Connecting with the Power of Our Ancestors
In many cultures, honoring and connecting with the ancestors is an accepted and honored tradition. When I lived in Ireland, it was not uncommon for people to tell me about conversations they had with departed relatives and that they often asked them for help and guidance. An increasing number of people in the United States are also beginning to have supportive encounters with those we think of as having “died.”
We are in the midst of redefining our view of and relationship to death, and the rituals involving it. In this post I am focusing on relationship with our ancestors, known and unknown, as it affects our individual and collective visions.
This year Sunday November 1st is All Saint’s Day and in Mexico, The Day of the Dead, and the day we will hold our next Sound Alchemy event in Sonoma, California. We will connect with our ancestors in sacred ritual; so that they can assist us to fulfill our hearts’ dreams, which are also their dreams. (If you are reading this post after November 1, 2009, please know that this ritual can be done at any time—alone or with others.)
It is said that at this particular time of year “the veils between this world and the next are very thin” and therefore an especially powerful time to participate in such a ritual. However, I have given ancestor rituals at many different times of the year and they have all felt very powerful to me and to those who participated. What is necessary is to allow your inspiration to guide you, to connect with your heart’s vision, and allow your intellect to rest.
Prior to conducting your own ritual or, if you wish, to be connected with us on Nov. 1st at 4:30 PST, here are a few thoughts and some guidelines:
- My experience is that our ancestors are with us both in cell memory and as teachers and guides in the non-physical realm. Since they exist within us ,as us, our dreams are their dreams; we are fulfilling what many of them envisioned long ago. In reality, there is no time and we are able to connect with all those, past and future, who want to join more consciously with us now to assist us to move through this current transition and create the world of our collective vision.
- When I first consciously connected with my ancestors, they spontaneously spoke (through my voice) a language that can sound like a fusion of many languages. It is not gibberish, but a language that I, and others, feel as vibration in our bodies. I also understand it, but it is reduced from what it is when I translate it into English. I now chant, sing and sound, while connected in this way, in both healing sessions and rituals.
- I encourage everyone to allow your own sounds to be part of collective or individual ritual. This is a very immediate way that your ancestors directly assist you. It is not necessary to sound in language, although I notice that more people are spontaneously beginning to do that. Our ancestors send higher frequencies to us through a wide variety of sounds and tones. Allowing your own inner child to freely express is the key.
- Your ritual can be whatever brings you out of ordinary time into sacred time. I highly suggest connecting with Mother Earth, and with Spirit, through the Sun, Sky or Space. Then connect with the Divine Child, the Light that you are, and in your heart feel the love of your Divine Mother and Father flowing into you, along with the love and support of all your ancestors and non-physical guides and teachers. Connecting with the elements and/or the directions also creates a container for the sacred.
- After we create sacred space together, we ask our ancestors to assist us to clear/transform anything in our lineage lines, which now needs to shift so that we can freely and joyfully manifest our individual and collective visions. Again your inspired sounds allow this to be done in very powerful way that you can feel in your body. Often dormant gifts and abilities are also awakened or accelerated through sound vibration. If you are in a place where you do not feel comfortable making audible sound, you can make very soft sounds or use the power of the Light in your breath. Intention and focusing on your heart as you breath are essential parts of this process.
- We then use inspired sound to connect with our hearts’ dreams, so that those in the non-physical can assist us to both magnetize all that we need and help us to open fully to inspired ideas and the passion and courage to act on them.
- There are times during the ritual when participants receive instrumental sounds and you may wish to play music that resonates with your heart or you may prefer to be in the sound of silence.
- When you feel complete, you may find it very helpful to write down any messages you have received: via knowing, impressions, images. It can also be very useful to have magazines handy so that you can randomly look through them and see if you are drawn to any particular images. Since our souls speak to us in symbols and images, often the next piece of your story will be revealed in an inner or outer image. You may wish to expand this into a vision board or “soul collage.”
- Finally and perhaps most important, remember to close sacred space and to Thank all those who have assisted you.
