Working with Ancestor Altars

By Concha
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The act of honoring the ancestors and creating altars for them is practiced in almost every
religion all over the world. The ancestor altar is an area that is set up to honor those who are
departed, spirits who you want to work with and call on for spiritual guidance and help. This can
be the spirits of family members, spirit guides, or friends. You can also include a folk saint you
wish to work with.

People who cared for you while in the living dont stop caring for you in spirit. Why should we
ignore or forget about them because of passing? Passing is not the end....its the beginning of a
new journey. We mourn for them because we are not able to see them in the flesh as we once
did. We cannot touch them, hug them, or feel their warmth. Maybe we mourn because of the
way they entered into their new journey. They are still part of us and our roots and you can still
have closeness with them if you choose to. They are still there to guide us and offer advice.

The way we approach the subject of ancestor altars is a wide open area. There are no set rules to
follow. Two individuals seeking the same outcome may have a very different approach...but the
same effect.

Your altar becomes your focal point and it should be used every day. If you cant use the altar
on a daily basis than at least use it once a week, no less. This altar is where you take your
problems, worries, concerns, and happiness. This is the place to sit and talk with the spirits.....
just as if they were sitting right in front of you in the flesh. Tell them you still love them and you
havent forgotten them. Here is where you can ask for assistance to any problem you have and
ask for guidance and solutions.

These altars are a place of prayer, wisdom, and growth. The more the altar is used the more
energy it builds. Eventually it becomes so powerful that simply walking near it you are able to
feel the energy emitting from it.

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Staying connected to your ancestors in this way is only the beginning. Spirits are energy.
Energy is attracted to energy. This means that not only will the altar become a place for your
ancestors...it will become a place for other spirits as well.

What does this mean? It means that we have now built a bridge which connects us to the spirit
world, giving us a stronger ability for communication not only with our own loved ones but with
other spirits who are attracted to the energy you exposed. It isnt like the world we live in where
you lock your front door to keep unwanted people out. Any spirit can communicate with you
here....if you choose to do so.

The altar should be set up in a permanent location. Many people set up temporary altars but in if
you want a powerful area it must be a permanent location. You cant achieve this buildup of
powerful energy if the altar is taken down all the time.

Choose a location where the altar wont be in the way of household traffic. I suggest that it isnt
placed in the bedroom either since once a strong energy collects around the altar people usually
have difficulty falling asleep near it. Some people do have it in the bedroom but I would rather
have a good nights sleep when I retire for the night.

Never use metal for the altar since most spirits are turned away from metal. The best surface for
the altar is wood. It can be a small shelf but I find that an old chest of drawers works well since I
can store things in it. Youll be surprised how many things you start collecting for altar use once
you get it going. Its up to you whether to cover the surface with fabric or not. I cover mine
with white fabric on which I have embroidered the four corners with sacred seals. White is the
best color for an ancestral altar because it represents peace, purity and the dead. Since I burn
candles on my altar I also use an inexpensive clear shower curtain liner, cut to size, to protect the
fabric itself from candle wax.

Before anything is placed on the altar it should be spiritually cleansed, this includes the fabric.
You can either use Holy Water for the cleansing or make a spiritual liquid with a mixture of
purifying herbs. If Im cleansing just the altar itself I make less of the spiritual liquid and if Im
cleansing the altar AND the fabrics I make more.

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When you need MORE spiritual liquid to cleanse the altar AND fabrics..... boil 1 gallon of
filtered water. Remove from heat and add 1 handful of Ruda (Rue), 1 handful of Romero
(Rosemary), and 1 handful of Albahaca (Basil). When I say a handful I dont mean as much as
your hand can hold, I am talking about as much as will fit only the center of your palm and not
piled up to where it reaches over the thumb. In cooking terms this is probably a little less than
cup of each herb. Allow the liquid to cool until it gets to a temperature comfortable to the touch.
Once cool, strain out the herb, you will use the liquid for cleansing. Take about 3 or 4 cups of
this and use it to cleanse the altar, the rest is poured into the final rinse cycle to cleanse your
fabrics. To make LESS spiritual liquid use about 3 cups filtered water and 1 tablespoon of each
herb.

