Article: Communing With The Ancestors
by Omisanya (Maria Owl Gutierrez)
WaccoBB.net
“Ifa teaches Ori, personal consciousness, is eternally linked to Egun, the collective Spirit of our ancestral lineage. This means the life lessons of each individual are absorbed by the collective Spirit of Egun in the process of atunwa, meaning reincarnation. The elevation of an individual life has an impact on the elevation of the entire family lineage which in turn has an impact on the quality of life everywhere on earth. Improving the quality of life on Earth, literally improves the condition of the planet, affecting the quality of interaction between humans and the Spirits of Forces in Nature Ifa calls Orisa. In simple terms the development of good character affects life on Earth and life in the realm of the ancestors.”
- Awo Fa’lokun, (https://falokunsblog.com/)
WHY COMMUNE WITH YOUR ANCESTORS?
- Because the elevated Ancestors are devoted to our thriving, well-being, health, and fulfilling our potential.
- Almost all cultures, peoples and tribes on the planet acknowledge, worship, tend to, and honor their Ancestors. There is a good reason for this. Our Ancestors are the reason we exist!
- When we honor and tend to our Ancestors, we are honoring and tending to ourselves. One day we will all be Ancestors!
- By communing regularly with our Ancestors we can develop a healthy relationship where we constantly receive guidance, loving support and interventions of healing and balance in our lives.
In Ifa-Orisa tradition from the Yoruba culture of Nigeria, the tradition I’m an initiated priest in, it is believed that the term Ancestors only applies to one’s blood lineage. When I refer to Ancestors in this article, this is how I’m using the term.
THE ROLE OF THE ELEVATED ANCESTOR
Ancestor spirits have a spiritual responsibility to protect and guide their living descendants. Some of them are more active than others, depending on what their own Soul’s evolutionary needs are for elevation. There are levels of elevation, according to renown teacher and founder of Spiritism, Allan Kardec. He was a medium who channeled a group of spirits called “The Spirit of Truth”. From them he learned that, “The different corporeal existences of the Spirit are progressive and not regressive. The pace of their progress, however, depends on the effort made towards betterment. Spirits can stagnate for so long that it seems to be an eternity and it can even appear that they have retrograded” (The Spirit’s Book, 1857). All of the levels include service work as the vehicle through which elevation happens. Once a Soul achieves one level, they work towards the next.
ANCESTORS ON THE ROAD TO ELEVATION
There are Ancestors traveling towards elevation as well, who are no longer hungry ghosts, but not quite illuminated yet. These Ancestors can come through in ritual space and ask for help from us, such as prayers for them to be healed or lighting candles for a certain number of days. Because these Ancestors are not yet elevated, they are on the road, so they can be trusted; but they can also carry heavy energy from what is still unhealed in them. It is best to not invoke these Ancestors, but to pray for their elevation, or for elevated Ancestors to intervene and assist them.
CREATING AND TENDING TO AN ANCESTOR ALTAR
It is beneficial for everyone who asks for help from their Ancestors to keep an Ancestor shrine. This is a way to show respect for the relationship and gives you a focused place to nourish it. It is where you can go to commune with, pray to, and give offerings to your Ancestors. As you sit with your altar, the energy will build. Over time, it will become something like a vortex specifically for connecting with your elevated Ancestors.
On the altar it is common to place photos of your Ancestors, heirlooms, or anything else that helps you connect with them. On my altar I have Mexican fabrics, my Grandpa Grant’s chisel set, photos of my Ancestors, a Scottish kilt of the Grant clan, and fresh flowers.
OFFERINGS
Here are some ideas of what you can offer to your Ancestor Altar to practice reciprocity and feed your relationship with your Ancestors with respect.
- A white candle
- Food offering
- Libations or water
- Sacred smokes – copal, incense, sage, etc.
- Fresh flowers
REMEMBER: It’s the heart you put into your offering that brings the energy to the relationship, not how perfect, elaborate or expensive your offerings are.
