Everything You Need to Know About Creating an Ancestral Altar
An ancestral altar is a sacred space to honor and commune with those that have passed on.
Many find their ancestral altar a healing space to process their grief and continue relationships with those that have passed on. Connecting with an altar can also be an effective way to mend those relationships that were difficult to heal before a loved one transitioned.
It allows you to call upon the soul of someone that has passed on and have a direct conversation with them. If some relationships are too difficult to mend even through this process, you can connect to another ancestral spirit or one of your trusted spirit guides to help you process emotions.
One thing that I find very interesting in working with spirits is observing how much a soul changes once it has an opportunity to see things from an etheric point of view. After a soul is no longer attached to a body, it can easily detach from the material stresses and challenges of this world, creating a large shift in his or her personality. There are some essences of the true spirit that never change and most spirits hang on to their more positive qualities like humor, compassion, and empathy but are able to let go of qualities that may have made them challenging to be around like anger, resentment, and prejudices.
Working with an ancestral altar can be a very therapeutic experience to heal emotional wounds, move on after the death of a loved one, and is a great reassurance to get a glimpse of the afterlife. It is a great comfort to know that the soul lives in the afterlife and tapping into that dimension is a beautiful experience.
Another fascinating way to work with an ancestral altar is to get to know relatives who came long before you. The more you connect with the altar, the more ancestors you will find in your bloodline to bond with. For some, this simply means your human ancestors. To me this is a broader term that encompasses plants, crystals, and animals; any of mother nature’s children can provide wisdom and guidance. You may be surprised at who or what shows up when you allow yourself to be very open to the experience.
Creating an Ancestral Altar
To make an altar, gather meaningful items like photographs, items that are passed down generationally, crystals, skulls, and anything that can represent the spirit(s) you want to connect with. It can be one of these things or all of these things, or somewhere in between.
You will also want a candle and offerings to call the spirits to you. Offerings are something the spirits find pleasing. Traditionally, things like incense, honey, and fresh flowers can be used; anything that smells or tastes sweet. You can also put small portions of your ancestors’ favorite food or drink on the altar but if you’re going to prepare something special, you may want to keep it to special occasions. I like to keep it simple and provide one offering of something that I already have on hand.
There are certain crystals that I like to have on an altar to help me deeply and safely connect to ancestral spirits. Even in your bloodline, it’s always wise to use your discernment and to call forth helping spirits because not all spirits have your best intentions at heart. This is not meant to scare you but there are some spirits, just like humans, that have their own agenda so it’s smart to keep your wits about you and have some crystal protection with you.
Here are my recommendations:
𝑪𝒓𝒚𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒍 𝑺𝒌𝒖𝒍𝒍𝒔 are wonderful additions to any altar. They make connecting to ancestral spirits easy and are wonderful communication tools. Crystal Skulls help send messages from the beyond to you and vice versa. They make it easy to continue your relationship with others once they have passed.
𝑶𝒃𝒔𝒊𝒅𝒊𝒂𝒏 acts as a portal between this world and the spirit world. It is often used in scrying rituals because of its protective qualities and it heightens your abilities to see loved ones that have passed, commune with spirits, and see messages on its glassy surface.
𝑬𝒎𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒍𝒅 is an ancient stone of deep wisdom, transformation, and healing. It is known as the stone of resurrection and can be used to commune with spirits any time of the year not just when the veil is at its thinnest during Samhain (now known as Halloween).
𝑷𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒕𝒐𝒎 𝑸𝒖𝒂𝒓𝒕𝒛 contains ancient information that is activated when working with past lives and ancestors. Place a piece on your ancestral altar to find pathways to information that was once hidden.
𝑯𝒐𝒏𝒆𝒚 𝑪𝒂𝒍𝒄𝒊𝒕𝒆 makes a wonderful offering to pay tribute to your ancestors. Having a piece on your altar celebrates the joys of life and carries those blessings into the afterlife.
No need to rush and get all of these crystals or anything else mentioned here at a metaphysical store. You can pick the crystal that resonates the most with you or better yet, if you have any of these in your collection, just use that.
Remember that if you have a piece of Clear Quartz, you can program it to hold any or all of the crystal qualities listed above. It amplifies intentions so once you have energetically cleansed it and set the intention to use it on your altar, it will act like any crystal you want it to.
Directions
To get started, find a space that won’t be disturbed and clean it off physically and energetically. That means dusting followed by your favorite energetic cleansing ritual. I like to cleanse sacred spaces by anointing them with rainwater or essential oils -- just a drop or two. Then wipe it away so it doesn’t damage the surface it's on.
Gather your ancestral ephemera and start arranging it intuitively. Photographs and crystal skulls are ideal focal points to arrange smaller objects around. Remember to leave space for a candle and offerings. Above all, follow your intuitive nudges.
To honor your ancestors, light a candle and present them with the offering(s) you gathered.
As you light the candle, you are opening a sacred space. This is an ideal time to call in spirit guides, angels, directional energies, or any other protective entities that you work with. You can use an invocation such as the one below or feel to create your own.
“I call helping spirits into my sacred space to protect me while I connect with the ancestral realm. Create a boundary around me to help me stay anchored to this world while I journey into the next. Guide me towards the ancestors that will help me heal and fulfill my mission here today. I call forth (list names of the deceased here) and any ancestors that have my highest and greatest good at heart.”
Then go into meditative space and talk to your ancestors. You can use this time to get to know them better or ask them for guidance.
I suggest thinking of some questions before going into meditation to get the conversation going. Then use whatever methods work best for you to get into a deeply relaxed state. My most powerful mediumship work has been done while listening to shamanic drumming which can be found at this link. This one is 20 minutes but you can find ones that are longer or shorter to suit your needs.
When you are finished communicating with your ancestors, write down important messages that you want to remember in a journal. It can be difficult to recall details later.
When you are finished, blow out the candle and thank your ancestors and spirit guides to close your sacred space. Remove any perishable items right away. You’ll want to keep the space clean and tidy so replace flowers as they wilt and dust on a regular basis.
Honoring your ancestors is a sacred practice so make it meaningful to you based on your relationship with them and feel empowered to incorporate any family traditions that you wish to follow.
Discover more about ancestors and your mediumship abilities in the class, Talking to Crystal Skulls. Learn more and sign up here.