With a disposable rag, dip it into your small container of liquid and wipe the entire surface of the
altar. Make sure to cleanse the top, the sides, the back, the front, and underneath. If there are
deep carvings in the wood you will need to place the liquid in a spray bottle to make sure it gets
in the crevices. Once the altar is cleansed with the spiritual liquid take some Hyssop incense and
spiritually smoke (smudge) the surface as before, making sure the smoke comes in contact with
every part of the altar. Sometimes I use Three Kings Incense or Church Incense. I think the
Church Incense is also called Gloria Incense. In my opinion these are the best. While
cleansing the altar recite psalm 23 to remove negativity and to insure protection in your space.

A word about salt......its true that salt is used as a purifying agent and works very well for
purification purposes but when it comes to the ancestor altar you should never under any
circumstances use salt water to purity it. Most spirits are turned away from salt.

Once you have spiritually cleansed the altar you are ready to set it up. This is the fun part. Start
collecting photos of your ancestors and place them in nice frames. Do not include any photos
that has a person still living in it. Gather up anything that belonged to your deceased family such
pendant that your loved one liked to wear or any small object that belonged to them. Larger
objects can be set on the floor near the altar or hung on the wall over the altar. Notice I use the
word GATHER.....not PLACE. You dont want to place these items on the altar until they too
are spiritually cleansed. The initial setup should be as pure as possible.

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You can use just about any object on the altar that you want but there are a few rules to follow.....

No Dark Colors
No Salt
No Metal
Nothing Connected To a Living Person
Nothing That Symbolizes Negativity

ONE EXCEPTION WHEN IT COMES TO METAL OBJECTS

It is absolutely okay to place items made of metal on the altar if the metal object is something
that belonged to a deceased family member or if it is Holy in nature such as Saint Medals or
Crucifixes.

My altar consists of a Bible, a book of prayers, a clear crystal vase with fresh cut flowers (when
they are available), a Crucifix, glasses of fresh water, a white candle, incense holder, pictures,
items they owned or things that I know had meaning for them, Holy Medals, crystal, abalone
shell, Holy Water, and other small trinkets. Since I work closely with some of the Folk Saints I
also have their pictures there since I consider them to be part of the family.

I visit the altar daily and read prayers for them. I ask my ancestors to select a prayer they would
like to hear, I randomly open the book and read. I allow them to lead me to the page they want
to hear or one that they feel I need.

Any item placed on the altar should be spiritually cleansed beforehand. This can be done
through the means of spiritual fumigation (smudging). Once the items are cleansed they can be
arranged anywhere on the altar with the exception of the glasses of water.

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Your altar should be set up with at least three glasses of fresh water. Water is an important
substance, its a major importance to all living things......60 percent of our body is water, 70
percent of our brain is water, 90 percent of our lungs are water, 83 percent of our blood is
water..... Without it all living things would die. Water is cleansing, refreshing and purifying, its
also a substance that links us to other realms. Its a substance that makes communication easier,
its presence absorbs negativity and its a vehicle to receive and transport spiritual energy.

The glasses of water should be placed in the center of the altar to form a triangle or pyramid.
The reason for this particular setting of the glasses is the power of the shape itself. Some shapes
have a tremendous amount of power, the triangle or pyramid is one such phenomena. The
glasses should be set up something like this.... The number 1 glass should be in front of and
centered between the 2 and 3 glasses, like a triangle.

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1

The number 2 glass should be dedicated to your maternal ancestors, number 3 glass is dedicated
to your paternal ancestors, the number 1 glass is dedicated to God or the one you call God. This
dedication is for those who ONLY WANT TO HONOR THEIR ANCESTORS.

If you want to include Saints or Deities you work with (this is my setup) the dedication is
different and should be dedicated like this.... the 2 glass to your maternal AND paternal
ancestors, the 3 glass to your Guides, Saints, Angels and God (everyone Holy) and the 1 glass to
the spirit or group of spirits you want to work with. The number 1 glass is the one you will
drink from (more on this later).

