Getting the guidance and protection of your ancestors is very simple. Here’s what you do:
Find a table in your house, that is in a place of honor. Put a white cloth on it. Now, also:
- flowers
- a cup of hot coffee
- a shot of bacardi white rum
- nine glasses of water, with a crucifix in the middle one. The crucifix is not for christianity its for the four winds
- pictures of your ancestors – blood relatives, no longer living.
So, thats what called a “boveda” – a spiritual altar
Now, what you do is this: Once a week, bring your ancestors fresh flowers, and fresh water in the nine glasses, and also a fresh cup of coffee and a fresh shot of rum. Blow cigar smoke on the pictures and then pray to them, talk to them just like they were there right in front of you. Tell them what you need and what’s worrying you and ask them to guide and watch over you.
They are already around you all the time anyway, this lets them know that YOU know they’re there. Also the attention and the water, coffee, rum etc refreshes and energizes them their spirits and gives them more mobility and strength in this world.
Now, if you want you can also give them candies, or slices of cake, whatever sweets they liked in life, or cook a favorite meal. Just don’t let anything go rotten on their altar, overnight is enough.
And when you are praying to them of course light a white candle on the altar too. Never leave it burning when you’re not around, extreme fire hazard. And never blow it out, always snuff, otherwise you will blow your luck away.
So, there’s more than one way to do this, but this is how I learned it. Whatever way you chose, contact with the ancestors is the absolute FOUNDATION of all the african traditional religions, from Voudon and Santeria to Palo and Cadomble.
The more you work this altar and commune with your ancestors the more powerful the link will grow and the more the spirits will start to be able to hear and see you. You don’t even have to be African!
And the great thing about ancestors is they are only for you!!! Nobody else is calling them, they don’t have to multitask, they are already 100% concerned with YOUR well being and nobody else’s.
Making an altar like this was the first thing I did 10 years ago and I can honestly tell you it changed my life. From that connection, the connection to my ancestors, so many other wonderful opportunities and life changes opened up that it would take pages and pages to list them all.
So once you start this practice, don’t be surprised if your life starts to have a lot of fortunate coincidences quickly – once this ball gets rolling, it can roll fast, so be ready!
WARNING: Never have sex in front of the ancestral altar, it’s disrespectful. Don’t work with the altar when you’re on your period, instead just put a white cloth over it.
And a final warning, the ancestral altar itself, as you put energy into it, will create over time a powerful vortex that connects directly world of the dead. You don’t want to send anyone you know there ahead of schedule, so NEVER put a living person’s picture on the ancestral altar.
I’m a Afrikan American woman desperately seeking the knowledge of my ancestors. I feel a call or connection but, I don’t really know where to begin. I have Christian and Islamic foundations but, I have grown very fond to Palo, how it came to be and it’s rawness. If there are any jewels you can drop me please respond. I live in the Nations Capital and with all due respect I am serious and have much respect for the Palo way of life.
Thank you I am not working at this time although I plan to obtain the things as outlined for the set up of my Boveda. Also the only place I have free now because I share the house with family, additionally, my wife and I share the same room. what to do about sex when the Boveda is in the same room? also there is no closet space it will be on my dresser with a mirror behind it???
Thank you much Ashe’ to you!
Hi Raymond
If it were me I would just put a white cloth over the boveda when you’re not using it. I lived in a tiny one-room apartment for years and that method worked fine.
As far as having it in front of a mirror… hmm… it is not recommended to have too many mirrors in your bedroom at once since these can function as portals. So having a boveda in front of a mirror, in your bedroom, might not be wise.
I would find somewhere else to set it up instead of in front of the mirror.
Hope that helps.
Thank you that was helpful and for the response, as far as the mirror there is only one mirror which is connected behind the dresser I have a limited space so I was attempting utilize my room for it and other set ups as well, that’s why i was asking about the dresser with the mirror for the boveda. Hey I don’t want to be an ass about this I just want a little clarity. Because i am working in a tight space and have little places to put it and also be out the way that is why I was asking. Eventually soon after I finish my set up of my boveda. I will build another one to the deity orixa pomba gira and maybe Exu together. I might just build one for her and one for him separately instead I have not decided as of yet. i apologize for this i just wanted your opinion thought’s on this. ASHE’
Hi Raymond
You have a connection to your ancestors – they put you on this planet. But unless you have been formally initiated into Brazilian Quimbanda I’d be very leery of building altars to Exu or Pomba Gira, especially in your bedroom. These aren’t beings to call upon casually or out of curiosity, better to stick to what you know.
My opinion, take it or leave it.
Thank you, I would like to communicate not on this public forum. I am not sure where to go as far as with spiritual questions I tried the page for spiritual readings on this site. It won’t work as far as everytime I attempted to send it says incorrect code etc. it won’t go through for some reason?
What does Nsalamaleko or Nsalamalecum?
is like peace be unto you or something seems ashuric/ syriac or something