I smell it at home, in the car, even now that ive moved to another city and for some unexplained reason, no one else smells it, except me. Cleanse the items going onto your altar. How do you know if your ancestor altar work is working? Its also a place for them to gather. It's easier with Ancestors. But without any further ado, here are a few of my ideas and suggestions: Lastly, remember that you can honor anyone whos passed at this altar. I wish we had a chance to garden together when she was still alive. If you're using it for ritual or spellwork, you will complete that work at your altar. (There are no ultrasound photos, nothing). Pay attention to unusual food cravings and earworms tunes running through your mind that you cant get rid of. It gives you a physical place to commune with those who have come before you. And souls will, in turn, help you eliminate all the depression and worries of reality. Exactly what you do and how or how often you do it will depend on your tradition. Set up an ancestor altar, offer some tributes, ask them questions with a devout heart, connect with your ancestors and ask for their help. This can be super simple and is a great chance to invite your ancestors to be present in the space with you. Divination tools. Two books changed my opinion on altars within the last year: Sacred Woman: A Guide to Healing the Feminine Body, Mind and Spirit by Queen Afua and Jambalaya: The Natural Woman's Book of Personal Charms and Practical Rituals by Luisah Teish. Your altar or shrine can be as simple or as elaborate as you want it to be. This may be a silly question, but my family (both sides) are very Christian so I am unable to speak to them concerning these matters. If you choose to wipe them down, use a little lemon juice mixed into water. I work with several spirits of the dead who are not related to me, and each one has his or her particular requests. I have dirt from several graves; some of them, as you can see below, are kept in the sort of gold- and silver-papered cardboard boxes that jewelers sometimes pack rings and earrings in. Its a relatively new development. If you are ever so inclined, work with and talk to your ancestors about any small special offerings in that can be included. Make sure this area has a table or other flat, sturdy surface. It is a note made for the sole purpose of being burnt and offered to your ancestors. Please note, comments must be approved before they are published. I take everything off, dust the altar and my supplies, then cleanse using smoke or blessed water/spray. In Hoodoo, the ancestors exist in a plane beyond our own but are very capable of touching our lives on a regular basis. Once you have set up a simple altar, you may wish to make weekly offerings of food, music, or other items as the spirit directs. An ancestor altar is where we can remember where we came from and connect with the generations to come. For todays post, I wanted to focus on establishing an ancestor altar and what Ive learned so far. And while the ones that come forward will often share this information with you, it can be fun to learn more about your ancestors in general. Burning ancestral money also helps dissolve financial debt that they incurred while being alive. An ancestor altar will change your life. Work with them to provide what you need in the spaces you cleared in time for Samhain. I dont have any elders (that I know of) who can walk me through connecting with them so Ive been relying on intuition, which although has been great, its not always as clear and direct as the word of an elder or a super clear article like this one. I also like to add seasonal decor: eggs and bunnies for Spring, flowers for Summer, sunflowers and pumpkins for Fall, and Christmas decor for Winter. I havent had any issues sleeping since I put up my altar a few days ago. You can welcome them into your home by leaving them offerings. I appreciate your thoughts, even though Im pretty sure this is a vague conceptualization. This Copyright 2021-2022 Ritual+Vibe. They can also be hung directly on the wall if your altar is against a wall. What to do after the ritual? Ideally, you would research your tradition and how ancestors are honored in your religious practices. A quiet and undisturbed space is necessary. Kongo Sun Wheel. You can provide stability to the ancestral altars by adding stones. The aroma of incense will drive away the bad and unlucky dirt around. An ancestor altar is an effective and beautiful way to connect with and gain support from the spirit world. I feel so relived to know that I was hearing them after reading this. Step 1: Explore your intentions. Perhaps you use it to give offerings to your deities, ancestors, or loved ones. Once youve dedicated the space, its ready to be used! In Southern African indigenous spirituality it is believed that humans are on a journey the objective of which is union with God. Because I havent decided on a space yet, I havent really figured out exactly how I want to lay it out. An ancestor altar is a physical