Today, as we celebrate All Souls' Day, I reckon it is the perfect time to discuss the Hoodoo way of honoring and revering our forefathers; its religious principle, spiritual aspects, and its analogy between the relationship to the Supreme Being.
Working with ancestors is prevalent throughout Africa and is the basis of many African traditional religions. It is actually where the Hoodoo practice of ancestral veneration is derived.
To establish a working relationship with ancestral lineage, one needs to 'honor' and 'revere' his ancestors.
Who are the Ancestors?
The ancestors are the deceased who were once family, clan, or tribe members. There are two types of ancestors: those still remembered and those already unknown by the living.
The same homage and adoration paid to deceased parents and ancestors are usually given to the deities in Africa. And similar to what Africans do to appease their deities, they present offerings, pour libations, pay homage, and recite prayers to the ancestral spirits. And even though some ancestors are not remembered by name anymore, they can still share in the offerings made to the dead and exert some influence over the living.
Who are the Ancestors?
The ancestors are the deceased who were once family, clan, or tribe members. There are two types of ancestors: those still remembered and those already unknown by the living.
The same homage and adoration paid to deceased parents and ancestors are usually given to the deities in Africa. And similar to what Africans do to appease their deities, they present offerings, pour libations, pay homage, and recite prayers to the ancestral spirits. And even though some ancestors are not remembered by name anymore, they can still share in the offerings made to the dead and exert some influence over the living.
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| The Crystal Diva ancestral shrine is inspired by the colorful egungun tradition of the Ifa, Santeria, and Lucumi religions. |
In the African belief system, the family is made up of both the living and the dead. And the deceased ancestors are still present, watching over the household and the property. Africans are extremely careful to honor and revere their ancestors, not just because they compare it to the honor and reverence of deities but also because they serve as the link between the physical world and the spiritual world, and for this very reason why Africans ascertain from time to time the will of their ancestors through divination.
I also believe that the ancestral cult was the original form of African religion. It seems that ancestral venerations were introduced by great founders and leaders of particular cities or kingdoms. There are some indications that these great men and women were the subject of deification and local worship. Places such as hometowns and graves of the ancestors of the tribes are associated with worship which probably was originally ancestral veneration.
How to honor our ancestors?
Yoruba and Chokwe people honor their ancestors by observing and celebrating appointed times dedicated to them. Masquerades and festivals for the dead are annual commemorations of events the ancestors had experienced in their lifetime, appeals or invitations for the spirits to celebrate and connect to all their descendants, and remembrance of past generations' ethical standards upheld. Thus, it is believed that the celebrations carry the presence and power of the ancestors and their spiritual experiences, and each year, people get to re-experience those events while, at the same time, being reminded of their heritage. This gives each of them the power to do whatever their ancestors were capable of. However, such festivals could not be observed in America when some Africans came there for fear of persecution from the White Christian slave masters, so they created several feasible and workable alternatives, such as constructing the ancestral shrine. Today, masks, skulls, costumed figures, and photographs of the dead are usually seen on Hoodoo altars. Their retention, more than anything else, gives Hoodoo a reputation for being necromantic magic.
Designating a physical place where people can remember the beloved dead is the first step in how one can honor his ancestors; as this sanctified spot then serves to remind him of the ongoing relationship he has with them, much in the same way that a crucifix, a menorah, a statue of Ganesh, a Voodoo veve, a pentagram or any religious symbols remind people about their relationship with their Gods. The nature of ancestral shrines may vary widely according to one's religion and traditional beliefs. The altar may be a small table or shelf that one can place in the spot selected for the shrine's construction. I recommend covering it with a white cloth and then placing a glass of water and a white or blue candle on the surface.
It is also essential to cleanse the space of your ancestral shrine by washing it with incense smoke, tobacco, cigar, or sage. If using a cigar, some individuals place a lit end in the mouth to jet smoke over their altar, while others simply blow the smoke over their shrine. To seal the cleansing process, put cascarilla or eggshell powder into a glass or bowl of water, add Florida Water or other spiritual colognes, then sprinkle the mixture on the altar to safeguard it. Cascarilla powder is a protective layer and can work as a barrier to keep unwanted entities at bay.