Glasses number 2 and 3 are changed only once a week on the day you have chosen to clean your
altar. When you change the water from these two glasses, dont pour them down the
drain.....instead.....pour them in the street OFF your property. If you cant pour them away from
your property then pour them into the toilet and flush it away. These two glasses will absorb
negative energies and evil spirits; that is why you empty the glasses off your property or in the
toilet. You dont want that harmful energy to hang around.

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Glass number 1.....a very important glass. Glass number 1 you dedicate to whichever spirit or
group of spirits you want to work with. For me I dedicate this glass to my spiritual doctors and
surgeons.

One of the Folk Saints I work with is Dr. Jose Gregorio Hernandez.....very powerful!.....do a
search on him. This glass of water is changed every single morning. Each time I change the
water I ask Dr. Hernandez to charge the water with any spiritual medication I need to stay
healthy and to energize it with his wisdom and knowledge so that I may be able to obtain that
knowledge and ability for the good of everyone.

The next morning I drink the water to transfer these energies from him into myself. You take 3
sips of water from this glass everyday; the first sip is in the name of the Father, the second sip
is and of the Son and the third sip is and of the Holy Ghost.....say that as you sip the water.
Then pour the rest of the water outside ON your doorstep to attract blessings into your home.

Sometimes I will also place a gallon jug of water on the altar and ask Dr. Jose Gregorio
Hernandez to fill it with spiritual medication for healing so that those that are sick can drink a
glass of it. I then keep this in the refrigerator for when its needed. This works really well.

The glass dedicated to your maternal and paternal ancestors is on the left, the one dedicated to
Angels, Guides and God should be to the right and the one dedicated to the group of spirits you
work with should be in the front. Everything else you place on the altar can be placed anywhere
you like.

You will also need a Cross or Crucifix. The cross is placed on top of the number 1 glass and
always remains there. After you have replaced the water from this glass place the Cross on top
again.

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I use Holy Water for many things but on the ancestor altar I use it to pour libation (a liquid
offering for religious ceremony).....Yes, Christians pour libation.....so do many other religions
and cultures. I use a small soapstone cup to hold the libation poured. For me, pouring libation is
a way to ask for my ancestors to be forgiven of any sins they passed with, to cleanse and purify
them and to allow them spiritual progress and peace. When do you pour libation?.....this is done
during the ANCESTRAL HEALING PRAYER. The prayer will instruct you WHEN to pour.
All the prayers needed for the ancestor altar are given below.

Once you have your ancestor altar constructed you should decide on a day that you will maintain
the altar. It should be maintained at least once a week to keep it free of dust. This same day you
choose to maintain the altar you should also give it a good spiritual fumigation (smudging) to
keep it purified and free of negativity. Choosing a day will help you to remember to do it every
single week....it will become a habit without even thinking about it. Maintaining the altar can
take anywhere from 5 minutes to an hour. This is up to you and how much you want to put in to
it. You can spend as much time at this altar as you want.

Okay, when you fist approach the altar, before sitting down to talk to the spirits you will have to
say some opening prayer. This is out of respect. You will also have closing prayer to recite
before leaving the altar.

ANCESTOR ALTAR PRAYERS

WEEKLY WATER GLASSES (NUMBERS 2 AND 3)
This prayer is the one you use when you replace the weekly water glasses (numbers 2 and 3)
This will only be recited once a week when you are refilling the water in these glasses. Place
your dominate hand on glass NUMBER 2 and say.....
I dedicate this water to my maternal and paternal ancestors. Lead and guide me in my journey
and be at my side always.
Now place you dominate hand over glass NUMBER 3 and say.....
I dedicate this glass to all the Holy Angels, Guides, Protectors and Jesus Christ.
I call on my Spirit Guides and all Good Spirits around me
to empower this water for the purpose of absorbing and removing
all evil and negative energies that should enter this house.

