ANCESTOR REVERENCE

Every human being alive has ancestors (deceased relatives) and

it does not matter what walk of life you are from.  We can all relate
to death on some level and this keeps us connected whether we
realize it or not.  Because of this and for many other reasons, so
many are intrigued with spirit communication and ancestral
reverence.  Spirit communication has been long practiced, not just
by our ancient ones, but by today's aspirants and spiritualist
(espiritita) as well.  In general, spirit communication proves the
continuity of life after death which in turn gives comfort to those
missing and in need of guidance from their deceased loved ones.  
Yet, for devotees, the spirit world is explored for information and
truths about human and spirit life.    The primary purpose of this
site is to help individuals maintain that spirit connection for a
better way of life.  Whereas most people seek religion to be
saved, I am offering people the opportunity through guided
spirituality and the connection to spirit to save themselves.
 
I created this site to highlight the importance of ancestor
veneration and the importance of african spirituality from a broad
prospective that is not discriminatory.  And although the focus of
this site pertains to African culture, spirituality, and the various
religious practices and traditions of our African ancestors such as
Egungun/Egun, Ifa/Yoruba, Lucumi/Lukumi, Orisa/Orisha worship,
Santeria, and Vodou/Voodoo; the spiritually guided techniques on
this site can be applied to just about anyone within any culture
and that includes even those who are interested in such things as
altars and altar setup, ancestral/spirit prayers, healing, life after
death, and guardian angels.  This site was also created to bring
positive awareness to those who are mis or uninformed and to
bring enlightenment to those searching for good sound
information on how to honor their ancestors, guardian angels, and
spirit guides.
 
The concept of ancestor veneration and eggun/egun worship is
not "witch" craft in the negative context as many have been led to
believe.  Aspirants and initiates of Candomble, Ifa/Yoruba,
Lucumi/Lukumi, Orisa/Orisha, Regla de Ocha, Santeria, Vodou/
Voodoo and the egungun/egun communities take pride in this
form of ancient culture.  However, ancestor reverence is totally
misunderstood by millions because of misinterpreted, hidden, lost,
and forgotten historical information on its true purpose and
foundation especially pertaining to Black Amerikans.  However,
there are those who are familiar with its vision but have chosen to
take a relaxed attitude toward its importance.  Either way and in
many cases, it is my belief that many of the problems that we
suffer today in our families and in our communities from mental
illness, family dysfunction, verbal and physical abuse, drug
addiction, violence, alcoholism, suicide, and other forms of self-
destructive behaviors can come from spirits, ancestors, or karmic
connections to our loved ones who have not been appeased,
properly cared for in death, or on some level they have not
elevated into the "LIGHT" or "HIGHER VIBRATIONAL REALMS"
so that their souls can be at peace. And since they are not at
peace, these entities cause us, in the living, to suffer in our
families and in our communities and as a result we continue to
experience social malevolence, emotional and mental confusions,
and spiritual problems that in many cases are directly linked to
our severed connection to our past, resulting in repeated neglect
of not properly take care of our ANCESTORS.
 

THE ANCESTORS
 

Many people have heard of honoring one's ancestors, but what

does this really mean?  There is a much deeper and more
beautiful meaning to ancestor and spirit veneration than what one
may think from all of the other broader and inferior meanings that
we have been led to believe.  For one, ancestor veneration in
many cases has been associated with some kind of craft that
pertains to "witchery".  And in many instances, many people have
felt that by honoring their loved ones or spirit beings through ritual
and offerings, they feel an association to guilt that makes them
uncomfortable for which they begin to think that they are engaging
in something wrong, however, this is so far from the truth that it
becomes disheartening.  Some even feel guilty to offer candle
light and prayers to their ancestors.
 

It is a fact that our ancestors believed in life after death.  They

believed that death was a continuation of life, just in another world
- the invisible world.  From an African perspective, ancestor
veneration served many purposes.  For one, many societies
within Africa believed that the deceased not only needed a proper
funeral, burial, and cleansing rites but it was also very important
that the deceased be freed or released from bad deeds.  In these
instances, friends and relatives would gather around the body at
the grave site and each person would recount all the bad deeds
that the deceased did during their lifetime and after listening to all
the misdeeds, they would all announce that they have forgiven
him/her since he/she is now dead.
 

If the deed or the debt was financial in nature, a surviving family

member would offer to pay off the debt.  This was all done to
ensure a smooth and easy transition from the land of the living to
the realm of spirit.  For it was the belief that since the deceased
was totally cleansed and freed from bad deeds, he/she would
have no other reason to linger in the lower realms to haunt or
cause chaos amongst its family members or community.  On the
contrary, the spirit would be happy and free to ascend to higher
realms of obtaining supernatural powers that could be accessed
and bestowed upon family and the community during periodic
spiritual visits from the deceased that would provide blessings,
protection, long life, prosperity, good harvest, fertility, or whatever
the desires, prayers, and requests were from those still in the
living.  Death was not to mourn, but it was a celebration of
SPIRIT of continued life; a festive time of drumming, singing,
dancing, drinking and eating - all to honor the dead fro it is
believed that to honor the ancestors is to honor your lineage, your
culture, and your roots and is the first step to reclaiming your
spiritual heritage.  Therefore, the ancestors were and still are to
this day consulted by many for guidance, prayed to, venerated
with rituals and are given offerings for their continued influence on
the living by helping them to resolve their day-to-day problems.

