It’s officially Samhain, and if you haven’t already, now is the perfect time to set up an ancestor altar. Our ancestors are powerful spirit allies. And creating an ancestor altar is a great first step in connecting with your ancestral guides.

Why You Should Work With Your Ancestors

Samhain is about honoring the dead. A key aspect of honoring the dead is realizing that without our ancestors, we wouldn’t be here. Additionally, our ancestors are still with us. They are woven into our DNA.

Each and every one of their actions resulted in you. It’s a lot to think about just how many people shaped us into who we would become, long before we existed.

Our ancestors are valuable allies for guidance, wisdom, and protection. Although we have deities, angels, nature spirits, and others we can commune with – our ancestors are the most like us. They’re human.

Lastly, when we die, don’t we want to be remembered? Would we want to be able to share our wisdom with others? This is a great set of questions to consider if you’re wondering why ancestor work is valuable for your practice.

Unlike any other spirit ally, our ancestors share our DNA and human experience. They can provide valuable insight that might not be available elsewhere. Truthfully, I have only recently started my journey in ancestor work, but I’ve found that it has the potential to teach me a great deal about myself and my craft. Interestingly, these questions were what finally made it click for me. I know that when I’m gone, I want to have left my mark and helped people. I want to be remembered.

Personally, I feel a deep connection to my grandmother who passed away years ago. Sometimes I feel as though she’s still guiding me. I’ve communicated with her, but done little more with ancestor work back then.

It was a difficult hurdle for me. Understanding that we can still talk with the dead. I didn’t know what they could say or do that would be different from the countless other types of spirits I’ve worked with. But it’s not always about learning, sometimes it’s simply about honor. While they can guide you, it’s just as important to simply honor and respect our ancestors.

It’s a connection we shouldn’t lose sight of. Therefore, creating an ancestor altar is an important part of honoring and establishing that connection.

Ancestor Altars

An ancestor altar is a place where you can connect with your ancestors. It’s also a place for them to gather. But most of all, it’s a reminder that our ancestors are always present in our lives. Honestly, your ancestors will truly appreciate that there is a space for them in your home.

An ancestor altar (or shrine) can be set up specifically for Samhain. Alternatively, you may choose to create a permanent ancestor altar if you plan to work with your ancestors more frequently.

This space is where you can honor your ancestors, communicate with them, and meditate with them.

Where to Set-Up Your Ancestor Altar

Generally speaking, an ancestor altar should be set-up somewhere other than your bedroom. I say this because I don’t think you really want your ancestors in there all the time. Ideally, an ancestor altar is established in a dining room, kitchen, or (ironically) a living room. If you have a spare shelf, fireplace, bookshelf, or other flat surfaces, then you have a perfect space for an ancestor altar.

Likewise, while I think a quiet and calm area of the house is ideal for an ancestor altar, it can be created just about anywhere you’d like. Currently, I still need to talk with my mom to find a good space for a permanent ancestor altar/household altar. So, if you can’t find a space in your home for this, then it’s totally fine if you choose to set one up for Samhain in your room.

What to Include on Your Ancestor Altar

Firstly, I’d like to say that what you choose to include in your ancestor altar is entirely up to you. It is an extremely personal space, just like your main altar. So it doesn’t matter what it looks like. My example altar is just the things I want to include in mine. Because I haven’t decided on a space yet, I haven’t really figured out exactly how I want to lay it out.

Honestly, it doesn’t matter what you put on your ancestor altar. What really matters is the energy and intention that goes into making it. I promise that with a little time and thought, you’ll figure out exactly what’s right for you.

