Ancestral Veneration: Getting Started

Life is a learning experience. So is Death. It’s a journey, if you will. The dirt of our loved ones empowers us within each waking moment.

“Speak to us, Dearly Beloveds, do not leave us behind, for we are aching!”

“We are here. We have never left. The world is different now. We are not separate, only across the veil.”

Practices like Hoodoo and Folk magic are all good, but your ancestors give you power.

Years ago, I had an argument with a good friend of mine over the practice of Hoodoo. I came to realize that the reason why Hoodoo works is because of a Spirit, even if you do not call on one. My friend argued that No, Hoodoo is magic and magic alone. It was brought to the Southern American states by African slaves. It is not a religion, it is magic. Period.

While all that information is correct, the following questions remained: what exactly pushes the magic? How can you light and candle and say a prayer without the presence of Spirits? Something needs to happen on the physical world as well as the Spiritual in order to create a change.

With any type of magical practice, no matter the prayer or spell, Spirit work is your most powerful tool. I’m not talking about Deities, Orishas or Gods/Goddesses. I’m talking about your ancestral dead: family members that have died, including an endless list of beings all the way down through the ages.

Your ancestral team is an Army at your disposal just waiting for you. The one thing about working with ancestors, which is totally amazing, is that they belong to YOU and only you. No matter how much magic someone throws at you, your ancestors have your back. 

How Do You Start Working with Ancestors?

The most basic way to work with your ancestors is with a white candle and a glass of water. It can be as simple or elaborate as you like. Most commonly the ancestral altar is associated with the color white. You can display photos or things that they owned during their lifetime.

There is one rule, however. You must not under any circumstances put a photo of the living with your dead.

When I approach my ancestral altar, I pray one Our Father and three Hail Marys. This is not only for them, but for me as well. It helps me transition into a meditative state so that I can easily receive messages. Besides that, a lot of my most recently deceased ancestors were Catholic. This is what they like as well.

You don’t have to start with Our Father and Hail Mary, but it is what I personally do. Then I will follow with Prayer of Veneration. The following prayer comes from the Eastern Orthodox tradition, which is said over the deceased by the family members:

Dear God, to the Spirits and every create that was victorious against Death and destroyed the Devil and to the World they gave your life—God, may you yourself comfort and calm those souls of your deceased children (State the Names of your Deceased Relatives) and everyone whose names I don’t know and never met. Keep them in a place of light, in a blessed place; where there is no pain, no worry, no sigh, every sin that they made with word, deed or thought—forgive them as the good and loving God that you are. Because there is no man that lives and doesn’t sin. Only you are without sin and your justice is eternal justice and your word is truth. Amen.

The Veneration Prayer elevates your ancestors and brings those who are suffering to the light.

Once you start helping your ancestors in the Spiritual world, they will reciprocate in the physical world. Since they are Spirits, they are able to see and hear things that you can’t. They can hear the thoughts of your peers. They can see any supernatural activity around you. Once the connection is harnessed, you will be protected. You will start having dreams and strange occurrences will happen too.