THE ANCESTORS
 

What is an ancestor or who can be considered an ancestor? 

Depending on the culture, the definition of ancestor has many
meanings.  In some cultures you cannot be considered an
ancestor unless you have lived a good standing, morally correct
life.  In other cultures, women are not considered ancestors at all. 
However and generally speaking for most, “ancestor veneration”
or “ancestor worship” (meaning to maintain an ongoing
relationship with those who have departed) is not only a tradition
shared amongst our Afrikan ancestors, but the concept has
existed through almost every known culture including various
parts of Afrika, the Pacific, South American, Indonesia, certain
parts of India and Indochina, even among those who have
converted to Islam or Christianity.  Even Jewish people have been
known to light candles and say special prayers honoring their
family memberʼs anniversary of death.  And in celebration of All
Soulʼs Day, many honor the dead by putting gifts, flowers and
food on the graves of their family members for it is believed that
once death occurs, the physical body is left to decay and the soul
transits into the realm of spirit where such spirit continues to live
as an ancestor or a spirit guide.  And in many instances, the living
will leave money, cloths, animals, and messages at gravesites of
their deceased relatives in hopes that the deceased might use
these things on their journey.  In addition, many cultures will honor
the dead with festivals, drumming, singing, dancing, and drinking
for it is believed that to honor our ancestors is to honor our
lineage and our roots and is the first step to reclaiming our
spiritual heritage.  Therefore, the ancestors are consulted for
guidance, prayed to, venerated with rituals and are given offerings
for their continued influence on the living by helping them to
resolve their day-to-day problems.

Because so many cultures, primarily outside of the United States,

believe that the invisible world plays such an enormous part in
every day life, it is custom and is extremely important to pay a
great deal of attention to the dead and the ancestral family.  I think
we all can agree that death is a universal fact and is the inevitable
end of all human life.  However, in many cultures, life does not
just end there.  The soul continues on, just, in another form (spirit)
and in another world.  It is also believed by many that the dead
are reborn into family members so that they can finish whatever
business they were not able to finish while on earth and for these
reasons a great deal of concern, care, time, and money is spent
on proper burial rites.  From the preparation of the body all the
way through to the prayers, ceremonies, and sacrifices given to
help ensure that the deceased is satisfied and appeased for an
easy transition from the land of the living to the land of the dead. 
For it is believed that if proper funeral rites are not performed for
the deceased, the spirit of the dead person will become a ghost to
roam the world without peace, lost and confused with the abilities
to harm and haunt people and relatives until it gains attention and
proper acknowledgment of the proper burial rights, prayers,
offerings, or ceremonies that will bring contentment to its soul.

Traditionally in Afrika, “ancestors” were called “egungun” and

were viewed as departed family members: parents, children,
grandparents, aunts and uncles.  Egungun is a society of people
who believed in the continued existence of the ancestors in the
life of the living.  They believed that there is a the link between the
dead and the living and that the egungun represented ancestral
spirits that would return from heaven to visit and periodically
commune with the living during a 7-day festival where honor is
given and sacrifices are offered at shrines specifically set for the
ancestor spirits.

How important is ancestor reverence?  Lets see, try to put

yourself in the shoes of your ancestors.  If you were an ancestor
and your family members and friends were to just forget about
you, how would you feel? If you were alone, lost, and confused in
the spirit realm and there was no one person praying for you or
giving you light so that you could find your way, what would you
do?  If you wanted to save someone or help them to better their
life and they just ignored your messages, would you give up?  If
you wanted forgiveness or just wanted know that you were still
loved, and there was no one to show you some attention and your
efforts were ignored, wouldnʼt you feel alone and abandoned? 
And God forbid, but, if you were ill and approaching death or you
died suddenly, how important would it be to you that someone,
even if one person, were to remember you?

ANCESTRAL HEALING
 

Now, in my continued search to further validate my point about

the importance of ancestor veneration amongst various cultures, I
came across another article online written by David Furlong called
“Healing Your Ancestral Patterns” where he talks about the need
to grab every opportunity to heal our ancestral family lines
because we are all linked to the universe through our ancestry.  In
this article, Mr. Furlong enlightens us with an excerpt from a book
called “Karma and Reincarnation” by Dr. Hiroshi Motoyama, Head
Priest of the Shinto Tamamitsu sect of Japan which states:

                      “The parent/child connection manifests as one link in a

long chain of ancestral karma that stretches back through time. 
Your link to your family allows you to be born into that specific line
– it is a link that needs to be understood and respected.  In this
modern scientific age it is very difficult for people to accept the
fact that they are responsible to their ancestors, that they are
actually liable for the actions of their ancestors if the resulting
karma has not yet been dissolved.  Many find it absurd to think
that the actions of an unknown ancestor could possibly have
anything to do with what is happening to them today.  But time
and time again when investigating someoneʼs karma, I find
problems that stretch back generations.  Their spirit is not just an
individual entity, it is also part of the family spirit that births and
nurtures it.”

