Walking with Your Ancestors
By Eagle Skyfire
I am sitting on my balcony feeling the air shift from an oncoming storm. The strong, cool wind is a welcome respite from the sticky heat. I look up into the sky as I think about my father, who lost his battle against cancer less than a month ago on his journey to become an ancestor spirit.
In Native American spirituality, when someone close to us crosses over, we grieve not being able to be with them anymore in the physical realm, while helping their soul on their journey back to the Great Spirit. Only the body dies. The soul is eternal for it is gifted to all beings by the Creator and it is part of a Dreamweave that makes up the Universe. As such. family of Heart also are called ancestors, although they may not always be blood relatives. We believe animal companions, too, have souls, and they become spirit companions, not ancestors. The journey across the Rainbow Bridge to become an ancestor takes one full year from the date of death.
Honoring your ancestors is an important practice on the Good Red Road and brings many gifts. Below are just a few:
The first is obvious, because when you connect with your loved ones, it assists in the process of healing from grief. Setting aside a place for a memorial lets you remember them and be in their energy. Over time, the initial profound pain from your loss fades. Yes, it will always hurt to some degree, but memories of happy times and significant moments fill the gap where once there was only sorrow. Over time, you become grateful for what you had, rather than sad for what you lost.
From a spiritual standpoint these personal shrines bring another benefit. These places of remembrance radiate an inviting energy for your ancestors. It manifests a unique spirit portal that only they can pass through, and makes it easier for them to visit you. The joy and warmth you feel is not your imagination, but your loved ones reaching back to you!
Another advantage from having a place of remembrance is that you can speak with them or ask them for guidance. They will respond to you by sending messages through various signs, visions, and dreams. Fortunately, your loved ones are patient for often times you may dismiss these messages and they have to send repeated signs for you finally to stop and listen. The more frequently you speak with them the easier it becomes to identify who is talking to you. You do this from recognizing their energy, and the signs and types of messages they send to you.
The final blessing is one of recounting stories about your ancestor, or stories that they liked to tell when they were alive. It feels good to share with others who care and can relate to your experiences. Cultivating a virtue that you admired in them is a very ancient practice of honoring their lives. It is way of having their energy and spirit live on through you. Say, for example, you have a loved one who was honest and caring. By developing these good qualities in yourself in their name you uphold their memory and their spirit.
Traditional times of special remembrance are on the loved one’s spirit day, which is the day they crossed over and returned to their spirit body. The other is in the season of autumn during the Ancestors’ Moon. It takes place around the same time as the Dia de los Muertos is celebrated (a blending of Indigenous and Christian traditions).
The truth is that any time you are called to connect, honor, or remember your deceased loved one is the perfect time. If you need assistance to move through your grief, seek help from someone who is trained to do so. Remember that your ancestors are whole and well on spirit side. They want to be with you and do not want to see you suffering and crying on their account. Whenever you smile as you tell a story about them or talk to them, it fills them with great joy. You always will walk together even though you are apart. Love is eternal.
Editor’s Note:
This article will appear in the Fall 2022 Issue. The theme of which is Honoring The Ancestors.
Read more about Eagle Skyfire – or schedule time with her – on her website, eagleskyfire.com.
Author: Jeanne Ruczhak-Eckman
Publisher/Editor