Among the Mahongwe subgroup of the Kota people of Gabon, relics or physical remains of the ancestors, such as bones or any body parts, pieces of clothing, or some objects associated with their ancestors, are decorated with talismans, rubbed with powders, and placed into a rattan basket, on top of which stood a "bwete" figure, also called "mbuku ngulu" or "mboy" among the Kota of Congo, and sheathed in a thin copper or brass wires. Hoodoo practitioners adapted this practice by placing personal mementos or relics, the dirt of the graves, or maps of land where the ancestors once lived on their altars. Simply seeing these objects related or connected to the ancestors can serve as a subconscious reminder of their outstanding contributions and can function as a kind of spirit house or energetic link with the spirits of our forefathers. For this reason, I highly advise setting up the altar in a different room than where one sleeps, as eventually, the shrine will grow into a place where the energies of the departed ones dwell in a more concentrated way.
Present-day Filipinos do the same thing as African-Americans in the South when venerating their ancestors. Filipinos expressed their honor and reverence by having photographs of the dead on home altars, with candles burning before them.
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| Ancestral shrine in our home. |
Now that one has set up a shrine for his ancestors, a simple ceremony of calling on them to activate the shrine is recommended as it marks the shrine as a point of contact and communion with the ancestors.
Ancestral spirits are invited through offerings and sacrifices. African-American Hoodoo practitioners have their own styles and methods of giving offerings and libations to their ancestors. Other conjure workers with different racial and ethnic backgrounds have their own, too; case in point, Tim and I. Our methods depend on who is being summoned. Still, offerings are usually a tiny portion of our harvests (in our case, money), fruits and cooked foods native to our provinces, local wines, gold ornaments, tobacco, and betel nuts. Blood from an animal commonly came from chicken or pig, which is usually part of the offerings in a bowl or pot. Salt and some spices are avoided, as they are believed to be distasteful to the spirits according to Filipino tradition. Sometimes we do offer hymns and songs of prayers to the dead. They are said to help the souls stuck in purgatory, asking for prayers from the living to get to heaven.
From this beginning, the process of honoring and revering one's beloved dead can be deepened.
Ancestral veneration in African and Hoodoo traditions implicitly suggests an awareness of one's origin, knowledge of one's existence, and grateful acknowledgment of one's resources.
For this reason, Africans and even some African-Americans elders account honor and reverence shown to ancestors as though it were delivered to the Supreme Being, and conversely, the neglect to honor the ancestors as an insult to God.
Proper behavior towards ancestors is seen as an essential step in the ladder leading to the appropriate behavior toward God. That being said, to answer one's question on how to commune with one's ancestors, I would say communicate with them like how we talk to God; that is through 'prayers.'
How do they respond?
Ancestral spirits can respond through spirit possession ritual or mediumship practices but may also happen spontaneously in dream contact or visitations, walking encounters, or omens. If you have a framework to receive their messages, their outreach is more accessible.
Can ancestors aid a root doctor in his magical or spiritual workings?
Absolutely, yes!
As I said, Kongo people create ancestral nkisi, which can protect and defend community members, assault or harm enemies and witches, aid misfortunes, infertility, diseases, and spiritual maladies and provide success in specific pursuits like battling, farming, hunting, etc. Kongo people usually put objects in their nkisi depending on their job or work. A resin pack of medicinal herbs is typically attached to the chest of the figure if the nkisi is for healing and health, iron knives driven into the chest are for protection, shells that resemble female genitalia are for romantic love, sex, and lust, and pieces of poisonous bark or fangs of venomous snakes attached to figure are for enemy works. Their purposes may also depend on the spiritual ingredients or "bishimba" placed within or on the figure. Bishimba is like offerings to the ancestors which can be concealed within the abdominal cavity, put in the horn set at the top of the head, tied around the neck or waist, or placed in the eyes, ears, or mouth of the figure.
Similar to traditional African practice, Hoodoo practitioners place objects, tokens, or votive offerings on their altars based on what job or occupation their ancestors had in life, what activities or hobbies they loved to do, or what strong and distinct talents they possessed back in the day. Some people who have military people in their ancestry place bullets or gunpowder on their altars, others who had doctors in their family, put medical tools, and an ancestor who loved to play musical instruments during his time would like to see a banjo or a guitar on his altar.
