What is an Ancestor Witch? Connect with the ones who came before us

What is an Ancestor Witch?

Anyone who incorporates passed loved ones (whether genetically linked or not) into their spiritual practices can be an ancestor witch. Honoring and channeling the wisdom of ancestors helps boost your connection to your lineage, culture, and spiritual practices. An Ancestor Witch makes room in their spiritual practice to learn from those who have come before us and celebrate their continued connection.

As an ancestor witch you might be called to researching your genealogy, collecting family artifacts and heirlooms, hearing stories passed down, understanding your culture (good and bad), and healing ancestral wounds.

The practice of ancestral work is very personal and does not need to follow anyone’s guidelines but your own. Naturally, it will be as unique as your ancestral makeup – it can include step families, adoptive ones, friends, mentors, or anyone who you feel deeply connected with and resonates as an ancestor.

There are two things I want to call out…please note that there can be a lot of trauma around family and our ancestors. If you wouldn’t have taken your ancestors advice in this life, be cautious taking their advice after. You decide what resonates for you and you can absolutely drop anything that comes through that does not sit well with you. On the flip side, connecting with your ancestors can help heal wounds from passed loved ones. But no matter your situation, always remember you get to decide how you want to interact (or how you don’t want to interact) and do not owe any ancestor a connection in the spirit world just because they have passed. And, for the ancestors we have chosen, remember that some practices are closed to others and honor that in your practice. If the practice is closed you typically can honor it by learning about with without partaking. But be mindful that while we might feel connected to certain practices, they are not all meant for everyone.

Signs that your Ancestors are reaching out

When working with ancestors the thing I’ve noticed that makes the biggest difference in how easy it is to connect with them is to not force it. When we beg for a sign and search everywhere, our intuition gets mixed with our ego/fear of not seeing the sign and we might start feeling fuzzy and confused. Instead, let your ancestors know you are open to receiving signs (and you can put boundaries on how you receive them; ex. don’t send signs after dark, don’t send anything that will scare you, etc). Then once you make your intention known, let go – do not focus on when that sign will come. Leave your awareness open and available but do not hone in on getting the sign as soon as possible. You’ll be amazed at how soon you’ll receive signs once you let go of when and how you receive them.

Your ancestors reaching out will likely be very personal to your relationship, but here are some experiences you might have when an ancestor is reaching out:

Seeing repeating numbers (especially when you keep seeing them in a short period of time)
Technology acting up (especially when looking at videos/pictures of them or things that remind you of them)
Scents that remind you of them
Random memories popping up seemingly out of nowhere
Meaningful songs or lyrics that remind you of them or feel like them speaking to you
Feeling like they’re in the room
Shifting energy
Seeing them in your mind’s eye
Warmth around you
Tingling skin or goosebumps
Feeling like your heart is larger or coming out of your physical body from an overload of loving energy
Feeling emotional when you think about them
Seeing their name or something they loved randomly
Meeting with them in dreams

How to work with Ancestors

There are no right ways to connect with your ancestors and your connection will be very personal to you, your lineage, and your intentions. An ancestor can be someone biologically related to you or someone who was not biologically related to you but who was linked with you in life (ex. step-family, family friends, etc.).

Set an Intention

As you start working with your ancestors it’s important to understand why you’re reaching out. Knowing the reason behind wanting to connect with your ancestors will help guide your path on how to create that relationship and also helps your ancestors know what you’re hoping to learn/experience. There’s no invalid reason for reaching out – you could want to learn something from them, honor them, connect with your culture, or simply want to create/maintain a relationship with them. Whatever the reason, setting an intention is a great place to start.

Learn about them

It’s a privilege to have access to information about our ancestors and many do not have access. If you do have that privilege, before establishing rituals with your ancestors, learning anything you can about them will allow you to feel more connected and honor them more. Ask to hear stories about them from living relatives, look for pictures of them, items that belonged to them, or things they were passionate about. Half of the work on ancestor witchcraft can be done through learning about them.

If you do not have access to information, remember your intuition and experiences with them are enough. You can ask your ancestors for guidance on what they’d like you to know – this could be feelings you’ll associate with them, signs you’ll receive from them, what they’re here to pass on to you, etc. Information from the earth-realm is not the only information our ancestors have to help us learn more about them

Follow your own intuition

As with all spiritual crafts it is always important to follow your own intuition. What practices are calling to you the most? Which are you not about at all? Do not blindly follow advice from others (me included) if it feels off to you. Your practices with your ancestors are up to you and are for you to decide. Follow the thread that’s being presented to your own awareness and intuition and you’ll be guided where you’re meant to be.

