The Most Overlooked Rituals for Connecting with Ancestral Spirits

It’s the time of year to connect to your ancestral spirits. Twice a year the veil between worlds comes closer to us in the living world, often blurring the lines between physical and spiritual. While closer to the veil you may hear more messages, see more signs, or maybe even see the corporeal form of a spirit. There’s nothing to fear when the spirit is your ancestor, since they come to aid you on your path in life (as well as revel in the life you’ve created). Here are the most overlooked rituals for strengthening and fortifying that connection between you and your ancestors.

Cook a Family Recipe

Food brings people together. Aside from your shared genes, the recipes you share with your family are the echoes that reverberate years and years into the future. How amazing is it that you could be making the same soup your great grandparents made? Can you feel their presence as you gather the ingredients and prepare the meal? That’s the goal with this method of ancestral connection!

Food has historically been a bridge that brings people closer, so it should never be underestimated as a means to connect with your ancestor spirits. Whether it’s cookies, stews or casseroles, making a family meal with intention can be an amazing way to connect to your lineage. Be sure to leave out a portion for your ancestors to enjoy as well this rituals. You should always leave a plate out for them to eat with you, thus inviting them to strengthen their connection to the physical world. Just remember to put your phone down and be present with them!

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Write a Letter

The ancient Egyptians–having a famously celebrated reverence for the dead–used to practice writing letters to those who have passed. The same practice can be done today with much the same effect. Perhaps you have some questions for your ancestors, or a message you’d like to send them. Write it down and leave the letter on an altar for them to read.

You can even practice reading the letter out loud to them. Once you feel comfortable with this verbal communication you might find that you wish to speak to them more often. For example, perhaps you miss your mom and need her advice. Ask your questions out loud. No, the goal is not to hear her reply back (unless you’re clairaudient), it’s to trust that her guidance will find its way to you in some way, shape or form.

Wear or Use Their Things

Do you have grandma’s necklace? Maybe you have a pocket watch that belonged to your great uncle? Using and wearing the things that belonged to your loved ones passed is an easy and effective way to call their spirits home to you.

Another way to amp up the magick on this practice is to find a picture of them wearing it, or even a letter where they mention the item. This helps to solidify the connection you are making between yourself and your loved one.

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Get Into Genealogy

Family trees can be long and complicated things, but the ritual of genealogy can help you to connect with your ancestors. As a hobby, this is about more than a DNA test or a genealogy website. Start by talking to your parents. Ask them for the names and other details like birth dates and places of their family. 

In fact, the largest benefit of this practice of genealogy is that it offers you an opportunity to talk to your family members. They are, after all, a part of your lineage and therefore living members of your spirit team. The more you hear their stories, the stronger your connection to the dead and the living will be.

Partake in Their Favorite Past times

One sure fire way to create a solid bond with your ancestors is to do their favorite things during the rituals. Perhaps your aunt had a rose garden she was passionate about. Through the practice of caring for and maintaining your own rose bushes you can establish a stronger bond with her. You can even go so far as to put your own spin on their hobbies, so instead of growing roses you could press them or get into flower arranging.

This is a particularly good habit to get into if your family had a certain trade, hobby or thing of the like they were known for. Things like medicinal salves and balms, pie making, quilting and jewelry making can connect you to your past. This is especially potent if you can learn first hand from a relative. If that’s not available, you can always make an altar and ask your relatives to help you guide you as you learn the trade!

Light a Candle

This is the most simple ritual on the list, and therefore can be done when guidance is needed quickly. Lighting a candle and calling out to your loved ones is a quick and easy way to work with your ancestors. However, if you are going to rush them, do make it for a good reason.

Candles have long since been used to guide our loved ones home to us in this dark time of the year. Lighting candles outside your home helps bring them inside. Lighting candles on your altar to them will guide them to their offerings. As they “consume” the offerings left, their ability to reach you in the world of the living is strengthened. With this knowledge I offer you this piece of advice: it is best to not guide the spirits to your bedroom since they do not sleep. It’s not fun to wake up at 3am everyday, even if it is your grandparents who are the ghosts waking you up!

Meet Them For a Cemetery Date

If you are easily able to access your loved ones final resting places, then you may want to try a picnic date with them. It is not uncommon for loved ones to have a picnic at the cemetery with their loved ones on special days like holidays and birthdays. You don’t need a special reason to go visit with your deceased loved ones though! Grab some lunch for you and your ancestors and pull up a chair to enjoy their company.

After a few visits to your ancestors’ graves, you might want to ask if it is alright for you to take some graveyard dirt with you to go. Always ask before taking graveyard dirt! If, during this ritual, you want to invite your ancestors to come home with you, you can leave the dirt on an altar. However, we can also use this particularly potent dirt for protection.