Ancestral spirits are invited through offerings and sacrifices. African-American Hoodoo practitioners have their own styles and methods of giving offerings and libations to their ancestors. Other conjure workers with different racial and ethnic backgrounds have their own, too; case in point, Tim and I. Our methods depend on who is being summoned. Still, offerings are usually a tiny portion of our harvests (in our case, money), fruits and cooked foods native to our provinces, local wines, gold ornaments, tobacco, and betel nuts. Blood from an animal commonly came from chicken or pig, which is usually part of the offerings in a bowl or pot. Salt and some spices are avoided, as they are believed to be distasteful to the spirits according to Filipino tradition. Sometimes we do offer hymns and songs of prayers to the dead. They are said to help the souls stuck in purgatory, asking for prayers from the living to get to heaven.
From this beginning, the process of honoring and revering one's beloved dead can be deepened.
What constitutes honor? Since it is believed among Hoodoo practitioners that ancestral spirits retained their human passions and appetites, one must provide them with food and drink, garments or adornments, and even their vices like cigarettes or liquors and commune with them frequently. And one must cheerfully give them their demands in the form of offerings. If one wants to offer food to their ancestors, it is traditional to place their offerings on chipped or cracked plates as this relates to the practice of smashing plates on the ground at the death of a family member.
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| Favorite fruits and food offered to our deceased family members: orange fruit, banana, "suman" or rice cake, and a roasted sunny-side-up egg. |
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| Steamed kangkong (watercress), okra, and yema candies as offerings for my own ancestor. |
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| Candles, food, and drinks were offered before the shrine. |
Also, one must perform for his ancestors all such services as a servant performs for his master or elder; one is duty-bound to render spiritual services even at personal expense.
To what lengths should the duty of honoring the ancestors go? Even were they to ask one to take his purse full of money and cast it into the sea, one must not shame them, manifest grief, or display any anger in their presence, but accept and continue the practice and observance without demur.
How about reverence? What constitutes it? One must not desecrate the place reserved for them. One must not eat or drink generally occupied by one's ancestors. One must not contradict their words, advice, or order, corroborate their assertions in their presence, or call them, even dead, by their first names.
To what lengths should the duty of revering ancestors go? Even if one is already a well-known conjure doctor or spiritual worker with proven effectiveness and his ancestors thwart or oppose his workings, he must not shame them but should remain silent. If a person of authority were to issue a decree against him, he would be powerless to rebel against it.
How to commune with ancestral spirits?
Close communication with the ancestral spirits of African-American conjure doctors is closely related to Kongo tradition. Inhabitants of the Kasai region, the Kongo and Songye tribes, believe that exceptional spiritual powers can be acquired through the communication of the dead, primarily through one's ancestors, by creating "minkisi" (singular "nkisi") power objects or medicinal vessels which may or may not contain an ancestral spirit, or a power figure, also called nkisi.
Certain types of power figures or minkisi, which have ancestral spirits embodied in idols or statues, can be used in magic to harm enemies, break malefic magic, ward off evil, draw good luck and success and protect the patient or the community. Healing figures are called "na monganga"; afflicting figures are called "npezo"; blessing and protective figures are known as "mbula"; and the punishing and vengeful ones are the "nkondi." The most popular type of minkisi in the United States is nkondi, as it has become a favorite for art museums as nail fetishes. Spiritual healers or "banganga" hammer nails into the nkondi statue as it signifies one's petition or represents an individual oath, covenant, or pledge to the spirits. The purpose of nailing is to 'awaken' and sometimes 'anger' the nkisi. Hoodoo practitioners awake or call their ancestors by approaching their altar and knocking on their table three times, imitating the sound of hammering a nail into wood.
People in Congo believe in the presence of the Supreme Being, but it is best accessed through ancestors. Respect for one's ancestors is part of not just spiritual life but daily, even mundane life. The absolute character of honoring and revering the ancestors in Africa is actually a filial duty or a devotion independent of exterior conditions. The commitment to the ancestors remains intact even where there is no debt to be paid, or the ancestors had gone long ago. Indeed, many African tribal precepts stay in force, even concerning ancestors who were known to be wicked men.
