Ancestors

From Association of Independent Readers and Rootworkers

Conditions for Which Ancestors are Petitioned Love Drawing, Romance, Marriage, Fidelity, and Reconciliation Money, Business and Luck Protection, Safe Travel Cleansing, Uncrossing Road Opening Court Cases, Legal Matters Spirituality and Blessings

Working with one's ancestors is a strong and ancient part of many cultures, but in the form in which it is found among hoodoo and conjure practice, it derives in large part from African traditions of ancestor veneration and has become a form of spirit work, a term that covers a broad range of altar work and prayer as well as magical spell casting in which root doctors may contact or seek the aid of Spirits and Spirit Guides.

Ancestor work may be performed in the graveyard, on a home altar, on a simple "memory place" in the home where photographs of family members who have passed are displayed, or even through the intercession of a spirit medium, either informally or through the auspices of a Spiritualist church. Often it begins with a pilgrimage to the burial site of an ancestor and the ritual collection or "purchase" of graveyard dirt from the site, which is carried home and placed on the spiritual worker's altar.

Root doctors who are blessed to have ancestors who will work as spirits on behalf of clients may petition their own ancestors for help in certain cases, especially if their ancestors have strong and distinct talents. For instance, a rootworker whose grandmother was a midwife may petition her ancestor's aid in cases of fertility and childbirth, a rootworker whose grandfather was a lawyer may seek his ancestor's help in spirit form while casting court case spells, and a rootworker whose grandmother was a psychic reader back in the day may call upon her illustrious ancestor for spiritual assistance before undertaking her daily card readings on behalf of her clients.

Root doctors familiar with ancestor work may also help clients contact their own ancestors using magical coaching techniques, either long distance or in person, as suits the case. Many people of African descent who live in the Americas have adopted a highly modified version of the African Bwete cult of ancestor veneration as a way to honour their African and Native American forebears in the figue of Black Hawk.

In certain instances, if you cannot travel to where your ancestor is buried, but you know the location, you can hire a conjure doctor who lives near the site and who is proficient in ancestor work to help you obtain your ancestor's graveyard dirt. The rootworker will visit the graveyard on your behalf, pay respects at your ancestor's grave, leave whatever offerings you have specified, and "buy" graveyard dirt on your behalf, which will be shipped to you for use on your own home altar.

See Also

• Spirit Work
• Spirits and Spirit Guides
• Angels and Archangels
• Catholic Church Saints
• Catholic Folk Saints
• Hindu Deities
• Orishas
• Kimpungulu
• Altar Work and Prayers
• Mediumship
• Working Within the Spiritualist Tradition
• Working Within the African and African-Diasporic Tradition
• African and African-Diasporic Ancestral Traditions