Halloween is this week and everyone has the dead on their minds as the veil reaches its thinnest between this world and the other. So since we’re all thinking about it, I’ll jump on the bandwagon and talk about the ancestors this week in my Deeper Thoughts!
Webster defines ancestor veneration as, “the custom of venerating deceased ancestors who are considered still a part of the family and whose spirits are believed to have the power to intervene in the affairs of the living.” Ancestor veneration has existed in multiple cultures going back countless generations. People have called on their ancestors in the past for victory in battle, for protection, wealth, and guidance. It is a practice popular all around the globe, especially in Eastern, African, and Central American cultures.
So how can those who have passed on and reunited with Source, reincarnated, went to Heaven/Hell, or whatever you believe happens in the afterlife still affect us in the world we live in currently? There’s a lot of different speculations on this, but this is my theory/belief. We are all born with an energetic imprint. This initial imprint is formed from the numerology from our birthday as well as other energetic imprints based on various astrologies. We also create imprints as we develop in life, like the way we experience different traumas, the way we react to them, and the things we do in this world while we’re still living. Even the mode of our death creates another imprint with our energy. This imprint can last a long time after our death, and even carry into future generations. This is where ghosts and other after life entities originate from. Again, this is just my theory.
In many cultures, ancestor veneration is a part of everyday life. In some places entire spiritual, religious, and magickal practices have been built around it. Why has there been such an emphasis on ancestors, their veneration, and even worship? Who has more invested in you, your well being, and your future? Is it some god or pantheon of gods, or the spirits of those you have descended from? You are the latest step in a long bloodline of people. Your survival and prosperity is going to be much more important to them, than any one or group of deities.
Magickally, your ancestors can be employed by complex rituals all the way down to simple prayers. For me, I have an altar set up for my ancestors. It can be as simple or ornate, depending on your preferences and/or culture. Mine consists of several pictures of my ancestors, incense burners to light offerings, a small glass of water that I refill daily with spring or at the very least bottled water (If I’m not going to drink tap water, I’m not going to give that to them either), and a small orgonite pyramid with a tree in the front. Harkening back to an earlier article on symbolism, even the tree on the pyramid is a depiction of the World Tree, I use it as a symbolic representation of the family tree. Mine is in the livingroom of my house since it's the most active room. For me it feels like I they're around and they can watch the rest of my family when they're here, which is often. However, you can place your alter or shrine wherever you want and set it up however you wish.
There’s also space to leave other offerings for thanks or for payment for a job well done. These extra offerings can be a cup of coffee in the morning, their favorite candies from when they were alive, freshly cooked meals, wine, rum, tobacco, or anything else you intuitively feel that they would enjoy. Personally I’ll leave the offerings out at least until the next day then set them out in nature, depending on what they are. Candy I’ll typically put in the trash since most of that can be harmful for animals, but meats, tobacco and liquids I’ll respectively set outside for nature to take.
It’s important to note that you shouldn’t eat or drink anything you’ve laid out as offerings to your ancestors, or to any entity. The simplest way to describe it is the energy from it dissipates. But more importantly, would you have a guest over for dinner, set a meal in front of them, then snatch it back from them and eat it? Not at all, unless you’re wanting to start trouble and drama, which WILL happen. Now you can prepare the same thing you offer for yourself and enjoy it along with them as you leave theirs out. You can have a glass of wine along with the glass you leave out or eat a steak you prepared along with the steak you set out for them. Remember, your offerings are gifts and payment. And the better the results, the better your offering should be.
Typically I will light incense, give fresh water daily, and give other things as offerings and say a prayer of thanks for their assistance and any requests I may have. Depending on the request will affect the other offerings I give. Sweet and simple. There are other methods you can do for more serious requests with rituals, which I won’t go into here.
Ancestor veneration is a great way to help manifest in this world. It’s a good alternative for those who practice magick, but have hang ups when it comes to deities and religion in general. My favorite thing about ancestor veneration is that it is an excellent way to stay connected with those in our families who have passed on. There is no one-size-fits-all. There are multiple ways you can approach it.
There’s an important message I want to add here, especially this time of year when the veil is thin and more people are likely to try to reach out to spirits in general. If you’re doing anything to summon your ancestors or any other spirits, or commune with them outside of a simple prayer, like the type of rituals I alluded to earlier, or even using a Ouija board, it is important that when you are finished to “close the door.” This is important for any magickal practice. At the end of any ritual you do you need to have researched the proper way to close the door between the veil, close the circle, and give license for any lingering spirits to depart without harm. If you’re using a Ouija board, do not leave until the spirit you’re communicating with says goodbye. Failure to do these things can cause entities to attach to you and can cause various problems, depending on the entity.
I want to thank you all for reading this week’s post. Hopefully this article gave you an idea of how you can connect with your ancestors, even if all you want to do is keep their memory alive. Our ancestors are watching us from the other side and they’re rooting for us. They want to see you succeed and are happy to help you in that endeavor. There are many forms of this practice, so do some research and find one that resonates with and suits you best!
Take care and as always, have an enlightening day!
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