Today, we are going to talk about our ancestors. A common question I see in groups is "how do I work with my ancestors?" To me, ancestral veneration is a heavy part of my spiritual practice.
Who are my ancestors? You have generations of ancestors. They go way, way back to the beginning of time. Your ancestors include your bloodline, adopted, family friends, and cosmic ancestors. You may not have had a good relationship with some of them and that's okay. A lot of times I have spoken with people who didn't want to practice ancestral veneration based on their recent generation of ancestors. Don't let that stop you. You don't have to work with them. So many other ancestors are waiting to build a relationship with you.
Another question I see is "How do I set up an altar?" Honestly, that depends on which tradition you partake in, if any. A basic altar consists of a glass of water, a white candle, and a white cloth or any cloth that you have declared as your sacred ancestor altar cloth. As time goes on you can add personal items, pictures of your ancestors, offerings, plants if you would like, etc. Each altar will be different from another.
My ancestors are my go to squad. They hear my ups and downs. They are always there for me to guide me and love on me even when I am hard on myself. Sometimes they keep me up just a talking. When Bey said "Ancestors on the wall, let the ghost chit chat" I felt that. That brings me to another point.
"Can you put your altar in your bedroom?" This answer will vary by who you are talking to. The answer is yes. However, they may disturb your sleep. I hear some say it's disrespectful for them to be in your bedroom but believe me when I say your ancestors are NOT confined to your altar. They can and will roam. However, out of shear respect you can cover your altar with a sheet before your change clothes or have sex.
All in all I am a firm believer in ancestral veneration. Some don't work with their ancestors at all. I respect it but yeah no. For me, it's a must. I think it's disrespectful to MY ancestors to jump straight to deities. I have seen people praising deities when the whole time it was an ancestor who did the work. While it's nothing wrong with working with deities I wish people put that same respect on working with your ancestors. I am wrapping this post up but if you have any questions feel free to leave a comment and I will try my best to answer. Until we meet again stay BeYoutiful fam.
