Why ancestors?

Pretty much every book about modern witchcraft that I’ve read will wax poetic about establishing a relationship with your ancestors, how they’re eternally indebted to their granny who showed them the secrets of witchcraft, how they feel the magic coursing through their bloodline. I’m generally unmoved by that sort of thing. But ancestral veneration has become a key part of my practice, and after doing it for a while, I see why so many people suggest beginners start out this way.

For one thing, ancestral veneration is a tradition seen around the world. Even if you’ve never participated yourself, your culture probably has some way of remembering and honoring the dead. When I was getting out of Christianity, I was still fairly sure that worshiping multiple gods would send me directly to hell. But I had celebrated All Soul’s before, I had helped my grandma at Decoration Day. Celebrating my ancestors was already something I knew was important. It provided the first stepping stones into a tradition I could call my own.

From there, it was a useful foundation to build up from. Ancestral work teaches you a lot about the practicalities of what I’ll call spirit work. It’s easy to make offerings that have importance when you know the people receiving the offerings. Giving unfamiliar land spirits an offering can be a shot in the dark, but I know that my great-grandmother has probably been searching heaven up and down looking for some dip. And truly, the ancestors just want recognition. A simple glass of water or a lit candle is all they need to know that you care, that you remember them. They’ll return the favor, too. Ancestor work is an excellent way to practice divination. In my experience, my ancestors are not shy about saying hi (they were so excited when I moved into my new place, every reading for a long while was “house! nice house! thanks for bringing us to this nice house!”). All of these skills are helpful for when you’re wanting to reach out to other sorts of spirits.

Having a strong foundation has come in handy for me lately as I’ve been dealing with burn-out—I can always return to the ancestors. This is what made me finally realize why so many books insist on ancestor work. Being your own priest and theologian and chaplain is hard, especially while fighting off religious trauma from the past. Some days, I don’t believe in god, much less the gods. But even if divinity really is just an illusion, I’ll always have ancestors. I came from somewhere. I don’t even particularly care if they’re there to hear me because contemplating the lives of those who came before me is grounding. I feel thankful for what it took to get me here, and I’m more aware of the gifts that I only have one lifetime to enjoy.

I hope this inspires you to try out an ancestral veneration practice if you haven’t already, or at least give you a new appreciation for it. I’m also working on an essay on what to do if you don’t really get along with your ancestors, so check that out too. The resources I have listed are wonderful places to learn more. I especially recommend the book Honoring Your Ancestors: A Guide to Ancestral Veneration by Mallorie Vaudoise for both beginners and people looking to strengthen their practice. Thanks for reading, wishing you the best.