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DAILY WATER GLASS (NUMBER 1)

This next prayer is the one youll use to change the number 1 glass every morning. This is the
glass you will drink from. Take three sips from this glass every morning. The first sip is IN
THE NAME OF THE FATHER ..... The second sip is AND OF THE SON ..... And the third sip
is AND OF THE HOLY GHOST. After sipping the water pour the remainder on your doorstep,
refill the glass with fresh water and set it on the altar for blessing.
Now place you dominate hand over glass NUMBER 1 and say.....
I dedicate this water to the Spirit(s) of (name the spirit(s) you want to work with)
And those Spiritual Healers chosen by God
I ask that you bless this water I place before you.
Empower it with wisdom and spiritual medication.
Grant that when I drink this water dedicated to you
That I take into my body your wisdoms and secrets,
And your power and knowledge
Grant that it contains the spiritual medications
Needed to remove all illness and diseases
Grant that this healing power is passed on
To those who come to me in need. Amen

OPENING PRAYERS
There are four opening prayers which should be recited before talking to the spirits. Pray them
in any order that you prefer but all four should be included. These prayers are..... the Apostles
Creed, the Lords Prayer, the Hail Mary, and the 23rd Psalm.

APOSTLES CREED
I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth. I believe in Jesus Christ, his
only Son, our Lord. He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin
Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended to the
dead. On the third day he rose again. He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of
the Father. He will come again to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the
holy Catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the
body, and the life everlasting. Amen.

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LORDS PRAYER
Our Father, Who art in heaven, Hallowed be Thy Name. Thy Kingdom come,
Thy Will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven. Give us this day, our daily bread, and forgive us
our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but
deliver us from evil. For thin is the Kingdom And the power And the Glory Forever and ever
Amen.

HAIL MARY
Hail Mary, Full of Grace, The Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is
the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now, and at the hour
of death. Amen.

23RD PSALM
The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures,
He leads me beside still waters,
He restores my soul.
He guides me in paths of righteousness
For his name's sake.
Even though I walk through the valley
Of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil,
For you are with me;
Your rod and your staff, They comfort me.
You prepare a table before me
In the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
My cup overflows.
Surely goodness and mercy
Will follow me all the days of my life,
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

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Now youre ready to call on and talk to the Spirits. I am a huge follower of the late Allan Kardec
so in many of my prayers to the spirits I will follow some if his suggestions. The following
prayers I use are The Evocation to the Good Spirits (a prayer to call on the good spirits around
you), The Prayer for Advice (used to ask the spirits for guidance when needed), The Prayer for
Spirit Guides (used to call on the help of your guides), The Ancestor Prayer (used to call on more
good spirits), and The Ancestral Healing Prayer (used to break generational curses and to ask
forgiveness of those who have passed). The Ancestral Healing Prayer is the prayer which
instructs you to pour libation. After I have recited these prayers....then I will talk to them or read
other prayers for them. You dont have to use these prayers like I do but I have included them in
case you would like to.

EVOCATION TO THE GOOD SPIRITS

I praise you good spirits of the Lord.
Guide me through the path of truth
And illuminate me always in the divine direction.
Give me the dignity to reach supreme blessing.
I evoke your assistance in this sacred moment,
So that you will fortify me with your divine fluids
Guide me to comprehend with clearness,
The love of our Lord toward us, Amen

PRAYER FOR ADVICE

In the name of God, the all powerful
In my uncertainty,
I call upon the good spirits who protect me
To inspire me to make the best decisions
Lead my thoughts always towards goodness
And protect me from the influences
Of those who tempt me to stray. Amen

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PRAYER FOR SPIRIT GUIDES

Good and thoughtful spirits, messengers of the almighty,
Loving spirits charged with the mission of helping us grow in wisdom and love,
I ask for your support as I face each days decisions.
Help me to have the strength to resist spirits that could induce me to err.
Illuminate my thoughts and remove the veil of ignorance from my eyes
So that I may recognize my faults
To you spirit guide, and to all the other good spirits
Who take an interest in my well being
I pray that I may be worthy of your consideration.
You know my needs,
I therefore ask that you improve my life
As I become closer to divinity. Amen.

