Empower Yourself: Connecting with Strength-Giving Ancestors

Every choice we make must be made with the next seven generations in mind.
Wisdom of American Indians.

In a narrow sense, our ancestors are our relatives with whom we have a blood relationship. In a broader sense, it also means joint relatives from earlier times, from which we descend collectively – as humanity, nation, community, and population group. This blog is about the first definition – the family.

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OUR history begins before we are born. We represent the hereditary influences of our race, and our ancestors virtually live in us. James Nasmyth

Deep connection with our ancestors

The field of our ancestors has a lot of effect on us. The family’s energy field – the blood bond – is strong enough to influence descendants for generations. In this field are the relatives who have produced children and those who died young or remained childless.

The family is a system, and everyone within that system is connected, whether we are aware of it or not. Every person in a family is connected to all other relatives, even if they are long dead or concealed. One also remains connected with family members who have been excluded or rejected.

I was born by myself but carry the spirit and blood of my father, mother and my ancestors. So I am really never alone. My identity is through that line.
Ziggy Marley

Empower or disprove

This connection with our ancestors can strengthen and weaken us – depending on who you are attuned to. When you are attuned to ancestors who are in good shape, it gives you inner strength. However, being attuned to ancestors who are still suffering can weaken you—especially when you unconsciously want to take away their pain, cry their tears, and take on their burden. That is not possible. You are only strong enough to carry your own burden. You can’t wear other people’s burdens. This entanglement can be resolved through a Family Constellation or Systemic Ritual. Both in a family constellation and in a Systemic Ritual, the suffering of one or more ancestors is made visible, and the aim is to alleviate and, if possible, heal this suffering.

We are a continuum. Just as we reach back to our ancestors for our fundamental values, so we, as guardians of that legacy, must reach ahead to our children and their children. And we do so with a sense of sacredness in that reaching.
Paul Tsongas

Suffering of ancestors

Life has its joys but also its traumas. Traumas can continue for a long time – even in descendants generations later. These are major traumas – miscarriages, abortions, divorces, children who died, mothers or fathers who died early and left behind young children, alienations, loss of home, having to flee, forced migrations, victims and perpetrators of all forms from abuse of power (from rape to slavery), war traumas ……….
Ancestors who have experienced these kinds of things have to deal with it even after death. Even after death, they still need healing. Therefore, in many cultures, there is still the idea that ancestors need prayers and rituals to bring healing, after which they can join those who have already found peace. In a healed state, they can have a supportive effect on the descendants.

Tuning in to strength-giving ancestors

Fortunately, it is not only traumatic experiences stored in the field of our ancestors that can affect us. Many good experiences are also stored in that field. We can connect with that to experience wholeness and strength. When the line to ancestral power is open, life takes on direction and meaning, and we can handle difficulties – which are therefore experienced as a challenge rather than a problem.
Strength-giving ancestors are usually ancestors that are at least two or three generations away from us. They have already healed the wounds of their lives and can transfer the life force. You can tune in to these ancestors.
This idea comes from shamanism. The concept of strength is central to shamanism. When someone does not feel well, a search for power sources is needed within the shamanistic viewpoint. People can connect with those power sources to strengthen themselves. With that power, they can then take the next step in solving their problem to feel better again.

These were my sources for this blog:
Van Kampenhout, D. (2001) Beelden van de ziel. Over de werking van de ziel in sjamanistische Rituelen en Familieopstellingen. Altamira-Becht, Haarlem.
Van Kampenhout, D. (2007). De tranen van de voorouders. Opstellingen en rituelen bij collectieve trauma’s. Altamira-Becht, Haarlem.
https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voorouder
https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/james_nasmyth_316729?src=t_ancestors