Even in the bible, Numbers 14:18, there is reference to us as

children suffering for the sins of our forefathers even unto the third
and fourth generations clearly suggesting how integral the
ancestors are to our lives and how we must learn and teach
prayer and sacrifice including the giving of ourselves to keep us in
harmony with our lineage.  This article further makes it clear that
many cultures, both sophisticated and primitive, pay a great deal
of attention to the ancestral family line proving that this form of
veneration is one of the most widespread of all religious belief
systems.

Many people venerate all of their ancestors without any emotional

problems or hang ups but there are some who find it
uncomfortable or they feel bitter about giving veneration to
ancestors that have been abusive in some way or another
whether emotionally, physically, sexually, and/or verbally.  While in
many cases, it is understandable why someone may not want to
venerate an ancestor that has caused harm to him/her or to
another loved one, however it is my plea to keep in mind that you
must TRY TO forgive.  Of course, it is up to you and what makes
you comfortable.  I know this is easier said than done but when
we forgive, we heal ourselves.  Many times, ancestors who have
done wrong in life will seek light and prayer from you, wanting
forgiveness, wanting repentance, and wanting to give, help, and
do for you on the other side what they did not get to do in life, all
because they have transitioned through "The Light of
Understanding" and have come to realize their mistakes now that
they reside on the other side.  If you can find it in your heart to
pray for your ancestors who have done wrong, then great, it not,
then you must do what makes you comfortable.

    [If you choose to pray for an ancestor that has caused harm to
you or a loved one, you can say a brief prayer that you forgive
them and that you pray for the soul of {name of person} to elevate
and find the light, peace, and love in God that he or she needs
that will bring peace to you, your family, and your home.]

Either way, we need to pray for healing, for both the deceased, for
ourselves and for generations to come so that we can alleviate as
many dysfunctional and abusive patterns as we can so that they
will cease and will no longer plague any member of the family
line, directly or indirectly.  On another note, we also need to pray
for ancestral healing from karmic energy.  Many of us have heard
of karmic energy that affects an individual singly but multiple
family members as a whole can also carry karmic energy, whether
negative or positive.  From a negative aspect, I am sure that you
can think of at least one family that just cannot get it together –
they struggle and suffer for many reasons.    These families can
carry a karmic energy of sickness, poverty, death, or even mental
illness.  While in other families; drugs and judicial problems are
prevalent.  Some would even view this type of enery as a
generational curse.

 
Through ancestral healing, whether through prayers, rituals, or
ceremonies we can work to heal our ancestors in the spirit realm
so that they can help us to heal in the living for a better way of
living.  For this reason, I have written an "Ancestral Healing
Prayer" that can be said at your altar or at any time that you get
the feeling to help not just the deceased but yourself in the
healing process.

ANCESTRAL HEALING PRAYER

 

I offer light and pour libation with respect and honor for all my
ancestors whose names I know (say all the names that you know)
and all the ones I donʼt know to uplift and liberate their soul(s) in
the name and light of the Almighty God.  For it is through the love,
the will, and the power of God that all souls are saved.

I offer prayer and protection by way of the Divine Creator for

those ancestral souls that are in darkness, forgotten, or lost.  Let
the light I offer fade out the shadows of fear and guide them
toward the arms of God.

 
I offer guidance to my ancestors by way of the Guardian Angels
and Protective Spirits who by the power and order of God will
assist them in their greater act of evolution.  Let the light I offer be
a Beacon of Hope and serve as an escape and protective shield
from the shadows of despair.

I offer love, compassion, and comfort to those ancestral souls that

are suffering and depressed.  Let the light I offer lead them from
discord and the miseries of their souls to the sanctuary of God
and the joys of heavenly bliss.

I offer healing by way of the Supreme Being on all spiritual levels

for those ancestors who were abused, afflicted, deceived,
enslaved, hated, lonely, misguided, neglected, oppressed, pained,
saddened, traumatized, and died tragically.  Let the light I offer to
their souls inspire clemency, liberation, faith, love and harmony
from today onward.

I offer forgiveness to the ancestral souls that want to repent,

sincerely, for the error of their ways in both realms of life and
death.  Let this light guide them to the truth, enlightenment and
righteousness of God.

 
In addition, I forgive those ancestors that committed wrongs that
have set their generational line “us that are living” in barrenness. 
And I forgive those ancestors whose past sins Iʼve had to suffer
as a result of their own naivety, ignorance and inferior habits and
traits.  Let the light I offer serve as a reminder for us in the living
to acknowledge and learn not to make the same mistakes as the
ones who lived before us.

In every way, I forgive those ancestors who need it most so that

their souls will embrace in positive gratification a new and
improved way of living in the spirit realm and that those souls will
elevate in peace and awaken to eternal life as God promised.