But without any further ado, here are a few of my ideas and suggestions:

• Photos of your ancestors if you have any
• Heirlooms from your ancestors. The bowls and plates at my ancestor altar are all from my grandma actually!
• Other trinkets, mementos, and objects that represent your ancestors
• Plates, bowls, and cups for offerings and libations.
• An incense burner
• A candle (I have a skull candle currently, but had a white jar candle previously for my ancestor altar.)
• A drawing of your family tree(this is a great idea you can use with the activity I discuss later when learning more about your ancestors.)
• A family crest, motto, or other symbols that represent your family. If you don’t have a family crest that you know of, you can always make your own!
• A plant that represents your family tree/the world tree. (As you probably know, I love houseplants. A tree is a great way to represent your family as well as the Axis Mundi, which connects our world to the underworld.) Some ideas include a bonsai tree, a rubber tree, or a jade plant (crassula Ovata).
• Divination tools. If you plan to communicate with your ancestors frequently, you may wish to include a dedicated divination tool here such as tarot cards or a pendulum.

Lastly, remember that you can honor anyone who’s passed at this altar. So if you wish to include memories of an old friend or pet, they are a part of your ancestral lineage. Our ancestors aren’t just our blood line. I keep a small container of my old dog’s ashes at my main altar.

Finishing Touches

Now that you’ve got everything for your ancestor altar, it’s time to set it up! The first step is of course to cleanse the space. This can be done with incense, full moon water, or any method you desire.

Afterward, you’ll want to dedicate the space with some sort of blessing or incantation. This can be super simple and is a great chance to invite your ancestors to be present in the space with you.

Once you’ve dedicated the space, it’s ready to be used! A great idea at this point is to provide an offering for your ancestors. Some offering ideas include flowers, fresh water, a candle, wine, coffee, food, etc.

Of course, if you know any of your ancestors had a drinking problem, you probably won’t want to include something like wine here. Over time, you’ll learn what your ancestors appreciate most. And regular offerings are a great way to grow closer to them.

For me, flowers and herbs are my go to. This is especially true because my grandma was an avid gardener and florist. One of the things I love most about offerings flowers is that they grew in my garden. I wish we had a chance to garden together when she was still alive. But I know she’s by my side now and am grateful for her guidance with gardening!

Tips for Ancestor Work

Finally, I wanted to talk about some tips and ideas I have for working with your ancestors this Samhain and beyond.

Firstly, when getting started with ancestor work, you may not know the names of your ancestors. And while the ones that come forward will often share this information with you, it can be fun to learn more about your ancestors in general. One way of doing this is by looking through old family scrapbooks.

My grandma actually made separate scrapbooks details the lives of her parents, grandparents, and other old relatives from before my time. But not everyone has scrapbooks like these.

Luckily, there are other records you can find! I also have a book, which details one particular branch of my family tree pretty far back. But my grandma did more than that, she outlined a huge part of our family tree on Ancestry. I think they have a free trial.

It’s been a while since I used ancestry to expand on my family tree and learn about parts my grandma didn’t cover, but I do remember that there were tons of interesting things to find from it.

Communicating with your ancestors

When you communicate with your ancestors, you can do so through divination. But you can also just speak to them at the ancestor altar; aloud or in your head.

Speak to them when you need guidance. If you have questions about a specific aspect of your life, from love to starting a project, ask your ancestors. One of them may be well versed and experienced in whatever it is that you need guidance with.

But also speak with them just to honor them, to get to know them, and to be inspired by them. Through them, we can understand the past, heal from generational trauma, and recognize our own mortality. But we also recognize our immortality, through them, we come to learn and accept that there is life after death. We do not simply fade into ether and non-existence, but grow and take the next step in a larger journey.

Conclusion

Creating an ancestor altar is the first step in getting to know your ancestors. It’s a journey of recognizing and accepting death, healing the past, and building respect for your ancestors. Take joy in the journey and allow these experiences to reveal new truths and information.

Ancestor work is a practice I’m still new to. For today’s post, I wanted to focus on establishing an ancestor altar and what I’ve learned so far. Moving forward, I am certain I will share more about my experiences. It’s a topic that I feel isn’t covered by most witchcraft books I’ve read and I’m excited to see what I learn in time.

Do you work with your ancestors? Or is this your first ancestor altar? Be sure to share your thoughts in the comments below or on social media!