From our earliest origins we as a species have kindled a sacred relationship with our dead. Fueled by a belief in the continued existence of the soul and the ability of the dead to influence the lives and events of the living, the cult of the ancestors arose as our most primordial and universal tradition. Our ancestors are our strongest allies, teachers, and guides unconditionally looking over us on the spiritual plane. They are our blood-link to the land and to the realm of the unknown, to the rhythms of nature and to the world of spirits and gods, they petition on our behalf and are there to welcome us once our mortal journey has come to an end. Through devotion and offerings we invite them back into our lives and uphold our responsibility to thank, honor, and empower them. Ancestor veneration is both our duty and our privilege. This is an ancient and visceral path, one that taps into the very essence of who we are, and from where we came.
Unfortunately, many of us today live in a society that is far removed from the traditions of the ancestor cult and the veneration of the dead. Sure, household practices have sprinkled into the modern west via the African diaspora and indigenous folk traditions; however, they are for the most part absent from the mainstream. Modernity has birthed a culture that is so hellbent on defying nature and extending youth that it has developed a repulsion to aging and death. Rather than being part of the natural cycle of spiritual existence – a new beginning as understood by countless traditional societies, death is viewed as a finality, a tainted and unclean evil that is detested and feared.
Our dead are rushed away to cold sterile facilities where they are stored until a method of disposal is agreed upon. Any contact with them is deemed unsanitary. Any attempt to communicate with them is considered odd at best, insane at worst, or even illegal. The only ‘healthy’ interaction with the dead is an occasional visit to a cemetery during operating hours or the keepsake of a cremation urn tucked away in some remote corner of the house. Out of sight, out of mind, this is the healing methodology we have inherited… a process that hinges on the ability to ‘let go’ rather than to welcome in.
This mentality has infected and hindered modern western occultism and our reconstructed magical traditions from Wicca to Ceremonial Magick. Rather than embracing the dead and our ancestors as our closest connection to the spirit world, we have all but forgotten them. Necromancy – and yes, this includes working with the ancestors – is considered too taboo, too dangerous and too “black magic” for many neopagans and occultists. The aspiring magician or witch is left searching the tomes of grimoires and the wilds of nature seeking unfamiliar spiritual allies rather than first opening up to the ancestral spirits; those who have always been there to protect and empower us. We run headfirst into the world of spirit without first learning how to walk. However, all is not lost, the esoteric mindscape is changing and every year more material is being published discussing the importance of the dead and the ancestors in western tradition.
Blood Ancestors, Communal Ancestors & The Mighty Dead
So who are the ancestors? Well, the most obvious ones are our immediate family, our parents who have passed, our grandparents, great-grandparents, and so forth. These are the ones that first come to mind when thinking about ancestor veneration as their photos adorn the ancestral altars and shrines around the world. We reach out to these familial spirits first because they retain the strongest connections with the living and are the most concerned with our wellbeing and success. Yet, we do not honor them because of what they can do for us, but rather because of what they have done for us, and what we can now do for them.
These beloved dead are just embarking on the next stage of their spiritual journey, and we CAN help them. Through our offerings and prayers we empower them on this path of spiritual evolution as they join the ranks of our most ancient and elevated dead. They are the continuity between us – the living- and that primordial ancestral thread at the heart of all spiritual traditions.
The other group of ancestors are the generational and communal ancestors who have risen to this state through heroic deeds or as progenitors of a lineage – biological or spiritual (as in an initiatory lineage). In antiquity these were the great heroes and heroines celebrated in the stories of myth and lore. Some of these were even elevated – or evolved– to the status of deity. These mighty dead are the shared ancestors of a tribe, ethnic group and even a genetic pool. The most ancient of these are nothing less than the ancestors of all mankind! A truth irrefutably written in our DNA.
Indeed, the latest genetic research traces the origin of all modern humans to a small tribe in eastern Africa some 70,000 years ago. This handful of brave souls – ancestors to us all – endured and survived against all odds and literally every single person alive today contains a portion of their DNA. It is truly awe inspiring and humbling to think in such vast timelines, and the more we explore our remote past, the more amazing our ancestral story becomes. We simply would not be here had our distant australopithecine ancestors not stood on two legs and ventured across the African savannah, 3.5 million years ago. Or had homo habilis not bequeathed the gift of tool making, or homo erectus not passed down the promethean gift of fire.
Whether viewed from a mythic or evolutionary perspective, the story of our species is one wrought with innovation, heroism, and bravery. We have inherited this gift of humanity, this legacy of consciousness and enduring spirit, from our prehistoric ancestors. Regardless of race, ethnicity, religion or culture without these truly mighty dead, none of us would be here today!
Working with our immediate ancestors can open this window to explore our deepest ancestry and what it means to be human. Here we uncover a spiritual thread that has weaved through the fabric of time and pushed us forward as a species. Our ancestors link us to this ever-present source of inspiration and fortitude – this thread of blood and spirit that reaffirms our sense of place and belonging; here, living and dying upon this earth.
This writing was originally published 13 August 2015 on the Voces-Magicae website