In this time when the veils between the worlds are thin—around Samhain/All Hallows Eve/All Saints Day—and the weather spirits are desperately trying to turn our attention towards our behavior, it's a very good time to connect with the ancestors. Asking for their help and advice is a way of honoring our relationship.
You may not have blood ancestors you relate to. But "ancestors" also include our "ancestors of affinity"—those whom we resonate with deeply without necessarily having a genetic connection. The longer I studied Andean cosmology, the more I felt my affinity with the Q'ero and the ways of being they carried forth—joy, reciprocity, and connection called
me deeply. I felt connected with those teachers because they were in their hearts.
Other kinds of ancestors may appear to you in dreams and journeys: the Old Ones, the Grandmothers, indigenous relatives. And of course native peoples refer to "all my relations" to include all the living beings, not just humans. So you've got a lot of ancestors to choose from!
The Anasazi guide I have had for a long time, ancestor of the ancient Puebloan peoples, has shown me many images of how they coped when living conditions became untenable. In the 1100s in the southwest there was a highly organized Anasazi civilization in Chaco Canyon—great meeting houses, three-storied buildings, extensive farming. Then drought happened.To
give you an idea of what transpired, here's Wikipedia:
Between AD 900 and 1150, Chaco Canyon was a major center of culture, with the largest buildings ever built in North America until the 19th century. The system began unravelling around 1140, perhaps triggered by an extreme fifty-year drought that began in 1130; chronic climatic instability, including a series of severe droughts, again
struck the region between 1250 and 1450. The result was that everyone—the entire civilization—disappeared. Archeologists have never quite agreed on why.
Anyway, to give you an idea of what's possible with ancestral advice, the Anasazi guide told me the Chacoan people left the southwest and went to the “Fifth World,” the one the Hopi people say will follow this world we inhabit. He told me emphatically that his group ascended into a
different dimension, where they created a new civilization of peace and harmony. He offered me “a metaphor for the process you humans need now, to literally step into a different world so your descendants can thrive.” I felt the wholeness and beauty of this world with all my senses, knowing it was another gift of vision and possibility.
It's a pretty amazing model for me of how we can think about what's coming down the pike for us. So talk to your ancestors and find out more!!
What's Most Important to You Right Now?
Thanks to all of you who responded to my questionnaire. I'd love even more feedback from the rest of you.
Take the Survey!
As I write about the inner work, courage, imagination, and collective coherence we humans need to develop as we create a better future, I want to know what's important to you. In thanks, I'll gift you with a lovely practice I use to create and maintain connection with places and beings. It's called "Visualizing Your Filaments of Light."
Shifting Your Consciousness
All the links you find here are focused on transforming consciousness. Besides my book, online courses, blog, YouTube and personal sessions with me, you'll find many cool conversations and ways to shift below. Enjoy!
