All About Ancestor Veneration

I’ve been getting a lot of questions around ancestor work, especially after this instagram reel I posted in regards to ancestors.

Ancestors are the foundation of any spiritual practice. They are whose shoulders we stand on. They are our first line of defense. They are our teachers and elders still, even on the other side of the veil. Elevating their spirit helps to heal our lineage. I can go on and on about why we should work with our ancestors. 

There are many ways that you can choose to work with your ancestors, and even then that can grow and change over time. But I suggest you start slow, with what you’re comfortable with, and grow from there.

Remember, we are an altar. The main altar. Our ancestors live through us. Even if you don’t know them by name, they know you and recognize you as their descendent. So what exactly does that mean? It means you don’t specifically need an altar to start a relationship with them. I understand how it can be overwhelming in the beginning, trying to wrap your head around everything. I’ve been there. So much information out there and we can still find ourselves confused without knowing what to do first. I will tell you this…keep it simple.

I love to use the practical in the spiritual. Based on your background, ethnicity, nationality, what did your group of people like to eat or drink? Coffee is a popular drink to give ancestors. I know someone who couldn’t dedicate an altar space for their ancestors due to living situations, and that’s cool. Whether you have a roommate, or you live with your parents and they don’t have the same beliefs, or if you just don’t have the space for an altar at this time, your ancestors understand.

You know when folks, whether in music videos or movies, “pour some liquor for the homies” before even taking a sip? That’s an African diasporic tradition. And you can do the same with coffee if you don’t have an altar. You can pour some out in their name. But if you’re going to give coffee as an offering, don’t get some fancy ass Starbucks drink. Again keep it simple with black coffee with no sugar. I like to use Cafe Bustelo because it is Cuban style coffee that was created in NYC. This was my family’s preferred coffee. But you can use Puerto Rican coffee or Dominican coffee, etc.

An important thing is to make sure you are not overcommitting from the beginning. Start small and build up to an ancestral veneration practice. Take a second to see how you can fit ancestor veneration into your daily and weekly items. For example, starting an elaborate altar but not keeping up with it week over week is worse than not starting one. So make sure you are ready for the commitment before you commit.

In the beginning, my ancestral altar was a tiny 2x4 shelf that I had on a wall. There I included a white glass candle, a tiny glass of water, a cross and a picture of my grandmother. I also had a white small handkerchief that I used to cover the shelf.

Eventually, after a few years, I now have a ceramic bowl that I use to burn ancestral money, a silver platter where I put their coffee mugs and any offerings like candy or cookies. A small abalone shell, a bigger water glass…etc. And I change out the water in the glass weekly while also making sure I light the candle on Mondays, as Mondays are the days for ancestors. But you can also turn on the light whenever you’d like to sit with them.

If you want to learn more about what I do when I am sitting with my ancestors, check out my Patreon!

For more on ancestral veneration, check out this episode of the Modern Bruja podcast.

Also, check out my Connect to the Ancestors Reading to get divination around your ancestry.