Practices to work with Ancestors

Now that we’ve setup our intentions, initially connected with our ancestors through learning more about them, here are some practices you can do to continue the work:

Natal Charts – you may need to make up the time, but if you have birth information and location, look into their natal charts and learn more about them through astrology
Collecting images of them – build an album dedicated to your ancestors, place the pictures on your altar or frame them and decorate your home
Genealogy – get to know your family tree and the people who shaped those who went before us
Family Rituals – what are things your family does? what traditions do you have? How do you celebrate holidays, birthdays, seasons, special occasions
Recipes – create a family cookbook, collect recipes that your family makes (don’t forget to include your own recipes so you can hand it down as well). Have a meal in their honor.
Patterns/Shadow Work – this one can be tough, but if you’re available for it, what trauma needs to be healed? What cycles need to be broke and investigated? How can you learn from the mistakes of our ancestors?
Meditation – go into your heart space and create a place for your ancestors to live and visit. When in meditation visit them there. Have conversations, feel their energy, send and receive love from them. This can be a very healing place to share regrets, celebrations, and be supported
Honor during Samhain – While the veil is thin and the season symbolizing death is upon us, take time to refresh your ancestor altar, sit with them in meditation, and ask for signs that they are near

Create an Ancestorial Grimoire

One of my favorite things to do as an Ancestor Witch is to work on my ancestor grimoire. You could call this a family history book, but I like to add a witchy twist to that. This is something that I plan to pass on through my family, remembering that I will one day be an ancestor so my stories and experiences matter too. Here are some pages you can put in your ancestor grimoire:

Recipes – What recipes do you want to make sure to keep track of? What things do you make for holidays? Seasons? Or just typical meals?
Natal charts – Track the birth charts of those you can (including yourself). See the patterns of your ancestors and learn more about them even if they’re no longer here
Family Tree – If your ancestors are biologically linked (or even if they’re not) show the relationships between you and between them
Family rituals – How does your family celebrate? Mourn? Do life?
Stories – Write what you remember, what you’ve heard, how your ancestors made/make you feel
Wisdom and lessons learned from your ancestors – What lessons can you pull from your experiences with your ancestors? What lessons do you want to pass down?
Symbols – Use this page to track symbols you use to associate to your ancestors. This might be signs they send you or things that remind you of them
Pets – Track pets you and your ancestors have had, pets can be part of our ancestor team since they are a part of our spiritual family
Places of meaning – Where did your family live? Where do you live? Include addresses, types of homes, places you’d go on vacation…
Spells – Phrases or things the family does , this could be family prayers, spoken words
Letters – If you have letters or notes written by your ancestors, include them in your grimoire – what wisdom or thoughts can you pull from them? What magic do you feel from seeing their words frozen in time?
Pictures – Include the pictures you have, add notes of who the person is, how they relate to you

Journaling Prompts for Ancestor Magic

One of the most powerful ways to deepen your connection with your ancestors is through journaling. Writing allows you to explore your lineage, uncover hidden wisdom, and reflect on the ways your ancestors continue to shape your life. Whether you’re just beginning your journey with ancestor magic or have been practicing for a while, these prompts can help you gain clarity and insight.

Exploring Your Ancestral Roots

These prompts encourage you to reflect on what you already know about your family history and ancestral connections:

What are some family stories that have been passed down to me? How do they make me feel?
Are there any heirlooms, recipes, or traditions that have been kept in my family? What do they represent to me?
If I could sit down and talk to one ancestor, who would it be? What would I ask them?
What values or beliefs seem to have been passed down through my family? Do I embrace or challenge them?
How do I feel about my ancestry? What emotions come up when I think about my lineage?

Healing Ancestral Wounds

These prompts help you reflect on generational patterns, cycles, and areas of healing within your family line:

Are there any repeating patterns (e.g., struggles, fears, strengths) in my family? How have they shown up in my life?
What challenges did my ancestors face? How might those experiences have shaped my family’s beliefs or behaviors?
Are there any wounds or traumas in my lineage that I want to heal? How can I start that process?
What strengths or resilience have my ancestors passed down to me? How can I honor and embody them?
If I were to break a generational cycle, what would it be? How can I take the first step?

