Constellation Journeys

A Simple Ancestor Ritual for the Day of the Dead

If you’re fortunate to have your parents still living into their 80s and 90s, you may hear them share about the challenge of having very few or possibly none of their family members and close friends still alive. My own parents at 93 and 96 are experiencing this. While they are still together and have each other, they feel the absence of family acutely. It reminds them they are closer to crossing over to the other dimension than they are to the fullness of this lifetime.

The ancestors have completed what they could in this physical life and are still with us, although they cannot act in this dimension. The things we do in life remind them of the life force they had. From my more than 30 years immersed in West African drumming, I’ve gained the sense that we drum, sing, dance and play for the ancestors as much as for ourselves, so they can feel what they enjoyed so much here through us. It’s also my sense that they gladly exchange any regrets they have about the past for the satisfaction of giving us the support and guidance we need, that brings us closer to fulfilling our own dreams in this life.

With the approach of Dia de los Mu***os, All Souls Day, Samhain, All Saints Day, Halloween and other cultures’ ancestral honorings that co-occur around this time of year, I wanted to share an ancestor ritual that came to me a year ago. You’re welcome to use it as is, or modify it in the creative ways that best suit your needs and what you’re drawn to do at this time when the veil between the worlds becomes thin. You’ll need a good number of simple small candles, like tea lights, some sticky notes (or small slips of paper) and a pen. [Click the link to read the rest of the steps to enact this ritual.]

https://constellationjourneys.com/blog.html

A Family Constellation is a slow, respectful process that proceeds without judgement, and includes space for every family member and for everything that has happened. It creates an opportunity to take your inner image of your family and bring it into the room to explore the memory fields within it. Along with your DNA, you also inherited the values, beliefs, loves, strengths, losses, and unresolved difficult fates of your ancestors. You may find that out of love and loyalty, you have been unconcsiously trying to carry something painful that belonged to someone else- that was part of their fate, and not yours.

By looking at this material with the guidance and support of an experienced facilitator, you may be able to see that it's out of a child's pure, innocent love you've wanted to fix something that's not your responsibility, and is impossible to change anyway. This sacred practice can help you come to more understanding and more compassion for what your ancestors lived and struggled through while still having the strength to pass life on to another generation and ultimately to you.

Registration at www.constellationjourneys.com

The next full day seminar is August 29th, at The Well of Roswell, and the early registration discounted prices are good through the end of the day tomorrow, Friday August 7th. Prices are even lower if you attend with another family member. Spaces are still available.
https://www.facebook.com/events/2239837440118376

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