reconstruct, through narratives, the life and religious practices of my paternal grandmother, presenting her coexistence and relationship with enchanted beings throughout her life. Through assimilation with Afro-Brazilian religions, I found elements and practices in Umbanda similar to those of my ancestors, prompting a reflection on the power of silencing and erasing such religions in our society. Recognizing our ancestry and cultural heritage is, therefore, an urgent condition for finding ourselves in the world and resisting.