Building a Relationship with Your Ancestors

These prompts guide you in developing a more active and spiritual connection with your ancestors:

How do I currently honor my ancestors? Is there anything I’d like to add to my practice?
What signs, dreams, or synchronicities have I experienced that might be messages from my ancestors?
If I were to create an ancestral altar, what objects or offerings would feel meaningful to include?
How can I invite my ancestors’ guidance into my daily life?
What does ancestral wisdom mean to me? How can I access it?

Integrating Ancestral Magic into Your Life

These prompts help you weave ancestral connection into your spiritual path and daily life:

What traditions or practices from my ancestry can I reclaim or rediscover?
In what ways do I already embody the spirit of my ancestors?
What unique gifts or talents run in my family, and how do they show up in me?
How can I express gratitude to my ancestors in a way that feels authentic to me?
What legacy do I want to leave for future generations?

Journaling with these prompts can open up profound insights, strengthen your connection to your ancestors, and help you honor the wisdom of those who came before you. Take your time, trust your intuition, and let your ancestors’ guidance flow through your words.

Crystals for an Ancestor Witch

Crystals are powerful allies for an Ancestor Witch, helping to strengthen the connection to ancestral wisdom, provide protection, and support spiritual communication. Whether placed on an ancestor altar, used in rituals, or held during meditation, these stones can enhance your ancestral magic and deepen your bond with those who came before you.

Best Crystals for Ancestor Work

Smoky Quartz – Grounds energy and strengthens the connection to ancestral wisdom while helping to release generational trauma.
Black Obsidian – Acts as a spiritual mirror, revealing hidden ancestral wounds and guiding shadow work. Offers strong protection against negative ancestral energies.
Labradorite – Enhances intuition and psychic abilities, making it easier to receive messages from ancestors through dreams, visions, and divination.
Amethyst – A high-vibrational crystal that enhances spiritual connection, aids in ancestor communication, and brings clarity to ancestral messages.
Rose Quartz – Helps heal ancestral wounds related to love, family, and emotional trauma. Encourages forgiveness and strengthens heart-centered connections.
Petrified Wood – Holds ancient wisdom and ancestral memory, providing deep grounding energy and linking you to the strength of your lineage.
Mugglestone (Tiger Iron) – A stone of resilience and courage, supporting the strength of your ancestors within you and grounding ancestral energy into daily life.
Selenite – Cleanses ancestral energy and clears blockages, making way for clear communication with spirits and guiding dreamwork.
Bloodstone – Strengthens the ancestral bloodline, promotes healing of past-life wounds, and encourages resilience and inner power.
Lapis Lazuli – A stone of wisdom and insight, helping you uncover lost ancestral knowledge and connect with guides who wish to share their wisdom.

How to Use Crystals in Ancestor Magic

On Your Altar: Place one or more of these stones on your ancestor altar to enhance energy and connection.
During Meditation: Hold a crystal in your hands or place it on your third eye to receive ancestral messages.
In Rituals: Use crystals as part of candle rituals, dreamwork, or spellwork to call upon ancestral guidance.
For Protection: Carry a protective stone like black obsidian or smoky quartz when working with unfamiliar ancestral energies.
In Dreamwork: Keep amethyst or selenite under your pillow to enhance dream communication with ancestors.

By working with these crystals, you can deepen your ancestral connection, offering wisdom, healing, and spiritual support from those who walked before you. Choose the ones that resonate most with you and let their energy guide your path.

Create an Ancestor Altar

Use an ancestor altar to honor your ancestors, serve as a reminder that they’re with you, and have a spot where you can go to get quiet and listen for the signs they are sending you. Each ancestor altar will be unique to you and the relationship you have with your ancestors. You can setup an altar for just one ancestor at a time or a general ancestor altar for all who have come before you.

These are the things I include in my altar:

Items that belonged to them
Their favorite colors, flowers, crystals, food, and drink
Candles (white, purple, gray, or black are my favorite – or use their favorite color/a color that reminds you of them)
Pictures of them
Notes and messages written to them

Soft Spirituality

What is an Ancestor Witch? Connect with the ones who came before us

What is an Ancestor Witch?

Signs that your Ancestors are reaching out