Ancestor Altar
While there are many ways to connect with your ancestors.
Honoring your ancestors is the first step in reclaiming your spiritual heritage.
Without realizing it, we often carry the ancestors on our backs because they are apart of us and they are always around when needed to help and guide us.
Building a connection with your Ancestors is way to honor and give reverence to your ancestors and loved ones; to honor their lives, and the paths they paved before us and during us.
It also serves as a daily remembrance of those close to you who have crossed.
How to Create Your Own Authentic Ancestor Altar
Laying the foundation, An ancestor altar is an important because it honors loved ones who have passed. While each altar is different in style and size, most share symbolic objects and meaningful and unique items to communicate with them.
1. Identify a location for your altar in the house. Your altar can be on a table, a shelf, a window ledge, or a nightstand.
2. Put together a list of the names or gather photos of your ancestors going back as far as you remember. The list and photos should include your direct ancestors, that is, your biological mother and father, and their biological mothers and fathers, and so on. You may also include other ancestors, including anyone who nurtured you for a significant length of time, especially when you were a child.
(Remember, if you gather photos, there can’t be any living person or relatives in the photo with them. This is an altar for the dead)
3.Find a beautiful cloth; a white cloth or a cloth that represent your family.
4. Gather elements to put on the table with your ancestors. Elements that represents: earth, air, fire and water; however in my culture we add another element for protection and that element is either wood or metal.
Earth: Flowers and Plants
Air: Incense Sticks, Incense Stick Holder incense of your choice, or cigarettes and cigars if your ancestors were smokers, are air elements
Fire: Representing “fire,” one of the four elements of nature, a lit candle helps light the way for the spirit to enter and return. A white 7 day candle will do or you can do a white tea light candle.
Water: A glass of water placed on the altar awaits a thirsty, travel-weary soul. It also represents “water,” one of the four elements of nature
*BONUS* element wood or metal: Knife, a machete, a shank, and a statue of someone powerful or a family animal and etc for protection and to ware off negative energy and It gives your ancestor a weapon to use against any lingering spirit that may follow and harm them.
(On my ancestor altar in my culture, I have Fu Foo Biting A Sword: Fu Foo, also called guardian lion, as one of the auspicious beast, is a symbol of success, prosperity, and guardianship to wear off lingering bad spirit. Also, I have a Yin Yang Bagua Mirror: Bagua mirror is a powerful cure to protect against negative energy so as to create good fortune and harmony. In ancient China, people hung Bagua mirrors to protect a house or place of business from the negative energy as well.)
Essential items needed on altar.
Food and Beverage: it's customary to present your ancestors with a regular option for food and drink. Some spiritual systems encourage practitioners to keep a glass of fresh water on the altar at all times, changing it out on the same day each week. If your ancestors prefer something other than water, give it to them! Wine, whiskey, coffee, and tea are all perfectly alternatives. Also you can give them their favor food while on earth or whatever it is that your serving that day.You can also serve desserts as well.
Divination tools: Keep your favorite divination tools on your altar so that you can communicate with family members who might have some wisdom to pass your way. Whether you use tarot cards, a pendulum, runes, crystals, or some other form of divination, keeping your tools on your altar will help charge them with your ancestors' power and energy.
Bible or Holy Quran or a cross: something symbolizes your belief system
Family heirlooms: if you can’t find of picture, you can use a something that was passed down from generation to generation
Towel and soap: A towel and soap are left on the altar for the spirits to refresh themselves after a long journey.
This should sum up some idea what to have on your altar, do as you see fit as you would greet your ancestor if they were still here on earth.
Let’s get started
Whatever you decide to do, make your ancestor altar uniquely personal. Welcome your ancestors into your home, give them a space of their own, and you'll find that they’re going to bless you with abundance, wisdom, guidance, and protection—all because you took the time to get to know them and invite them into your life. Your ancestors are ready to speak to you, if you'll just take the time to listen to them.