“My uplifted Ancestors, guides, fierce protectors and skilled healers.

Please stand with us, your children.

Be with us in this moment and guide us

along the road with a cool head and a clear mind. We are root of your root, soil of your soil,
bone of your bone, and blood of your blood. Hearing our sincere cries and our honest placations, keep the gifts of health, wealth, and prosperity close so that we may honor and grow your legacy.

We have not forgotten our commitment to our lineage, and we vow to never forget.

Thank you.”

In some African cultures, as in many communities in the African Diaspora, ancestors play an important role. Ancestors are honored and are assumed to guard and guide posterity. During slavery, the enslaved were forbidden from performing such rites and prayers related to their ancestors.

Today we remember our ancestors who have struggled, those who perished, and those of us who have thrived despite centuries of enslavement, colonialism, and systemic racism.

We encourage you to light a candle during this prayer to represent the passing of this flame from our ancestors to us. Let us remember that our heritage is our light. The wisdom and traditions of our inheritance illuminate our present.

Reference: Daizy. “A Veneration Prayer to Invoke the Ancestral Spirits.” The AfroMystic, The AfroMystic, 20 Dec. 2017, https://www.theafromystic.com/blog/2017/11/4/a-veneration-prayer-to-invoke-the-ancestral-spirits

TODAY’S PRACTICE: Light a candle and perform an ancestral prayer before a meal.