We often call the ancestors by the Yoruba term Egungun. However this term actually is the name for the spirit of the main ancestor whose costume of essence is paraded each year. Honoring the ancestors is a ritual that has always been performed in one way or another by our species. Funerals, grave sites and family reunions are just a few of the many ways we give thanks and honor to our deceased. Se
tting up an ancestor altar is another way to give honor to them on a routine basis. This also allows us direct communication and guidance from them. For most Kindred members we give honor through prayers and offerings on a daily basis with scheduled ceremonies, parades and parties throughout the year. This is because we go to our ancestors often for help with ourselves as well as others. For the average person giving honor through offerings is done once or twice a month. The following is a basic ceremony to set up and maintain an Ancestral shrine. This is usually done by a priestess/priest and then maintained by the altar owner. The Ancestoral Shrine
Items needed:
- Nine glasses of water
- A minimum of 3 small plates of food
-Wine
- Cigars, pipe of tobacco, etc.
- Rose Water or Florida Water
- Flowers (optional)
- A written list of all the names of your ancestors that you can remember
- As many pictures and obituaries of family members you can collect
- Four white candles (7 day are best but not required)
-Run, Gin or some other type of liquor
- Coffee
- Incense (we suggest Wyldseed Egungun incense)
- White table cloth (optional)
Suggested Altar setup:
Find a special table, mantle or space in your home that your ancestor altar can be setup and remain. This space should be a place of honor within your home and viewed and treated with respect. The first thing that must be done is the cleaning and sanctifying of the space you have chosen for your shrine as well as the shrine itself. This can be done in many ways from smudging with sage or frankincense and myrrh to spraying with rum or wiping the space with an appropriate cleansing solution. After cleaning the space use a clean white sloth to wipe the surface of the shrine with Rose Water or Florida Water. This will help invite positive ancestral spirits and energy to your shrine. Using a white table cloth is optional. The following is an example of one way and ancestral shrine can be setup. It is important to let your own intuitive instincts guide you. Activating the Ancestral Shrine:
Light the incense allowing a few moments for the scent to penetrate the space. Light all the candles. Say the following prayer of honor:
We give honor and praise to Divine, the Supreme, the Omnipotent. We praise all of our honored ancestors who live at the feet of Divine in the lifetime to come. We praise and give honor to all our ancestors buried in the soils of Africa. We praise and give honor to all our ancestors who died in the Middle Passage. (The following list of names must be read three times. If the client is adopted they can call on their unknown family members and personal mentors that have died.) We praise and give honor to all the deceased of our family whose names are unknown. We give honor and praise to (Name the oldest deceased family member). We give honor and praise to (Name another ancestor). We give honor and praise to (Name another, etc.).
__________________
