Our ancestors include those who came before us through our family lineage (Blood Ancestors) and those who indirectly influenced us, such as the people who lived on the land before us (Land Ancestors) or impacted the world in significant ways (Founding or Symbolic Ancestors).
For more information and a detailed introduction, visit my blogpost on Ancestors!
Spirit Communication
Contacting and working with your Ancestors is a form of Spirit Communication. (See ‘An Introduction to Spirit Communication’ for more details(coming soon!)). I advise you to dedicate a notebook to document all your findings on this path.
I suggest starting with your Blood Ancestors, as they are your family and usually have good intentions toward you as their (great-great-grand)child. The chapter below focuses on the Veneration of the Blood Ancestors, but can be adapted to every ‘sort’ of Ancestors!
How to Start Ancestor Veneration
I suggest starting out with a dedicated notebook to write about your ancestors, your findings and the process of ancestor veneration. Personally, I like to leave some pages for an index and some art. Next, you can write down your motivation and expectations: Why are you embarking on this path? What do you want to achieve? What can you offer? And lastly, what do you want in return?
This not only helps you gain a clear understanding of your motivations and expectations but also serves as a reminder of why you are doing this.
I strongly encourage you to write your own answers, but for those struggling, here is an example: I want to explore the path of Ancestor Veneration to show gratitude and respect for all those who made my life possible. I want to be the person who remembers them, who honours all those who passed. My goal is to create a deep, long-lasting relationship with my ancestors, and hopefully, a personal bond. I can offer to light a candle every month, check in using a form of divination and recognise you, your birthdays and death anniversaries. In return, I wish to receive protection, spiritual aid, and love.
In spiritwork and real life, it’s important not to make promises you can’t keep. Lighting a tea candle every month is easy and achievable. However, if you promise an elaborate ritual for every full moon, you might find it difficult to maintain, due to a cold, a stressful workday or an anniversary or birthday that needs attending. Treat spiritwork like the human world, and avoid making false promises. For example, promising to visit your living grandparents once a month is often manageable. If time allows, you might even visit a second time as a pleasant surprise! However, if your initial promise was to visit twice a month, they might feel disappointment or lose trust when you don’t come. Therefore, it’s always better to promise too little than too much.
Receiving a birthday letter from an old friend brings a smile to anyone’s face. Remembrance and recognition create a feeling of importance. How wonderful it is that we can, if possible, congratulate our long-passed ancestors and make them important? Personally, I also like to be mindful of their death date, viewing it as their birth into the other world.
Where to do Ancestor Veneration
When you want to go beyond the recognition, and into altars, offerings and physical gestures, it can be easiest to set up a Sacred Space or Altar. Choose a shelf, dresser-top, or even a portable altar like a box. Cleanse it appropriately to your practice (e.g., using smoke, water, or herbs) and decorate the space with things that remind you of your ancestors. If possible, include personal items like a piece of clothing, jewellery, or even a small urn with ashes, which are all fitting items for your ancestor altar.
How to do Ancestor Veneration
Finally, we arrive at the act of veneration. The most meaningful thing you can do for your ancestors is to offer recognition and personal offerings. Did your grandma love a specific type of liquor? Pour some as an offering every month. Did your aunt love dandelions? Display fresh dandelions regularly as offerings. I like to compare this to the feeling of receiving a thoughtful, handmade gift versus a generic gift; it’s the thought and personal effort that make it truly special.
Examples and explanation of why?
A simple ‘good morning’ or ‘hello’ when you arrive home can be a meaningful gesture of recognition for your ancestors. It’s easiest to say this directly to the altar. For those struggling with consistency, pairing the practice with your daily tasks might help. For example, while getting yourself a glass of water, consider getting one for your ancestors as well.
An offering, whether as small as a tealight or as significant as pictures, meals, or meaningful objects, carries energy. Lighting candles, burning incense or presenting food and beverages as offerings are full of energy for your ancestors to draw upon. Over time, as you make these offerings consistently, their influence may grow, watered by the energy you provide.
Veneration for the Different Types of Ancestors
From your family’s history, you may be able to gather personal information about your Blood Ancestors. The most meaningful gestures are personal offerings, saying their names, and remembering their important dates. From anniversaries, graduations, birthdates and deathdays, you can honour them as simply or elaborately as you like. Your Blood Ancestors likely feel a personal involvement or connection with you and typically have good intentions, making them likely to offer protection and spiritual aid. However, it’s important to remember that your ancestors had their own beliefs. While some may be interested in offering protection, they might not be open to the idea of witchcraft due to their own religious views. Keep this in mind to avoid, for example, calling upon a Christian ancestor who you know wouldn’t support witchcraft. Respect is key in all interactions with your ancestors.
The Land Ancestors are local spirits connected to the places around you, such as your house, garden, or nearby forests. The best way to honour them is through care, maintenance and cleaning, tending to your garden by watering your plants, eliminating the weeds, and creating a welcoming space.
In local parks or forests, you can show your respect by allowing nature to thrive, by picking up trash or by volunteering locally. While you may not have personal items or faces to associate with these ancestors, there are still ways to build up a personal relationship with these spirits.
Founding or Symbolic Ancestors are the most optional but also the most personal. These ancestors are often connected to specific ideals, historical figures, or inspirations. Writing an essay on a topic that aligns with one of your Founding Ancestors is a thoughtful way to venerate them. Other meaningful practices might include activism, painting, or gardening. Symbolic Ancestors can often be linked to Carl Jung’s archetypes and can be honoured through dedicated activities, personal growth, or psychological self-improvement as offerings!
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