Ancestor veneration is a significant and deeply personal part of Northern Tradition Shamanism. As an animist who views everything as enspirited, I am often conscious of the presence of my Dead around me. Their very struggles and journeys are embedded in my DNA, shaping me in a variety of ways. I am the product of millions of years of human resourcefulness, courage, and adaptation, and I have profound gratitude for my Ancestors.
One of the ways in which I engage with my Ancestors is through altar work. I have set aside a shelf as a shrine, adorning it with pictures of my Dead and small objects that were theirs or gifts from them: a locket of my mother’s silver hair, my father’s harmonica, a grandmother’s mosaic brooch, a tiny tin box of alloy from my grandfather’s dental practice. This altar also holds tokens that remind me of Ancestors of Choice, those who, although not blood kin, have had profound positive impact in my life. At various times of the year, the altar holds flowers, candles, even food and drink – typically items especially enjoyed by my Ancestors in life.
I often sit before this shrine and talk with my Dead or sing the songs that came down in my family. I ask them for guidance and support and express my gratitude for the life they have made possible. Was my family perfect? No, because people are complicated and life can be traumatic. And yet, I am still grateful.
This year I set aside October as a time to commit myself even more deeply to honoring my People. I worked on my genealogy, did ceremonies, journeyed to heal family rifts and traumas and found myself engaged even more passionately in relationship with my forebearers. This prayer has become my point of connection with my Beloved Dead: “Hail to my Ancestors, Those Who walked this earth before me that I might walk it now., my Mother’s blood, my Father’s, blood. Your legacy is honored and you are not forgotten.”