Honoring Ancestors Heals

If you are an awaken African I am sure you want to know more about your ancestors. You are curious about history, culture, influential ancestors, and most of all spiritual practices. The most important aspect to understand about African culture is honoring ancestors this is very vital to the living descendants of Africans. The ancestors have the power to interact in our everyday lives, we have a bio-spiritual link to our ancestors this goes back hundreds of thousands of years. Our ancestors were the first beings on the planet their DNA have so many answers and loads of information.

The first thing you do to honor ancestors is to live a moral ethical life with integrity, dedicate positive action in the name of your ancestors, you can also give a libation in honor of your ancestors. Some of you say well I don't have any good ancestors I assure you somewhere in your genetic pool there is a wise ancestor waiting to assist you and help heal the family bloodline. Many of our ancestors suffered several forms of illness during the African holocaust, some of our ancestors were alcoholics, drug addicts, mentally illness, and many more I don't care to name. The act of acknowledging ancestor starts a healing process on the family tree taking it back to its natural state transcending time giving healing to the living and those that have past on to the other-side. It doesn't matter what religion you are this must be done it is the ways of your ancestors you are an African before you are a Christian, Muslim, Jew, or any other religion you choose to associate yourself with until you embrace your African ancestors the family tree will need to be healed and made whole again.

The Diaspora had a negative impact on the African mind we are under a sleeping spell like an amnesia patients we have no real memory of who we are, however this simple  act of communicating with ancestors can awaken your DNA those memories can be triggered. Many of us are blinded by the religion of colonialism we reject our own bio-spiritual birthright the power that was given to us by our ancestors. It doesn't matter what religion the African converts to there will be no liberation until we understand the lives of our forgotten ancestors.

Choose a day to honor your ancestors, below I have shared other peoples methods of how they honor their ancestors. Maybe you may be inspired to honor your ancestors in some of these same methods.

"I light candles at the church and, if possible, visit the gravesite of my nanas and tatas, as well as my dad. I take flowers and say a prayer that expresses gratitude for everything they have taught me. Sometimes, I draw a picture and leave it- I used to draw my nana and tata pictures as a kid. If I can’t make it out to the cemetery, I play their favorite songs on the piano and remember them." – Lea M.

"I am an artist whose ancestors came to America from Poland in the 1800s. I honor them through my artwork, using the motifs and colors of Polish folk art in my contemporary paintings and collages." – Susan G.

"In gratitude every morning whilst in prayer.. when I look at our mountains and rivers they are that … when I make medicines from the forest and trees I acknowledge their presence… when I look at my grandchildren.. they are everywhere… they are still are a vibration in my heart". – Cassandra S.

"By being human. By promoting humanity in our dealings with one another and the world and its denizens, by treading lightly and remembering those who will come after." – Dave W.

"I am preparing a book of recipes for preserving the yearly garden harvest for my grandchildren to go with all the canning equipment they will inherit. Nothing says love like putting real food on the table for your family from recipes handed down over the generations." – Kathleen B-H.
(http://www.pachamama.org/blog/remembering-our-ancestors-in-honor-and-celebration-of-those-who-have-come-before)
Penelope Stewart B. Msc.