space that can help us live intentionally on this threshold between past and future. Im just starting out and I bought all this nice stuff to build my altar but the thing is, I dont have room for it in my apartment. Check out our wide range of products! That there is no growth, that to look to the past is to ignore the future. What do you find to be part of the importance of ancestor altars? It provides light to chase away the darkness and warmth to chase away the cold. Others are simple and understated and may appear to be something other than an altar. I recommend you using something similar - a chipped plate for a small offering of food and a chipped mug for coffee. Choose the table, mantle, dresser, etc. If that didn't make sense, then I guess the message isn't for you. And how to maintain it. You can see candles in almost any ritual setting. I need to know. Ask if they remember anything their parents might have done to treat common illnesses, predict the sex of a baby, plant better crops (youll find a rich source in the Farmers Almanac). Dont worry about what altars look like online. A family crest, motto, or other symbols that represent your family. The exchange becomes a 2-way relationship. If this feels like too much of a time commitment, you can simply take some . Some questions you can answer yourself using logic, your personal experiences, your intuition, and your beautiful mind. Many people will come to understand through sitting at their altar and offering gifts and keepsakes that they have been held by the guidance of someone that is actually an ancestor and perhaps they never realised they had an ancestor not incarnate with them in this life as a guide. If youre new to setting up an ancestral shrine, keep it simple when setting up your shrine. The Nationwide Gravesite Locator can help you find burial locations of veterans. Creating an Ancestral Altar Whenever you want to engage with something on a spiritual level -- whether that is a god, or a concept like love or abundance -- it helps to create an altar. But my grandma did more than that, she outlined a huge part of our family tree on Ancestry. Clean up the altar. I have set up my first altar but its in my room since I dont really have the space for the table anywhere else in my apartment. This can be daily, weekly, or once a month. A bowl of water can provide the element of water in an ancestral altar. Altar. An amazing article Miss Michaele! And play the song at least once, just to be sure. However, it is essential to note that the food is not simply laid out on a ritual cloth and left to chance. I have 4 roommates so my bedroom is the only personal place where I can keep it. If thats all you have to work with i say go for it. I want to do well and do not want to anger them in any ways help please oh and what theme of altar to pic my family is from Africa with indian Persian and Asian blood and my boyfriend is half Turkish and half African american. It is a great way to connect with your ancestors as well as yourself. Food can be left on the altar for longer after the ritual, but remember to clean it up before it spoils. Fresh flowers are nice, as are frankincense incense & a fresh cup of coffee - or perhaps a shot of rum (or whatever drinks they liked in life.) If that was ever answered could I get a link for where to find that info? It is taboo to have something topple over during the ceremony. Put together an altar or shrine that you can centre your practice around. Its been kind of tough to put it all together of what they would like but its getting easier the more and more I work with my altar. Also for those wondering about an altar in the bedroom, its where my altar is and its totally fine. If you plan to communicate with your ancestors frequently, you may wish to include a dedicated divination tool here such as tarot cards or a pendulum. It is a very comprehensive book and treats the subject of necromancy (working with the dead) very seriously. Can these altars be together? I have a relative that passed in the summer of 2022. You can even do this with a small figure of a skull there is no better symbol of the dead, after all. If you don't have room for an altar, you may have to find other ways to connect and venerate your folks. There are only three rules when it comes to honoring your ancestors at an altar and they are: 1) Never put images of live people on the altar, 2) don't add salt to the altar and, 3) don't neglect the altar. all work well in place of personal photos. Because they can and do touch our lives, ancestors should be treated with respect. It can be done to honor or worship your ancestors (both physically/biologically and spiritually) or to help them pass from this world into the next. The importance of ancestor altars and the . Afterward, youll want to dedicate the space with some sort of blessing or incantation. Know yourself, know where you come from then tell your story. . Choose the color of the candle according to your needs. 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