The descendant-ancestor relationship is analogous and intricately bound up in the man-God relationship. This is so because in bringing us into this world, our ancestors are in partnership with God; the material substance (genetic component - DNA) is derived from our ancestors, while God grants spirit and soul.
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| Nkisi nkondi mangaaka, is a power figure that seals trade deals and punishes violators of agreements. (Photo courtesy of Metropolitan Museum of Art) |
Certain types of power figures or minkisi, which have ancestral spirits embodied in idols or statues, can be used in magic to harm enemies, break malefic magic, ward off evil, draw good luck and success and protect the patient or the community. Healing figures are called "na monganga"; afflicting figures are called "npezo"; blessing and protective figures are known as "mbula"; and the punishing and vengeful ones are the "nkondi." The most popular type of minkisi in the United States is nkondi, as it has become a favorite for art museums as nail fetishes. Spiritual healers or "banganga" hammer nails into the nkondi statue as it signifies one's petition or represents an individual oath, covenant, or pledge to the spirits. The purpose of nailing is to 'awaken' and sometimes 'anger' the nkisi. Hoodoo practitioners awake or call their ancestors by approaching their altar and knocking on their table three times, imitating the sound of hammering a nail into wood.
People in Congo believe in the presence of the Supreme Being, but it is best accessed through ancestors. Respect for one's ancestors is part of not just spiritual life but daily, even mundane life. The absolute character of honoring and revering the ancestors in Africa is actually a filial duty or a devotion independent of exterior conditions. The commitment to the ancestors remains intact even where there is no debt to be paid, or the ancestors had gone long ago. Indeed, many African tribal precepts stay in force, even concerning ancestors who were known to be wicked men.
The descendant-ancestor relationship is analogous and intricately bound up in the man-God relationship. This is so because in bringing us into this world, our ancestors are in partnership with God; the material substance (genetic component - DNA) is derived from our ancestors, while God grants spirit and soul.
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| An African-American ancestral shrine (Photo courtesy of Gina Spriggs). |
Ancestral veneration in African and Hoodoo traditions implicitly suggests an awareness of one's origin, knowledge of one's existence, and grateful acknowledgment of one's resources.
For this reason, Africans and even some African-Americans elders account honor and reverence shown to ancestors as though it were delivered to the Supreme Being, and conversely, the neglect to honor the ancestors as an insult to God.
Proper behavior towards ancestors is seen as an essential step in the ladder leading to the appropriate behavior toward God. That being said, to answer one's question on how to commune with one's ancestors, I would say communicate with them like how we talk to God; that is through 'prayers.'
How do they respond?
Ancestral spirits can respond through spirit possession ritual or mediumship practices but may also happen spontaneously in dream contact or visitations, walking encounters, or omens. If you have a framework to receive their messages, their outreach is more accessible.
Can ancestors aid a root doctor in his magical or spiritual workings?
Absolutely, yes!
As I said, Kongo people create ancestral nkisi, which can protect and defend community members, assault or harm enemies and witches, aid misfortunes, infertility, diseases, and spiritual maladies and provide success in specific pursuits like battling, farming, hunting, etc. Kongo people usually put objects in their nkisi depending on their job or work. A resin pack of medicinal herbs is typically attached to the chest of the figure if the nkisi is for healing and health, iron knives driven into the chest are for protection, shells that resemble female genitalia are for romantic love, sex, and lust, and pieces of poisonous bark or fangs of venomous snakes attached to figure are for enemy works. Their purposes may also depend on the spiritual ingredients or "bishimba" placed within or on the figure. Bishimba is like offerings to the ancestors which can be concealed within the abdominal cavity, put in the horn set at the top of the head, tied around the neck or waist, or placed in the eyes, ears, or mouth of the figure.
Similar to traditional African practice, Hoodoo practitioners place objects, tokens, or votive offerings on their altars based on what job or occupation their ancestors had in life, what activities or hobbies they loved to do, or what strong and distinct talents they possessed back in the day. Some people who have military people in their ancestry place bullets or gunpowder on their altars, others who had doctors in their family, put medical tools, and an ancestor who loved to play musical instruments during his time would like to see a banjo or a guitar on his altar.
