ANCESTOR REVERENCEFoundations in New Orleans Voodoo

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What is Ancestor Reverence?

• Ancestor reverence is remembering those who have gone on before you

• Ancestors are blood relatives, archetypal and historical ancestors, and anyone who has passed on before you that has had a big influence on you or whom you admire

• Ancestor reverence is knowing who your ancestors are going back seven generations

Ancestor Reverence is a Birthright

• Everyone has the power, ability and the right to communicate with their ancestors.

• Communication with the ancestors happens at the ancestral altar and in the dreamtime.

Your Lineage

• To know who you are, you should know who your ancestors are.

• Identify your ancestors going back seven generations.• If you cannot find this information after making a

sincere effort, use archetypal and historical figures to fill in the gaps.

Who is Your Lineage?

• Your lineage is your mother and father, your mother’s mother and father and your father’s mother and father, going back seven generations. You will have four people for each generation.

• This will take some time so don’t rush it. Talk to your family members and find out as much as you can. For generations you are unable to identify, use historical figures you admire or archetypal ancestors, i.e. the Good Mother, Protective Father, etc.

Setting Spiritual Boundaries

• When you begin communicating with your ancestors, you are opening a spiritual door that will allow anyone to come through unless you specify otherwise.

• You have a right to set boundaries with your spiritual relationships just as with your physical relationships.

Why Set Spiritual Boundaries?

• If you have ancestors who were abusive, had severe problems with substance abuse, experienced traumatic deaths, or committed suicide, you should exclude them from your regular ancestor communication.

• The reason for this is because the problems they had when they were in this world are carried over to the spirit world and if you call them into your sacred space, you are also calling the troublesome spirits that accompanied their deaths.

Troublesome Spirits Associated with Ancestors

• Drugs and alcohol are spirits, trauma is a spirit, mental illness is a spirit, violence and abuse are spirits, and each individual type of substance, trauma and mental illness is also a spirit.

• Working with these troublesome spirits requires an in- depth understanding of their nature.

• There are rituals to be performed to work with troublesome spirits.

• Working with these troublesome spirits is advanced work and will not be covered in this class.

Why Exclude Certain Ancestors?

• The reason you are to exclude certain ancestors is because these spirits require elevation. If they are not elevated and you do not have the experience to handle troublesome spirits, they wreak all sorts of havoc in your life.

• It is not an act of disrespect to exclude them. On the contrary, it is an act of respect.

• Elevation of ancestors requires specific rituals that are not appropriate for beginning practitioners.

How to Set Spiritual Boundaries

• To set spiritual boundaries, you must name the ancestors by calling out their names and telling them that they are not allowed in your sacred space at this time.

• After you call out their names, tell them why they cannot come. This should be done firmly but with compassion.

• Calling out the names of excluded ancestors happens after you have called out your ancestors going back seven generations.

Creating a Spiritual Seal

• Once you have set your spiritual boundary, you must seal it with a bowl of water that contains water, a perfume or cologne such as Florida water, and your own essence (see Ancestor Reverence article).

• Sealing the boundary lets your ancestors know in no uncertain terms that you are in charge. It is a way to create a safe spiritual environment.

Building the Ancestral Shrine

• Once you have identified your lineage, your ancestors that should be excluded, and put your seal in place, you are ready to prepare your sacred space.

• Just as you clean house and prepare for family visits in the physical world, the same should be done for spiritual family members.

Preparing Sacred Space

• Building the ancestral altar starts with preparing sacred space.

• The room should be clean and free of clutter.• Uncleanliness and clutter attracts negative spirits and

undesirable family spirits.• It is said that when the good spirits come to visit each

morning before dawn, they will pass you by if your home is not clean. If your home is clean, they will leave their blessings.

Smudging

• Smudging is the act of using the smoke of sacred herbs and incense to purify the environment.

• In addition to the environment, you should also smudge yourself and your altar.

Self

Altar

Environment

What Goes on the Ancestral Shrine?

• Bowl of water (your spiritual seal)• Photos and mementos of your ancestors• White candle• White cloth• Incense• 9 different types of earth• Refer to the Ancestor Reverence handout for detailed

instructions on how to build the ancestral shrine.

Make a Commitment

• Once you have built your shrine and communicate with your ancestors, make a commitment to speak with them regularly. Once a week, once a month or daily…the frequency is not as important as keeping your commitment.

Ancestor Reverence Flow Chart

Identify ancestors

7 generations back

Set spiritual boundaries

Create Seal

Smudge Build Shrine Make Commitment

Precautions

• As benign as ancestor reverence may seem, it is working with the dead and working with the dead has the potential for danger. It is essential that you follow the directions provided and do not take shortcuts.

• If you experience troublesome spirits, tell them to leave and stop invoking the ancestral spirits. Speak to your teacher for further guidance and use your altar as a place of remembrance only until the issue has been deemed resolved.

Remember...

© www.crossroadsuniversity.com

We do not worship the ancestors, we revere them. Developing a relationship with the ancestors is the single most important thing you can do to ensure success in all of your ritual endeavors.