Member-only story
On Falling in Love with My Ancestors
And How I Created a Sigil to Honor Them
The subject of ancestry can be a prickly one for white Americans who are aware of history and concerned about social justice.
Whether our own ancestors were involved in the trading of enslaved peoples or not, whether our own family forebears were actively involved in the genocide of Native peoples or not, socially aware white Americans know that we’ve been privileged by the results of those atrocities, full-stop.
Yet it’s natural to yearn for a connection to those who came before, to feel part of a lineage — as evidenced by the booming ancestry discovery kit industry.
My Own Lineage
For the longest time, I wasn’t interested in my heritage. Of all my family, I’d only ever really felt close to my mother, and until three years ago I was frankly aggrieved to have been incarnated. Heritage was the least of my worries.
In 2020, when grace intervened on my behalf, I made the decision to live — and that required becoming deeply involved in the quest for my own happiness. Having never known happiness, I was on unsure footing.
Over the last three years, my spirituality has been at the center of my life. For me, that means deeply and utterly accepting and loving…