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Honoring your ancestors
- Thread starter Ashoka
- Start date
Guitar's Cry
Disciple of Pan
I include my ancestors and "all who have come before" in my offerings.
All of my seasonal ritual offerings have an Ancestor component to them. I will also be setting up a small shrine in their honor, once I finish setting up my ritual room. It will contain photos of family that have since passed, as well as a place for small offerings such as lighting incense, or placing food.
Ashoka
श्री कृष्णा शरणं मम
I've been learning about mine through ancestry.com. There are for sure people in my family that don't deserve honor, but others do. Some of them have been teaching me that our family line on many sides is wounded and traumatized. That doesn't make what they did okay, but it explains a lot.
VoidCat
Pronouns: he/him/they/them
I don't even know enough to use that. That would require for me to know other names beside my mom and dad. Im not even sure on my grandma's name I just know everyone called her Grandma Duck even folk not related. I could ask my dad and mom what my grandparents names are but I keep forgetting. Also I can't afford an ancestry website I just tried to use the free version libraries have.
Ashoka
श्री कृष्णा शरणं मम
Libraries typically have a section for genealogies or passenger lists! It's how I learned I have family here (I moved to WV in 2004, originally from PA). It takes a while but it's worth it.
VoidCat
Pronouns: he/him/they/them
I'll see.
Aupmanyav
Be your own guru
Like or not like does not matter. If they are your ancestors, they must be revered in Hinduism. Ancestors does not mean biological ancestors only. Even uncles, grand uncles, aunts and grand aunts should to be revered. All people who preceded you in your family. That is on the last day of remembrance fortnight ('Shraaddha Paksha' concluding on coming Sunday). That is known as 'Sarva Pitri Shraaddha' (Homage to all known and unknown ancestors).
Normally, in Indian villages, there used to be a spot in the person's field or near the house (but not in the house) where ancestors were worshiped. A bride would first worship those who will become her ancestors before she enters the house. The ancestors were called Vaderas (the elders).
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Callisto
Hellenismos, BTW
Ritually, I honor my ancestors in general rather than singling out individuals. I use researching my family's genealogy to connect with them "one on one" by identifying and learning what I can about individuals, even if it's just learning their names. It can be both rewarding and difficult at times. Half of my ancestry is African-American and blacks were not listed on census by name until 1870. The farthest I've traced are some free ancestors to the early 1800s so just learning names is a thrill. Whereas the other side of my family I've traced back literally several hundreds of years and have come across various personal documents and accounts of what various relatives did which give some glimpse of who they were as a person.
Aupmanyav
Be your own guru
I have names of my ancestors for some 7 generations but no other information about them. The earliest ancestor of whom I have seen a photograph is the grandfather of my grandfather, great great grandpa. We have the photographs of my great grandpa and great grandma. He was a school teacher.