Members of our monthly group are invited to connect with us energetically, if they cannot be physically present. This month I extend the invitation to those of you who are reading this post. If you would like to join us, please send me your name and intention via my contact page, and you will be included in our ritual. Your heart’s dreams may become clearer or unfold in new, and even more wonderful ways, as many of us are already experiencing. You may enjoy using what I have written as a guideline and feel a strong connection, if you are able to join with us on Sunday, November 1st. However, since time is illusion, whenever and whatever way you are inspired to create ritual and connect is perfect for you.
One of my dreams is to help create a heart-based economy, in which we all give and receive from our deep sense of Oneness. This event is offered from the heart and those who participate are invited to give from their hearts in a way that feels joyful and expansive. If you feel drawn to make a financial contribution in this spirit, you are welcome to make a donation through my PayPal account.
I am very interested to hear the results of your participation in this ritual. Please share them as a comment to this post, so I can respond to you and others can also benefit.
May this time be a powerful turning point for you and for all of us!
Anita Casalina says:
October 25th, 2009 at 6:48 pm
Hi Katleen,
I just read your blog post about the ancestors. Really lovely!
As you know, I spend most of my "connection time" with the Spirit Guides.
What is really fun is that I found out that some of them are also connected
to me through ancestral lineage as well. Its facinating to find the points
at which karmic connections intersect with ancestral ones. Very powerful
assistance seems to come from these beings!
Thanks for providing such wonderful thoughts for us to ponder
Much Love and Hugs,
Anita
KathleenCasey says:
October 25th, 2009 at 7:14 pm
Agree
KathleenCasey says:
October 26th, 2009 at 10:28 pm
Hi Nancy,
I understand the dichotomy you mention; most of our belief systems are so complex and in most cases illogical. Dismantling them quite a process!
Regarding the effect of our own voices vs. instrumental sounds: I have decided to do some research about this with friends, clients and other sound healers. Clearly you have brought up an interesting question and one I do not have a ready answer for, besides what I have already written. Apparently there is something here I need to explore further. It may take a bit of time, and I will get back with you with my results. Thanks so much for your great question!
Peace and Blessings, Kathleen
KathleenCasey says:
October 26th, 2009 at 10:40 pm
Hi Mau,
We will have the very same intentions here on our Samhain altar as you have on your maypole for Beltane; we are clearly united no matter what season we are each celebrating! All of us whose hearts are joined with the power of Love will together complete the work we came here to do. E yah shay (like Namaste') dear friend!
Much Love to You,
Kathleen
Diamondlady1025 says:
October 26th, 2009 at 11:05 pm
Dearest Nancy and Kathleen ~
I believe I can provide a bit of insight to your comment about sound with our voices in relation to just listening to singing bowls, gongs etc. as I have many years of sound alchemy experience within the spiritual path and lightwork as we call it that I am on this earth. Our voices just like the singing bowls etc. just as anything within life all resonate within certain frequencies. In music, we call this Hz resonance. If you take a look at one of my favourite sound resonances the Solfeggio Frequencies at this link here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Tjh0YyDP6g and others on youtube that are out you will see and feel this experience. Just as with crystal bowls, gongs, etc, in which we equate certain earthly numbers or notes on a scale etc. or saying this vibration is of Love or that one is to transmute fear etc. to these vibrations, the same can be said for our own voices. Some may say that there is a difference between feeling the vibration of a bowl and toning or chanting with our own voice. In essence it is the same. For although each experience you receive each moment you embark upon one or another type, the fact that a crystal bowl or a gong or your own voice is the use of vibration, such vibration because it is energy resonates within you, through you, and out from you in the same vibrational manner logistically speaking. Again, the experience of the vibration and what you receive from each experience will be varying based upon many factors such as how and what you are feeling before you start, what comes through as the experience itself, and also what if any intentions you have about such an experience. Yet the vibrational resonance since we all vibration in energy including us as spiritual beings within physical form, our Hz resonance or the bowl or the gong, the matter or method is free from mattering it is more the experience and preference than anything.