ANCESTOR PRAYER
I call on my guardian angel, guides and protectors,
I call on my ancestors, both maternal and paternal,
I call on all other good spirits who accompany me,
I call on the good spirits of the earth, and all the elemental spirits,
I call on all spiritual doctors, surgeons and healers chosen by God.
I call on all spirits that I place my faith in, honor and invoke.
Let this space be a bridge for communication and the manifestations of your help.
I offer you these prayers and this light with love.
Protect me and my family and keep us safe from enemies,
Witchcraft, evil spirits and from all unforeseen dangers
Be our spiritual doctors and surgeons in times of illness
And bless us with the healing we need to ensure good health.
Bring peace, love, happiness and prosperity into our home
And grant us luck and success in all our goals.
Be with me now and forever.
Guide me towards spiritual strength and goodness,
Teach me your wisdoms and secrets,
Instruct me in the ability and knowledge I need to grow in my chosen path.
Work though my body, mind and soul
So that through you I may heal and help those who come to me in need.
Light, peace and spiritual progress to all the spirits that accompany me
May you be delivered from all pain and be carried unto rest. Amen.

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ANCESTRAL HEALING PRAYER

I offer light and pour libation (oil)
with respect and honor for all my ancestors whose names I know (names)
And those I dont know,
To uplift and liberate their souls in the name and light of the almighty God
For it is through the love, the will, and the power of God that all souls are saved.
I offer prayer and protection by way of the Divine Creator
For those ancestral souls that are in darkness, forgotten, or lost.
Let the light I offer fade out the shadows of fear and guide them toward the arms of God.
I offer guidance to my ancestors by way of the guardian angels and protective spirits
Who by the power and order of God will assist them in their greater act of evolution.
Let the light I offer be a beacon of hope and serve as an escape
And protective shield from the shadows of despair
I offer love, compassion, and comfort to those ancestral souls that are suffering and depressed.
Let the light I offer lead them from discord and the miseries of their souls
To the sanctuary of God and the joys of heavenly bliss
I offer healing by way of the Supreme Being on all spiritual levels
For those ancestors who were abused, afflicted, deceived, enslaved,
Hated, lonely, misguided, neglected, oppressed, pained,
Saddened, traumatized, and died tragically.
Let the light I offer inspire clemency, liberation, faith, love and harmony from today onward.
I offer forgiveness to the ancestral souls that want to sincerely repent,
For the error of their ways in both realms of life and death
Let this light guide them to the truth, enlightenment and righteousness of God.
I forgive those ancestors that committed wrongs
That have set a generational line us that are living in barrenness.
I forgive those ancestors whose past sins Ive had to suffer
As a result of their own ignorance and inferior habits and traits
Let the light I offer serve as a reminder for us in the living to acknowledge and learn
Not to make the same mistakes as the ones who lived before us.
I forgive those ancestors who need it most
So that their souls will embrace in positive gratification
A new and improved way of living in the spirit realm
And that those souls will elevate in peace and awaken to eternal life as God promised.
In the name of God and through his mercy and blessings,
Let today be the beginning of a continual healing process for all my ancestral guides
And release of all blocked and negative genetic energy patterns within the generational line
steadily healing each family member including myself day-by-day
As you, the Ancestors heal on the other side,
I ask that you forgive us as you have been forgiven
And help us to heal with free flowing positive and progressive energy
For the better well-being of all concerned.
In Gods name I pray and may the light, power, and peace of God be with us always.
And so it is spoken and so it will be. Amen
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CLOSING PRAYER 1
This prayer is one that I say before leaving the altar. You do not have to include this one but it
really is a good prayer. This is said so that you are given guidance and messages from the spirit
world.
Lord, as I sleep
My soul will be together with other spirits.
So I beg the good spirits to come and give me counsel.
Guardian angel, please help me to keep a lasting and beneficial impression
Of this encounter on awakening, Amen

CLOSING PRAYER 2
The Lords Prayer
Our Father, Who art in heaven, Hallowed be Thy Name. Thy Kingdom come,
Thy Will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven. Give us this day, our daily bread, and forgive us
our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but
deliver us from evil. For thin is the Kingdom And the power And the Glory Forever and ever
Amen.

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