Yorka

The spirit of someone who has died; in dreams often a visit from an ancestor.

In Winti, yorka refers to the spirit of someone who has died. In the tradition the dead are not gone: they remain part of the family and can make themselves heard, often precisely in dreams. Alongside yorka the word kabra is also used, especially for the ancestors of a family line who died long ago.

A dream in which a deceased relative appears is therefore rarely read as chance. Attention goes to what happened, what was said and what the atmosphere was like. A yorka may come to reassure, to warn, or to ask for something that has not been completed. A deceased person who is calm, eats or laughs is usually read favourably. A deceased person who is silent, walks away, cries or takes you along asks for more attention.

Practitioners pay attention to details. What was the deceased wearing? White is often connected with rest and purity. Did the deceased ask for food or drink? Then it may be about wanting to be remembered. Did the deceased give you something, or want to take something from you? The place counts too: the old house, a yard, water or a cemetery.

A well-known warning within the tradition is not to simply go along with a deceased person in a dream, or accept something from them, without it being clear what is intended. Such dreams are discussed with people who know the customs.

Dealing with yorka has its own customs within families and lines, such as saying names, a libation or a remembrance. Dreamkin does not prescribe rituals. For actions that go beyond remembering or saying a name, guidance from someone with knowledge is appropriate.