Now having said all this, there are still some people who will say well I seem to FEEL it more when I tone or chant within using my voice, or I seem to get more out of being in the vibrational resonance of the crystal bowl, gong, Solfeggio frequencies etc. and this may be so and it is very valid. Again, it is based upon preference and also upon belief. Our core of our experience is directly related to our belief within something. The labels we have given to such frequencies as you will see on Youtube of the Solfeggio frequencies one says that one is for Love and another one is for DNA repair etc, is simply that that resonance will be Love if you believe such. Now if you feel the one that is said that is to be Love really resonates more for you as a DNA repair lets say, then that will be your experience. That is free from meaning that the frequency is not of Love still, it may very well be, yet for each soul, each souls experience will be varying based upon such. So the frequencies are the same yet each souls experience will be in variance and each earthly “label” name can be varying as well and it is all good and ok. When we utilize labels as a means of identifying our experiences and the universe around us, labels are beautiful. The moment we get “stuck” in that a label “has to” (and has to’s, musts, shoulds etc all are of ego consciousness) be one way and one way only, this is where the ego consciousness of judgment and self righteousness comes in. The message of Love is one in which we understand that all vibrations are beautiful and all resonate where each soul resonates whether it is our own voice singing and we feel it more deeply than that of a crystal or Tibetan bowl or if the guitar does. For instance, my own experience, I love all sound vibrations and even saying that there is one instrument that just “does it” for me vibrationally always and that is the guitar. It is simply how we tune in to such a frequency. As a chakra therapist and crystal therapist (among many other “qualifications” I have from an earthly perspective) I do many vibrational works with many things from toning to chanting to crystal bowls to tuning forks to meditations that I have recorded on my website and such yet for me personally the guitar is my number one:) I hope this wisdom helps and if there is more you desire for me to write on this I can, just let me know:)
Namaste ~
Patti
KathleenCasey says:
October 26th, 2009 at 11:09 pm
Dear Nenari,
I read something yesterday that was said by a very wise four year old boy and thought of you and what you have written: " Love means you can never be apart." As they say, "out of the mouths of babes!"
It took me quite a while to cease missing my beloved grandmother, Kathleen, and one day I was aware that she was always with me, where she had been all along-in my heart. My heart had to first feel the grief and when the grief was lifted then I could feel her presence. I felt the longing for her physical presence, as you mention, for a long while. I was very young then, but I also believe that no matter what one's age there is a period of physical loss that is felt and is part of being human. Time can be a great healer and teacher.
Thank you for sharing this; we celebrate our loved ones together in spirit soon!
Love and Blessings,
Kathleen
KathleenCasey says:
October 26th, 2009 at 11:34 pm
Dear Anita,
You bring up something that I also experience and have not written about, i.e., the connection between Spirit Guides and ancestors. I am interested in your further discoveries! As much as I understand at this time, some of my guides are ancestors through the current lineage I have; others are in my lineage from other lives (a tad complex since all lives are also NOW) and others have never been in body-at least here.
The other day I translated a message into intellectual thought, that went something like "Even if you 'thought' you understood this intellectually you would not." The continuous message I receive is that truth cannot be held in words but only hinted-still I appreciate any further hints- should you receive them! In the meantime, I feel their powerful and loving Presence, as you do, and continue to be very grateful for all they do through and for us!
Much Love,
Kathleen
KathleenCasey says:
November 22nd, 2009 at 3:31 pm
Hi Patti,
Thank you so much for your in depth reply! Using different words you say what I heard many years ago from Tom Kenyon, that intention determines the effect of the sound. As you mention it is so important for all of us to be aware of our "labels" and beliefs. No matter what my preferences may be, whatever I am inspired to play or sound in the moment is what happens–here's no right or best way, as all thought dissolves. What I do notice is that there is a lovely balance for participants when they can both give and receive sound, and I enjoy offering that opportunity both in private sessions and in groups.
Love and Thanks to you,
Kathleen