Alters

[Summer]

I believe that putting up an alter to honor one's ancestors can be a very helpful thing, especially when one is going through an especially hard time. It is amazing how much the spirits of the dearly departed can actually help. This topic is something that a lot of people would find controversial, so I just wanted to share my own experiences with you so you can decide for yourself whether or not building some form of an alter is for you.

When I first became Lukumi, I was informed by the priest I went to that my enemies had sent me non-light witchcraft to try and keep me and my family from accomplishing anything we set out to do. I was very physically unhealthy and in a lot of pain. No doctor I ever went to could help me to understand WHY my body was hurting so much. I could barely function on any sort of normal level, and spent a lot of my time in bed trying to keep quiet while I suffered through the pain.. I was advised to build an ancestor alter, and advised to ask my ancestors to walk with me on a daily basis to help me through the rough time in my life. So I did as I was advised and had very positive results.

Sometimes one's problems can be so bad that it takes many years to resolve them. Something that it took me a while to understand. Sometimes healing rituals take a while to work, and sometimes it is almost instantaneous. Well in my case it took a long time. And if I wouldn't have had the strength of my spiritual ancestors behind me, and walking with me, there is no way that I could have lived through the terrible, undiagnosed back and chest pain I was in, let alone go to work, and function normally. My ancestors helped me and one of my daughters through some very hard times. For anyone whose health is bad, or anyone who seems to be going through an especially hard time, I would advise putting up and ancestor alter in order to help you through your hard time. It certainly worked for me and my family. So it's no wonder SO many of our Earth's religions have always believed in honoring the ancestors.

[Summer]

www.honor-ur-ancestors.com/thealtar.htm

Above is a link to a site where it describes in full detail how to make an ancestor alter. I do mine close to the same way as the website describes.

[Guest]

Myself have had several Altars of diffrent types. This ancestor altar sounds like a wonderful idea but what if your ancestors were negative?
most of my family was negative and where I used to live I have had some appear in rather feisty ways and I beleive some of them wanted to cause me spiritual pain.
So I guess for me this would not be good.

[pablo]

Hello Guest,


Here are a few suggestions. Pick the ancestors that were likely to be kindly towards you first. They will keep the hostile ones away unless you have really bad issues with them. So if you have a good grandparent of someone like that callon them first when setting up the altar

If you just keep asking for the good to visit the altar you will be fine. You will also begin to feel the prescence of the good ones. Don't worry about special prayers just pray from the heart.

BB

Pablo

[Summer]

I totally agree with Pablo on this one, Guest. The good ancestors would keep any of the ancestors that you have that wanted to cause you harm away if you asked them to. Plus, you may have other ancestors that you are unaware of that will answer your call/prayer to your ancestors and they would guide you and protect you as well.

In my opinion, we all have atleast one main spirit guide in our life. Your ancestor alter would also be for that spirit guide. So when you prayed/talked to your ancestors, you would also be talking to any spirit guides that you might have. It is my opinion that our spirit guides are people that we were very close to in a past life that are taking time out of the cycle of reincarnation specifically to walk by us and help us through our present life. I know that I have one, and I believe that everyone has at least one of them too.

[Thorn]

So, you can invite only specific ancestors? That's good to know.

I brought up the idea of creating ancestor altars to Francis and his response was "but, I don't like any of my family. The best part of them being dead is I don't have to deal with them anymore!" (He didn't exactly have a great childhood.) I was thinking when he said this, that they couldn't be all rotten, all the way back to Eve (metaphorically speaking), and was wondering if there was a way to exclude the nasty ones. I've got a grandfather I'm not exactly comfortable with the idea of hanging out with, myself.

So, yeah, thanks for the additional info.

[Summer]

Just don't include any pictures of the deceased relatives that you don't want to invite. Plus, don't ever call them by name. And when you feel you have made a connection with your other ancestors, and you WILL feel it at some point, have the good ancestors keep the "bad" ones away from you and the alter.

[Guest]

I will try this. Even though most of my relatives were negative it was just thier nature, I do have an Aunt who was rather sorta always looking out for me- and when she was in the hospital and died she had my number in her wallet to call in case of emergency so that has to say something.

[Summer]

Great, Guest! I am sure it will help you somehow in your life. It helps me greatly in mine.

[casilda]

I like this idea! I know when my Grandma died 12 years ago, I inherited her wall clock, and in a lot of ways I used to treat it as a kind of altar, thinking of her whenever winding, dusting etc.

When I visited India, I noticed there were lots of shrines/altars dotted around, and the same in Thailand too, and I think it's a shame that Western culture is so different.

I'm thinking of setting up an altar in my garden, I know I have to position it so the shadow of the house never falls on it, but I still have to do my research

[Summer]

If there is one thing that I think every beginner should do, it is create an ancestor alter. It is amazing how much the stregnth of one's ancestors can help one to get through one's life more easily. So I hope that you really get to make an alter in your garden, Fairlady.

[Summer]

I have been neglecting my ancestor's alter lately, and not keeping it up daily, and not speaking to my ancestors and praying at the alter much lately either. I have noticed that I am feeling more depressed, and I feel that my ancestors were really helping me and my family to process some negative energy in a more peaceful way. Because we are just having a LOT of chaos here again, like we did before the alter's were set up. So I am going to set up my ancestor alter again, and start working with my ancestors on a daily basis again. I will talk with them about things that I need help with, and pray at the alter with them. It is a very spiritual experience for me, and I ask them to clear me of any unwanted energies or influences. I am a natural born spiritualist, and need to do this on a more frequent basis than most people do. Life just gets more peaceful and seems a lot easier when my ancestors are watching over me and my family every day. It's a wonderful feeling to be protected by beings on the astral level.

[Summer]

Bump for Pastlifewizard.