Putting It All
Together
At some point, a long time ago, one (and likely more) of your badass kinfolk sat and wondered what future generations would think of them. Someone in your bloodline pondered the question of legacy and what it all meant. What kind of mark would they leave on history, and on their descendants throughout the ages? Whether they rode on horseback across the plains of the Midwest, hunted their food on the Serengeti, or lived in a hut somewhere in a cold coastal village, the fact remains that you are the sum total of all of their parts. You are the end result of hundreds of generations of blended DNA.
Some of those people in your gene pool did rotten things; there’s no denying it. They may have oppressed other people, perpetuated colonialism, and lived in ways that make us cringe today. Maybe they were criminals, or violent and abusive. Perhaps they just weren’t nice at all.
But for every terrible ancestor who lived in the past, there are plenty of good people as well. You had brave, honest, hard-working men and women. You had heroes, even though you may not know who they were. Your family tree includes people who performed wonderful acts of courage and kindness, not because they clamored for recognition or they wanted to go viral on social media, but just because they were in the right place at the right time and chose to do the right thing. In other words, good and bad, they were people, and the more you work with them the more you’ll come to recognize that.
For some of us, our ancestors are with us all the time. They’re badasses, protectors, warriors, the ride-or-die guides we all need in our lives. And that comes as a direct result of making the effort to cultivate a rich and rewarding relationship with our people. Whether you’re calling on an individual nestled in far-off and obscure branches of the family tree, the great-grandmother you knew since childhood, or the collective whole, your ancestral guides can step in and bring you power and wisdom and strength in ways that you’ve never experienced before.
Ancestral work isn’t easy—that’s why it’s called work and not Ancestral Playtime—and it can be emotionally draining at times, but it’s definitely rewarding for those who want to put the effort into it. Your people can help you get past feelings of helplessness or betrayal. They can show you how to move towards healing and empowerment and control over your own life. Your people can guide you as you learn to be courageous through your own vulnerability. They’re not out there waiting to punish you for your mistakes; instead, they want you to see every possible opportunity for growth, success, and happiness.
By inviting your ancestors into your life as guides, you’ll be able to attain a certain degree of spiritual freedom—because these are the people who can help you unpack and address your trauma, give you the strength to stand up for who you are, and the wisdom to live authentically. They’ll point you towards success, both the material kind and the spiritual kind, because our ancestors want us to live well. They want you to be prosperous. They want you to bring honor and pride to your bloodlines.
They want you to be a badass, just like they were. What are you waiting for?