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| We work with our ancestors as spirit helpers and intermediaries to our Lord Jesus Christ. |
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| (Photo courtesy of Georgia Conjure) |
Serer people are known ethnic groups in Senegal who petition their ancestors for magical and spiritual aid. In the Serer religion, called "a fat Roog" by the natives, ancestral spirits are considered ancient saints, canonized by the priests of the religions, and associated with certain aspects or facets of life. Like the saints in Catholic Church, who each have special patronage, "pangool" or ancient saints could also serve as intercessors between the living world and the Divine.
Hoodoo practitioners assumed this practice and treated their ancestral spirits as spirit helpers that could be petitioned for help in certain cases. For instance, a conjure doctor whose grandfather was a military or soldier could petition his ancestor's aid in case of protection, banishing, and enemy works; a rootworker whose great-grandmother was a doctor could call upon his ancestor for spiritual assistance before undertaking to heal, and in-person cleansing works on behalf of his clients. A Hoodoo practitioner whose great-granduncle was a musician could pray to his ancestor for the mastery of his talent.
Is there any other way to honor one's ancestors?
There are other ways some African-Americans do to pay homage to their ancestors: to keep their behavior and tradition intact. Everyone must remember that one's behavior towards his traditional heritage reflects very much on his ancestors. When one chooses to continue what his ancestors did and practiced during their time, this is a source of joy and honor to the ancestors and causes others to praise and admire them. Conversely, improper behavior towards the ancestral folkways is a source of disgrace and ignominy to the ancestors, in their own eyes and in the eyes of others.
Even in Judeo-Christian tradition, the Scriptures state: "Honor your father and your mother." Some people thought that after a parent's death, one is already exempt, but sages taught that if our father or mother has died, one is obliged to honor them even more through the proper observance of customs and traditions they shared with their children. This reminds one that he is part of his parent and his ancestry that defines and shapes who he is today and who to become. Ignoring family traditions is a sure sign of 'disobedience.'
The Gullah people in the American South honor their ancestors by holding steadfastly to the ways of their enslaved African ancestors, passing on their customs and traditions from one generation to the next. People keep the West African music alive by performing ring shout; they make baskets using sweetgrass the way their ancestors did centuries ago; they weave their quilts similar to traditional strip loom used by African tribes; and they practice Hoodoo, conjure, and rootwork by respecting the tradition within and not deliberately removing its Christian and Central West African elements.
What to do when our ancestors don't match our spiritual path?
My partner Tim and I practice Hoodoo, which originates not from our country but from American South. To our knowledge, we both have no ethnic or ancestral lineage to Africans or African-Americans; that's why it surprises many people when they interact with us because they know we are Catholic Filipinos, yet we practice a practically foreign spiritual path.
Yes, we may not have an African-American cultural heritage, but we honor the enslaved African ancestors and our ancestors correspondingly. We honor our own ancestors in character and skills (My partner, Tim, for instance, has particular relatives who were folk healers who used traditional Latin prayers called "oracion" in their spiritual works; it would not hurt him to do the same in their honor) and we revere the ancestors of Hoodoo folk magic through learning and applying how they practice their own spirituality. To those who are in the same situation, why not give these techniques a try.
As already pointed out, ancestral veneration is integral to Hoodoo tradition, but what if one doesn't know his ancestors? Has no idea where he came from? And not sure about his roots?
I was adopted into a brilliant and loving family when I was still an infant, and I wouldn't want to change them for the world. Even to this day, I still have not met my biological family. I admit I was angry with them before, as I learned about my real identity. I was asking God why did He let my family abandon me? Why did my mother give me away? Did they ever realize the grief I was feeling over losing my relationship with them?
But as I learned the words of God and started to walk in Christ, I became more appreciative of being accepted and raised by someone who didn't give birth to me.
I am blessed and grateful to my foster Mom. I thank her for all she has done. I am grateful to God, too, because I realized He was the One who gave me to my foster family. He placed me in someone's care because He chose me and adopted me into His Spiritual Family. If it wasn't for Him, where would I be? I suppose I wouldn't have the same spiritual and magical opportunities. I am just thankful He allowed these things to happen.
