Ep. 7. Ancestor Altars for Newbies: The Basic B***h Guide to Keeping It Cute, Sacred, and Personal

An altar is a powerful tool that can support our practice in connecting and working with our ancestors (as well as other spirit powers and guides). In this episode, Joseph breaks down the what, why, and how of creating and working with ancestor altars in a simple, fun, and grounded way.

This is a perfect episode for both spiritual newbies as well as those looking to expand their current altar practices.

ALTAR DEDICATION PRAYER:

“I offer this altar to my wise, loving ancestors—both of blood and other lineages. May it be a sacred space where only healed, loving ancestors and other benevolent beings may reside; and may it serve as a space for deepened connection and relationship that will only serve my highest good and well-being.”

NOTES ON SMUDGING:

In the FAQ section, I discussed the cautions around using palo santo and white sage, but I missed offering my suggestions for alternate plants to use for smudging. Here are my go-to ones (or other common ones I suggest), but there are SO MANY other possibilities!

- Rosemary (OMG, my absolute fave!)

- Sagebrush

- Red Cedar (leaf or wood sticks)

- Juniper leaf

- Mugwort

- Cypress leaf

- Sweetgrass braids (only source from ethical growers!)

For any of these, you can take fresh leaves, bundle them together with thin string (kite string works great) and let them dry for a week or two before using.

SECTIONS:

9:40 - What is an altar?

20:05 - Finding a Space

22:20 - What items should I use?

29:47 - How do I set up my altar?

32:55 - Examples of my altars

37:16 - How to cleanse and dedicate your altar

43:03 - How do I work with my altar?

45:28 - Offerings (the what, why, and how)

53:36 - How do I maintain my altar?

55:27 - FAQs

- Cultural appropriation, white sage & palo santo

- Will my ancestors freak out?

- What if I don’t feel or notice anything with my altar?

1:03:32 - Wrap-up & Final Thoughts

CONNECT:

Learn more about my work at https://ancestralhealing.coach

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit healingwiththeancestors.substack.com