Honouring And Connecting With Your Ancestors

Honouring ancestors is a profound and sacred practice in many spiritual and magical traditions. For witches, connecting with the spirits of those who came before us can provide wisdom, protection, and guidance. Whether you seek to honour direct family members or ancestral spirits of the land and tradition, there are many ways to cultivate a meaningful relationship with them.


One thing to note before we get started is that you don't necessarily need to know who your ancestors are. Some families can be complicated, including mine, and we may be left with very limited knowledge as to our lineage. This doesn't matter; trust that whether you are aware of them or not, your ancestors are watching over you, and can be honoured accordingly.


One of the main questions that often arises is, what if my ancestors were bad people? Should I still honour them? I feel that the answer to this depends wholly on your personal preference. Whilst we can bear in mind that our ancestors lived in different times and faced challenges or societal pressures we cannot relate to now, it is up to you to determine if you are comfortable working with those whose actions may be questionable. I personally do; I may not be condoning some of the actions my ancestors took, but I still wish to acknowledge that without them, I would not be here today and living a life for which I'm grateful for. So, as with most things in witchcraft and spiritualism, work within your own boundaries.


Below are a few ideas to help you connect with your ancestors.

1. Create an Ancestral Altar

Setting up a dedicated space for your ancestors helps focus your intent and invite their presence into your life. Now, I know that setting up an altar is pretty par for the course when working with anything which involves veneration; before long, you have an altar for each deity, an altar for certain spirits, an altar for healing, and you pretty much can't move for altars taking up your space! When I say 'altar', even just a small, dedicated spot on the corner of some shelving will do (which is what I personally have gone for).


Great items to include on your altar include photographs of deceased family members, ancestral symbols (such as a coat of arms) or heirlooms, a small bowl of water (as water is associated with the dead and travelling to the underworld), and a small bowl or plate on which to leave offerings. I also have a 'scroll' (a piece of rolled up paper) on which I have written the name of every ancestor I am aware of (mostly through tracing back my family history), which I often use as a focal point when I am working with or honouring my ancestors.


Make sure that you visit the altar regularly, keep it clean and tidy, leave offerings, or even just to say 'hi'.



2. Offerings and Libations

Providing offerings is a timeless way to show respect and gratitude to your ancestors. There are many different types of offerings you can make; food and drink your ancestors might have enjoyed, incense or herbs, coins, shells, and other natural items, or even songs or poems you have written. I find that leaving offerings which are personal to you can help nurture the connection. You can also share in these offerings with your ancestors. For example, I will often make two cups of tea - one for me, and one for my grandmother who has passed and whom I was very close to - and I will leave one cup on my altar and drink the other. I like to think I am 'sharing' a cuppa with my grandma again, and will often talk to her and just tell her how I'm doing and what is going on in my life as I drink.



3. Ancestral Meditation and Journeying

Meditation and visualization are powerful methods to connect with your ancestors’ wisdom. There are many guided meditations and journey prompts out there to help you meet and connect with your ancestors, so have a search and see if you can find any which resonate with you.



4. Celebrate Ancestral Festivals

Many cultures have designated times to honour the dead. Participating in these observances strengthens ancestral ties. These include Samhain (October 31st), Día de los Muertos (November 1st-2nd), and All Souls’ Day (November 2nd). I personally will hold a large feast for my ancestors on Samhain, which also includes a dance party - I put on some classic music I think my ancestors would have liked and invite them to dance with me. That may sound strange, but I really enjoy it (and I get the impression my ancestors do to!). You may have special dates which are more specific or personal, such as the birthdays of departed loved ones and such you may wish to celebrate, and can use these to connect with the energy of your ancestors.



5. Research Your Ancestry and Traditions

Understanding your lineage can deepen your ancestral connection. I have managed to trace my mum's side of the family back to the 1600's, which has been absolutely fascinating (and definitely became addictive at one point!). You can speak to elderly family members, or use tools such as FamilyAncestry.org. Online archives and such can also be useful resources, as these usually hold probates and other documents aside from the censuses, birth, death, and marriage certificates that most ancestry sites will hold.


Use this to understand more about your ancestral traditions, beliefs, and customs. Many of my ancestors were sailors and farmers, which in part explains my connection to water and the country! You may even wish to travel to any places of significance you find, such as grave sites or property and such where your ancestors resided.



6. Engage In Acts Of Remembrance

Honouring ancestors isn’t just about ritual—it’s about keeping their memory alive in daily life. There are many ways in which you can do this, some of them relatively simple; you can cook family recipes and share meals in their honour, share stories about them with others, visit places they loved, dedicate a charitable act in their name to a cause they supported, or take part in activities they enjoyed. My grandma was a keen knitter, and when she passed all I wanted from her estate was her knitting needles; I love knitting with them and creating garments and other knitted objects to give as gifts, as it feels like an appropriate way to keep her memory with me.



You can also call upon your ancestors in magic and manifestation, or to ask for wisdom or protection. However, in this article I wanted to focus more on building a connecting with them, rather than working directly with them - that will be an article for another day! But for now, especially if you are new to ancestral work, focus on small but consitent activities that will help you build that connection with them.