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Connecting With Our Witch Ancestors
Last updated on: June 11, 2020 at 6:15 pm by Cyndi Brannen
Connecting With Our Witch Ancestors 2020-06-11T18:15:16-04:00 Cyndi Brannen
Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.
Connecting to our witch ancestors to receive their guidance and express our gratitude opens us to their deep wisdom. Healing, empowering and incredibly spiritual, allowing ourselves to feel their presence will transform you. At times, our ancestors are known figures, from myths, folktales and history. Such as beloved Circe and Baba Yaga. More often, they come to us without renown, as visions and dreams. Connect with yours using a simple ritual, doing the Dark Mother Tarot Ritual and more.
Ancestors of Spirit
Ancestors of spirit can be anyone who has passed from this life who holds a special place in our hearts. A caring teacher who has crossed the veil that helped through a difficult time. A kindly neighbor or a former boss are other examples. There are ancestors of spirit who are symbolic of who we are today. We stand on their shoulders and remember their sacrifice. We can reach over to the Other Side, offering them the healing they need, and perhaps even forgiveness.
Many of the ancestors suffered greatly for being who they were. They reach across time to guide us as their kindred. We can reciprocate through showing them our appreciation.
Many of us have ancestors of spirit who were public figures that inspire us, and perhaps guide us along our journey. Our witch ancestors who persisted in their pursuit of their truth deserve our veneration, sometimes in public, but more often in obscurity. We can also express our gratitude for our former incarnations. I’ve always been some form of healer-witch across lifetimes. These ancestors of my soul are part of who I am today. I honor them.
Witch Ancestors As Our Guides
These witch ancestors are keen to be our spirit guides. They see how their suffering and efforts are finally leading to a cultural shift in the perception of the witch. We honor them well by listening to their whispers and heeding their signs. Over the years, in my work as a medium, I’ve found that many seekers are so preoccupied with getting the attention of certain ancestors that they ignore the ones who are standing right beside them.
In my article about Living In A House Of Spirits, I wrote about some of the different types of etheric beings that we can develop relationships with. They can be powerful allies, providing guidance with their expanded knowledge of the universe, help us heal, and even be fun to hang out with. Some of members of Hekate’s Horde who consist of the marginalized of society. Hekate’s ancient witches including Circe and Medea rule the horde, that includes countless witches. The ancient Sibyls, Hekate’s prophetess-priestesses, are also part of the horde.
Between the time of the ancients and today, there are innumerable witches who can come forward as a guide for the witch who is willing to listen to them. They are the practitioners of Old Time Witchcraft, who long for us to establish a relationship with them.
Continue to the Ritual for Connecting With Your Witch Ancestors
Ritual For Connecting With Your Witch Guides
To connect with your witch guides, set up a place for them at your table after your home is cleansed and protected. You don’t want any troublesome specters showing up. Generally, set the intention for one guide to come forward. You don’t want to be overwhelmed, especially if you are new to this practice.
Offer a meal suitable for the type of guide you seek. Cakes and tea are universally welcome by all the witch ancestors I call upon. Sit at your table, light a black candle (white will do in a pinch), and call out to the witches who are already silently watching over you. I know you can feel them even while reading this. Curious bunch, those ancestors of ours, always looking over our shoulder to see what we’re up to.
Witch Ancestor Tea
To connect with your witch allies, and to give them a most welcome offering, brew a pot of Witch Ancestor Tea made from mugwort, mint, yarrow and juniper berries. Mugwort for opening your third eye to them, mint for connecting with the departed, yarrow for healing of all involved, and juniper berries for banishing any unwelcome visitors. Juniper also helps us overcome self doubt. As with all botanical medicine, the specific amounts used will vary based on your unique constitution. However, 1 tsp each of mugwort and yarrow, with about 1/2 tsp mint and 13 juniper berries steeped in two cups of boiled water is a good formulary for most of us. As always with pharmakeia (holistic botanical witchcraft) do your research to see if there are any reasons for you not to consume them.
Tarot Reading To Receive Your Ancestors Messages
After sipping your tea, connect with your visitors. Express your gratitude for their silence, suffering and persistence. Listen to what they have to say. Ask them to give you guidance through your cards. The Hekate Shadow Revelations Tarot Spread is well suited to this type of working. Hekate is the Witch Mother and her witches are of her horde. They will be pleased to be involved in this practice. The Hekate Shadow Revelations Tarot Spread has become a Samhain tradition for me and many others. In fact, it was during such a Samhain session that the vision of this reading was given to me, many years ago when I was sitting at my kitchen table doing my late night ritual after an evening of Halloweening.
JUNE 2020: Please subscribe to my blog on keepingherkeys.com/read to receive updates about new articles which are completely free. I am not publishing new articles on Patheos. You can join my modern online coven network for the first month free. Try it out here.
Questions? Comments? [email protected] is where to send them.
Thanks to everyone for supporting Keeping Her Keys on Patheos. You can find me at keepingherkeys.com, on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter or Instagram, in addition to the Keeping Her Keys network.
Stay true. Rise strong. Keep your own keys.
Deep Blessings,
Cyndi

About Cyndi Brannen
Cyndi Brannen, PhD, is a healer, teacher and author focusing on personal development, spirituality and true magic. Founder of the Keeping Her Keys Mystery School, she teaches and writes about the true magic of healing and personal power. The bestselling Keeping Her Keys: An Introduction to Hekate’s Modern Witchcraft explores Hekate from her ancient origins to our modern understanding through magic and personal development. True Magic: Unleashing Your Inner Witch, based on the sacred seven principles, is now available. Join her coven at opencircle.mn.co. You can read more about the author here.
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