A Chinese proverb, ” To forget your ancestors is to be a brook without a source and a tree without a root.”
Every indigenous Culture has their own rituals to honor their Ancestors and Loved ones, after all it is because of them we are here today. Irrespective of our belief and faith our ancestors energy resides within our blood & bones and their energies also affect our lives in many ways, sometimes we are aware of it and at times we are oblivious as to how our lives could be getting affected.
This explains why almost every culture has a certain day(s) in the year when these festivals are celebrated. It is as though a veil opens up during these times when we can easily get through to them and connect with them even if we are not otherwise sensitive to their energies. Saying that, I have seen that it can be done any time of the year, even if you just offer some water or something sweet to the Soul of the deceased or say a prayer for them, it would probably be good enough as long as it is Heartfelt.
A Lot of people in today’s busy lives don’t give any thought to their ancestral lineage or how they got here, we even tend to forget about our grandparents after a period of time.
We all have 4 main bloodlines, from our maternal and paternal Grandparents and they all have an effect on our lives, some less, some more.
We know genetically we get certain diseases & habits from our family line, we also get their gifts (music, art, elocution, other talents etc.) But did you know that if your ancestors are not well in Spirit or have had certain troubles in life, say for example: Bad or stressful marriages, Court cases, certain self-destructive thought patterns etc. These things can and mostly do also pass down generations, Example: If your Great great great Grand-Mother had a difficult marriage, chances are your marriage will probably have similar issues, only difference is in those days people were somewhat restricted by society as compared to now.
There is also a family Karma which keeps passing down unless it is healed. Negative thought patterns and belief systems tend to come down through generations. Awareness is the key, once we start paying attention to why we feel or think in a certain way, where the emotion is stemming from, then we can understand the issue better and start clearing it. Sometimes the belief that we carry in our gene’s is the main reason for issues in our life and we do not even realize why it is there and start blaming their fate. Once we know that where the root of the problem lies, we can send healing to that particular ancestor or lineage and thus heal our lives as well.. This is why they say when you do ancestral reverence it heals your personal life as well.
We rarely know much beyond our great grandparents, and even if we want to, chances are not even your immediate family would have much information beyond 3-4 generations. However our Ancestors can go back to various cultures as well. You may feel a certain affinity for a particular country/city or religion in that case if you manage to dig deep enough you may realize that your fore-fathers could have originally been from there and migrated to a different country over generations, sometimes even changing their religion.
Religion itself if you look at it from a bigger perspective is relative, In one lifetime you are born a Hindu in another you could be born into another family. Our karmic ties to a particular place and family give us birth in that culture, however that can change, which is why sometimes we go to a completely new place and still feel a kind of Deja-Vu or feel at home in a particular city or relate with different religions etc. These things can also give you guidance on where your ancestral lineage could be from. Something to ponder upon!
The work is similar to working with the living, however since the deceased don’t have physical bodies and are not limited by form, it is easier to shift their energies by calling upon Love, Light, Forgiveness and Inner Healing which can bring about a substantial change in the Soul’s transition or journey in the afterlife. This is usually guided by ancestral guides, deities or other healers.
However, these are some simple ways by which you can honor your ancestors on a regular basis. -Take some time out from your schedule to connect with them as follows:
* Light a candle in their honor. (Symbolically helping him find the light, or guiding their path, or simply in honor). The intention matters.
* A simple Prayer, loving or healing Chants, Music and Songs dedicated in honor of your ancestors. Any prayer or chant you do could be dedicated to their healing.
* Ceremony/Ritual to feed the ancestors, make their favorite dish, and invite them over to a meal.
Same way as you invite guests. However do this only with those who you know are well in Spirit. Any other ceremony or ritual your family believe’s in, always remembering intention and purity of heart matter. Don’t do it just for the sake of it.
* If you feel there is something they would like you to wrap up,finish for them, or something they would have done differently… You could consider doing the same. ( keeping in mind the current cultural sentiment.)
* If you sense Anger or resentment in one of them or if you are holding onto some resentment towards them, You could use the following prayer for healing the Karma.
“Salutations to the Soul, We are all children of God, we all make mistakes, I Forgive you for all the pain, hurt & Suffering that you have caused me on all levels across all timelines, I release you with Love & Peace. Please forgive me(or someone else) for all the pain, hurt & Suffering that I may have caused you on all levels across all timelines. Please release me with peace & Love. Om Shanti Shanti Shanti Om.”
* A Heartfelt prayer is a great way to bring them into healed whole condition and anchor blessings in personal and family life. you can use the one below ( From Daniel Foor) or use your own wordings.. Prayers for Family Healing May all my Ancestors be Happy and at peace. May my living family be happy and at peace. May I be happy and at peace. May all future generations of my family receive only blessings from our ancestors. May my ancestors guide me on my path of destiny and purpose, and may I embody their love and wisdom for the benefit of all my relations. May all my ancestors and my family be happy and at peace.
* This is another prayer which I have shared with people and it covers certain aspects of healing (again you could use your own wordings)
“To the Divine Supreme Being, To all the Holy Guru’s, Masters and Healing Angels, Beings of light. We humbly invoke for your Divine Love, Light & Blessings to shower upon our loved ones who have gone across to the other world.
May they all be blessed with peace, love harmony and happiness.
May their wishes which are for their well-being and the well being of our families be fulfilled properly and in divine accordance.
May all those who have not found their light or not at peace be specifically healed and blessed by the Ancestral Guides and Angels of Healing.
May the Light of God heal every aspect of their Soul so that it becomes one with the Healed Ancestors.
With your help and blessings. So it is.!
Anything else that helps you connect with them in a pure and simple way. Be it a loving conversation, connect during meditation.
Have a priest perform a ceremony, keep yourself in the loop of what exactly is happening and preferably done by you under guidance.
Just by simply remembering them fondly, could be your way of honoring them.
Your ancestors are always with you, They are in each cell of your body, you carry their memories deep within your core, you are never alone..
#AmritaMann The ceremonies celebrated all over the world are known by different names, Pitru Puja( Hinduism), All hallows-eve(During halloween), Bon odori ( Japan), Chuseok(South Kroea), Qingming and The Hungry Ghost festival (China), El dia de los muerto ( Mexico), Native Americans and African tribes also have certain festivals celebrating their ancestors.
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