Ancestral Healing

Now, in my continued search to further validate my point about the importance of ancestor veneration amongst various cultures, I came across another article online written by David Furlong called “Healing Your Ancestral Patterns” where he talks about the need to grab every opportunity to heal our ancestral family lines because we are all linked to the universe through our ancestry. In this article, Mr. Furlong enlightens us with an excerpt from a book called “Karma and Reincarnation” by Dr. Hiroshi Motoyama, Head Priest of the Shinto Tamamitsu sect of Japan which states:

Even in the bible, Numbers 14:18, there is reference to us as children suffering for the sins of our forefathers even unto the third and fourth generations clearly suggesting how integral the ancestors are to our lives and how we must learn and teach prayer and sacrifice including the giving of ourselves to keep us in harmony with our lineage.  This article further makes it clear that many cultures, both sophisticated and primitive, pay a great deal of attention to the ancestral family line proving that this form of veneration is one of the most widespread of all religious belief systems.

Many people venerate all of their ancestors without any emotional problems or hang ups but there are some who find it uncomfortable or they feel bitter about giving veneration to ancestors that have been abusive in some way or another whether emotionally, physically, sexually, and/or verbally.  While in many cases, it is understandable why someone may not want to venerate an ancestor that has caused harm to him/her or to another loved one, however it is my plea to keep in mind that you must TRY TO forgive.  Of course, it is up to you and what makes you comfortable.  I know this is easier said than done but when we forgive, we heal ourselves.  Many times, ancestors who have done wrong in life will seek light and prayer from you, wanting forgiveness, wanting repentance, and wanting to give, help, and do for you on the other side what they did not get to do in life, all because they have transitioned through “The Light of Understanding” and have come to realize their mistakes now that they reside on the other side.  If you can find it in your heart to pray for your ancestors who have done wrong, then great, it not, then you must do what makes you comfortable.

If you choose to pray for an ancestor that has caused harm to you or a loved one, you can say a brief prayer that you forgive them and that you pray for the soul of {name of person} to elevate and find the light, peace, and love in God that he or she needs that will bring peace to you, your family, and your home.

Either way, we need to pray for healing, for both the deceased, for ourselves and for generations to come so that we can alleviate as many dysfunctional and abusive patterns as we can so that they will cease and will no longer plague any member of the family line, directly or indirectly. On another note, we also need to pray for ancestral healing from karmic energy. Many of us have heard of karmic energy that affects an individual singly but multiple family members as a whole can also carry karmic energy, whether negative or positive. From a negative aspect, I am sure that you can think of at least one family that just cannot get it together – they struggle and suffer for many reasons. These families can carry a karmic energy of sickness, poverty, death, or even mental illness. While in other families; drugs and judicial problems are prevalent. Some would even view this type of energy as a generational curse.

Through ancestral healing, whether through prayers, rituals, or ceremonies we can work to heal our ancestors in the spirit realm so that they can help us to heal in the living for a better way of living. For this reason, I have republished an “Ancestral Healing Prayer” that can be said at your altar or at any time that you get the feeling to help not just the deceased but yourself in the healing process.