working with the ancestors

Naandie Wright
Aug 25, 2017 · 6 min read

the most important thing anyone on a spiritual journey can do is connect with their ancestors. your ancestors literally live inside of you. they are what give your cells consciousness. they are also the ones who came before you. they have already done this life business. they may not have it all figured out lol but, in spirit form they have a much wider perspective on the human experience. this perspective gives them the ability to see into your near future, as well as move things around for you from the etheric realms. your ancestors are your true guardian angels. those who pass on and choose to work as an ancestor’s only work is to be there for you. they are guardians, protectors, advisors, givers of blessings, and anything else you could want from a “spiritual guide”.

working with the ancestors should (in my opinion) be where everyone starts when it comes to working with spirits. the ancestors are the ones who have the ability to assist with all things dealing with earth life, because they have lived it. they have first hand experience with it. unlike other gods, deities, angels, spirits- these have never been in a body & don’t know what it’s like to pay rent or get a job. (the only exception to this would maybe be ascended masters because they are said to be humans who ascended to deity status by overcoming the matrix of earth, but there are still debates on whether they truly existed or if they are created thought forms) while any spirit can assist with your earthly troubles, the ancestors are a much stronger & reliable source of assistance. in my experience and many others i have spoken with, calling on the ancestors for assistance & guidance gives much quicker and accurate results than calling on a deity or spirit. this is for a few reasons 1- the ancestors are you, by them assisting you they also assist themselves. both in the etheric realms and via quantum entanglement they enhance their lives in the physical realm.

2- the ancestors have tangible experience dealing with all the issues you are petitioning help with. baby mama drama, attracting fuck boy lovers, starting a business, attracting money, healing trauma, mother/ father wounds, walking a spiritual path, going to school, buying a car/house…etc etc etc.

3- unlike your favorite deity or spirit you are the only person your ancestors have to assist. they devote all their energy to helping just you. while the common spirits of the day have thousands of people petitioning them and have to spread their energy equally among all those devotees.

while your ancestors are happy to send you blessings building a strong relationship with them is very important to keep the flow of blessings coming. just like you want things from them, they want (and need) things from you. just like our physical body dies, the individual spirit can die as well. a spirit needs energy to survive. this is why earth bound spirits (ghosts) haunt places, because they need that fear energy to survive. (this is a major side note but earth bound spirits will hang out in places and create havoc and discord just for the energy. if you find whenever you are in a certain place you are always arguing and experiencing chaotic & negative emotions it’s probably some spirits hanging out there just getting it how they live. you can make them go away by telling them to leave, burning sulfur or camphor if they are stubborn, placing salt in the corners and burning high vibrational scents like frankincense, or rose). by giving our ancestors offerings we give them energy to sustain themselves in the astral realm as well as energy to do work on our behalf.

communicating with your ancestors is a much simpler process than we try to make it out to be. you can speak to them just like you would a friend, and just let them know what’s going on with you or if you have a situation you need advice on. you can speak to them more formally through prayer. the same way you would pray to god is how you pray to your ancestors. the difference is in who you are petitioning & where you are directing the energy. talking with your ancestors can be as drawn out and dramatic or as mellow as you prefer. over time you will find a good rhythm that works for both you & your ancestors. as far as how they will talk back, it depends on you. whatever way is easiest for them to speak to you, they will. whatever psychic sense you are most attuned to and most open to using will be the channel they will use. so it could be anything from a thought, hearing a distinct voice, repeating numbers, music, over hearing conversations, dreams and so many other ways. if you’re not sure if it is your ancestors speaking to you ask for a clear sign.

SETTING UP AN ALTER & OFFERINGS

this part is really just advice to give you a place to start, but please know there is no right/ wrong way to honor your ancestors. always let your intuition be your guide. your first mind is usually right.

with that in mind, traditionally white is the color associated with the ancestors. you can use a table, mantle peice or even the floor as your alter space. you may want to lay a white cloth on your alter, but this is not necessary. if you have pictures of your passed loved ones, place them on your alter. keep a fresh glass of water out for them. when the water gets cloudy, or begins to evaporate (this is a sign they are drinking it) replace with new water. the water can be used as an offering to give them energy or it can be used as a channel to open communication with them. i like using water this way & find my ancestors do too. if you use water as a channel for communication be sure to have another liquid offering. it can be another glass of water, liquor, tea, kool aid etc. i tend to keep a glass of water and a glass of rum for my ancestors.

add items that you know your ancestors enjoyed while they were in the physical or items that remind you of them. this can include a perfume your grandmother always wore, your uncles favorite cigarettes, a tv remote for your aunt who loved watching tv, things like that.

things like fresh flowers, incense and candles are also great additions. just as you give them water and liquor as an offering, offer them food as well. creating a small plate for them at dinner time & placing it on your alter is wonderful. over time you may find they ask for certain foods. you can leave the food on the alter as long as you feel you should. if you have little critters in your home, there’s no need to let the food sit out over night lol. some people say to dispose of the food, put it near a tree or back to the earth. sometimes my ancestors would tell me to eat the offering. as i said earlier, let your intuition be your guide in this.

i would suggest to always keep at least an offering of water/ liquor on your alter. for food offerings how often you give them will depend on you. you will create a rhythm with your ancestors. more important than how often (daily, weekly) is being consistent. the more energy and attention you give to your ancestors the more energy and attention they will give right back to you.

i would also like to say, your alter can be for your more recent ancestors (grandparents, aunts, uncles) as well as more distant ancestors (african warriors, the mayans, lemurians). whether they all will be happy on one alter is a different story. ha! they will very clearly let you know if they want separate spaces. a good analogy for this is sharing a room with your sister because there is not enough space for you to have your own rooms. you are okay with it and make it work. but imagine if you shared a room with your sister but there was an empty room being used for storage or some other nonsense. you would probably let your parents know how unhappy you are with sharing a room when there is space for you to have your own.

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    Naandie Wright

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    sharing my perspective on a journey for truth