GUIDELINES FOR THOSE NEW TO WORKING WITH THEIR ANCESTORS
When you set up an Ancestor altar in your home, use your intuition as to how often to commune with it. You may feel comfortable with once a month. Perhaps you’d like to leave an offering of food once a week. Some people, like me, experience their connection to their Ancestors as an important part of their Soul work or “mission” in this life, and so I tend to my Ancestor shrine almost daily. Often when you first create contact with your Ancestors, it’s good to spend extra time with them for a few months so the relationship can open, blossom, and show you it’s potential. Everyone will have a different way of relating to their Ancestors.
In the beginning stages of building this relationship, I would recommend that you NOT INVOKE your ancestors. I say this because at this point you may not know at what stage of elevation your Ancestors currently exist at. And if you are at all sensitive, you may find yourself with a house guest who is reluctant to leave or has a strong agenda for your love life. To get to the point where you can invoke your Ancestors, I highly suggest finding a teacher or guide, perhaps a medium, who can help you contact your elevated Ancestors and speak with them.
Another simple way to call on them that is safe is to call on your collective elevated Ancestors, rather than individual Ancestors. For example, “Loving, elevated Ancestors who support my thriving and fulfilling my potential, I welcome you here with me for my morning prayers.” If you want to be sure, you can re-iterate a couple of times that you’re only calling in your most high elevated Ancestors who are aligned with God/Creator/The One, or something similar to that. REMEMBER to release the Ancestors from the space at the end of the prayer or ritual: “Thank you Ancestors who love me unconditionally. I thank you and say goodbye to you now. And so it is.”
FULFILLING OUR POTENTIALS AND THE POTENTIAL OF OUR ANCESTORS
Our elevated Ancestors desire to help us reach our potentials. Reaching our potential includes fulfilling the potentials of our Ancestors. It’s as if we are the alive member of the bloodline, able to express all the beauty, glory, power of all who came before. This includes our potential to fully give and receive love, embody kindness, be of selfless service, express our joy, and also to accomplish the Soul Mission we came here to accomplish, whatever that is. It could include rising up out of poverty consciousness and attaining financial prosperity. It could be that you are the first in a long line of alcoholics to not drink. It could be that out of your family of extroverted leaders who abused power, you’re the one who becomes a compassionate and just leader. It could be that you are the daughter who steps out of the pattern of telling herself she’s worthless. Or, it could be carrying forward all of your Ancestors healing powers to become a miraculous healer in your life.
When we follow our deepest desires and reach for our greatest visions, we are fulfilling our Ancestors potentials. They are alive in us simply because their blood runs through our veins. Their DNA is in our every cell. When we thrive and embody our full expression of joy and love, they elevate even more and celebrate your success. Our true love and true joy blesses our Ancestors and lifts them even higher. Just as their successes on the spiritual planes bless us and lift us higher. And both of these bless all humanity, for we are all one! And therefore our beautiful planet elevates in consciousness as well.
IF YOU’RE LOOKING TO START WORKING WITH YOUR ANCESTORS
I will be holding a class on Dec. 1 & 2 in Sebastopol, Sonoma County called Ancestral Shamanism: Reclaiming the Indigenous Wisdom of Our Ancestors Through Journeying, Dreams & Ritual. It is the first of many more to come. There will also be an Ancestor Ritual on Dec. 7 in Santa Rosa. This will be a very powerful reverence ritual, invoking our elevated Ancestors in a safe and sacred container to receive messages from them and feel our relationships to them. I also work with people individually as a medium.
Maria Owl Gutierrez has been in service to her community as a ceremonial leader, counselor and healer for 15 years. Her work is deeply rooted in indigenous wisdoms and eco-psychology. She has a M.A. in counseling psychology and is also a trained herbalist and practitioner of hypnotherapy and energy medicine. She served on the faculty at New College of California in the concentration of Consciousness, Healing & Ecology from 2004 - 07. She has been a guest instructor at Dominican and Naropa Universities, as well as presented at Center for Spiritual Living and Unity Church. Maria is the founder and director of Ancient Path Vision Quests and The 13 Moon Women’s Initiation and currently has a spiritual counseling and healing practice in Sonoma County, CA. For more information go to:www.mariaowl.com or email [email protected].
