BHM Day 15: Making Contact with Your Ancestors

Yesterday I shared how to set up an altar to your ancestors, today I will share how to make contact with them.

The spiritual world is always trying to make contact with us. Sometimes it’s through dreams, though angel numbers, or through something you see or hear. If you are tuned in, you can pick up these messages quite easily. I’ve had some profound dreams as a result of doing altar work.

Why Do We NEED to Do Altar Work?

Yesterday I explained that our ancestors practiced altar work for guidance and protection. During their enslavement and colonialism, our ancestors were banned from practicing altar worship because Europeans understood the power of it.

We have become powerless because we no longer acknowledge our ancestors, nor do we call upon them for guidance and protection.

We were told not to worship false idols, yet we were given ones made in the image and likeness of Europeans.

The only way for us to regain our power as a people, is to call upon our ancestors!

As I explained yesterday, not all ancestors are worthy to be called upon; during their enslavement, most of the leaders and warriors were mercilessly killed off, leaving those who would obediently do as they were told.

SPIRIT IS ETERNAL

We must innerstand that we are our ancestors returned, and we can tap into ancestral wisdom through our DNA.

It’s also important to innerstand that 1) We are living on a modern day plantation and 2) We are still carrying the trauma of our ancestors in our DNA.

Therefore when calling upon known and unknown ancestors, make sure they contributed to the upliftment of our community while they were here in the flesh. It was the film ‘Sankofa‘ that started me on this journey of learning how the African Holocaust is still affecting the descendants of enslaved Africans; Mutabaruka starred in the film, and he had/has a strong warrior spirit!

If you have no-one in your bloodline who you can call on for guidance and protection, research ancestors such as Marcus Garvey, Harriet Tubman, Malcolm X, Nanny Maroon and Cheikh Anta Diop.

Never call upon spirits who are unfamiliar to you!

And never let spirits try to take control of your life; they are there to guide and protect you, not boss you around!

So let’s get to work…

If you digested yesterday’s blog you should know how to set up your altar. Today, I will again use screenshots from Bushmama’s e-book ‘Ancestral Veneration‘, to explain how to do altar work. And it is work.

Altar Protocol:

Protect yourself with an Opening Prayer
Use Sage, Florida Water, Palo Santo or Frankincense to smudge yourself/room first
Have NO FEAR
Set good intention
Pour libation
Make offerings (for food, eat some and leave some for your ancestors)
Talk to your ancestors, put things on your altar which represent what you are petitioning them about
Sit in Silence and meditate
Be open to communication
Close with Gratitude

An opening prayer call upon your Source, your known ancestors who walk in the light, your guardian angels, your spirit guides, your Higher Self for guidance and protection as you do this work.

The next step is to pour libation to your ancestors, calling the ones you know by name.

How to pour libation:

When you have finished your altar work, close the ceremony with thanksgiving that your requests have been heard, and be open to signs of confirmation.

Leave your offerings on the altar for a day or two before disposing in nature (preferably) or burning.🔥

Halloween is one of the best times to make contact with your ancestors because it’s when the veil between this world and the spiritual world is the thinnest. Do your own research and plan how you will spend Halloween night – will you spend it being tricked, or treated?

Journey of a Sister is available to download in e-book for just £2.99 THIS WEEKEND ONLY! It’s a beautiful Black Love story packed with ancestral wisdom, and a twist! Start your journey of Self-discovery by clicking on the book image:

In tomorrow’s ‘Black His-story Month’ ARTicle, I will explain how we are still living on a modern-day plantation, how to identify the descendants of enslaved Africans, and the descendants of enslavers. If you are the descendant of an enslaved African, what type are you, and how can you heal yourself, your ancestors, and future generations (all at the same time)?

Read Ancestral Voices blog Communicating With Your Ancestors.

To start your journey in Ancestral Veneration take the To Know Thyself online course with Ancestral Essence.

Read the next post in my ‘Black His-story Month’ series: A Modern Day Plantation

In your service,