"In the Messiah, he chose us in love before the creation of the universe to be holy and without defect in his presence. e determined in advance that through Yeshua the Messiah we would be his sons - in keeping with his pleasure and purpose - so that we would bring him to praise commensurate with the glory of the grace he gave us through the Beloved One." (Ephesians 1:46)
Hoodoo practitioners assumed this practice and treated their ancestral spirits as spirit helpers that could be petitioned for help in certain cases. For instance, a conjure doctor whose grandfather was a military or soldier could petition his ancestor's aid in case of protection, banishing, and enemy works; a rootworker whose great-grandmother was a doctor could call upon his ancestor for spiritual assistance before undertaking to heal, and in-person cleansing works on behalf of his clients. A Hoodoo practitioner whose great-granduncle was a musician could pray to his ancestor for the mastery of his talent.
Is there any other way to honor one's ancestors?
There are other ways some African-Americans do to pay homage to their ancestors: to keep their behavior and tradition intact. Everyone must remember that one's behavior towards his traditional heritage reflects very much on his ancestors. When one chooses to continue what his ancestors did and practiced during their time, this is a source of joy and honor to the ancestors and causes others to praise and admire them. Conversely, improper behavior towards the ancestral folkways is a source of disgrace and ignominy to the ancestors, in their own eyes and in the eyes of others.
Even in Judeo-Christian tradition, the Scriptures state: "Honor your father and your mother." Some people thought that after a parent's death, one is already exempt, but sages taught that if our father or mother has died, one is obliged to honor them even more through the proper observance of customs and traditions they shared with their children. This reminds one that he is part of his parent and his ancestry that defines and shapes who he is today and who to become. Ignoring family traditions is a sure sign of 'disobedience.'
The Gullah people in the American South honor their ancestors by holding steadfastly to the ways of their enslaved African ancestors, passing on their customs and traditions from one generation to the next. People keep the West African music alive by performing ring shout; they make baskets using sweetgrass the way their ancestors did centuries ago; they weave their quilts similar to traditional strip loom used by African tribes; and they practice Hoodoo, conjure, and rootwork by respecting the tradition within and not deliberately removing its Christian and Central West African elements.
What to do when our ancestors don't match our spiritual path?
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| African ancestors, slave ancestors, unknown ancestors, and our known ancestors are being honored and revered with equal importance. |
My partner Tim and I practice Hoodoo, which originates not from our country but from American South. To our knowledge, we both have no ethnic or ancestral lineage to Africans or African-Americans; that's why it surprises many people when they interact with us because they know we are Catholic Filipinos, yet we practice a practically foreign spiritual path.
Yes, we may not have an African-American cultural heritage, but we honor the enslaved African ancestors and our ancestors correspondingly. We honor our own ancestors in character and skills (My partner, Tim, for instance, has particular relatives who were folk healers who used traditional Latin prayers called "oracion" in their spiritual works; it would not hurt him to do the same in their honor) and we revere the ancestors of Hoodoo folk magic through learning and applying how they practice their own spirituality. To those who are in the same situation, why not give these techniques a try.
As already pointed out, ancestral veneration is integral to Hoodoo tradition, but what if one doesn't know his ancestors? Has no idea where he came from? And not sure about his roots?
I was adopted into a brilliant and loving family when I was still an infant, and I wouldn't want to change them for the world. Even to this day, I still have not met my biological family. I admit I was angry with them before, as I learned about my real identity. I was asking God why did He let my family abandon me? Why did my mother give me away? Did they ever realize the grief I was feeling over losing my relationship with them?
But as I learned the words of God and started to walk in Christ, I became more appreciative of being accepted and raised by someone who didn't give birth to me.
I am blessed and grateful to my foster Mom. I thank her for all she has done. I am grateful to God, too, because I realized He was the One who gave me to my foster family. He placed me in someone's care because He chose me and adopted me into His Spiritual Family. If it wasn't for Him, where would I be? I suppose I wouldn't have the same spiritual and magical opportunities. I am just thankful He allowed these things to happen.
"In the Messiah, he chose us in love before the creation of the universe to be holy and without defect in his presence. e determined in advance that through Yeshua the Messiah we would be his sons - in keeping with his pleasure and purpose - so that we would bring him to praise commensurate with the glory of the grace he gave us through the Beloved One." (Ephesians 1:46)
I am contented and happy to consider Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob as my ancestors. It would mean a lot to me to show our Forefathers I'm submissive to their God. It will be my way of saying thank you for helping me get here.
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