When you hear the phrase “one thing for certain, two things for sure” come up in a conversation, you know the speaker is emphasizing something that is an undeniable fact in their lived experience. This phrase is usually followed by a strong proclamation to educate the listener on a central point. This month, I want you to think about the Collective Ancestors as those who have lived “one thing for certain” and your Personal Ancestors as those who represent “two things for sure” so that you can feel the power of their presence in ways you have not considered before.
One thing for certain: There are people who have lived in such a way that we still call on and lift up their names long after their transition. Collective ancestors are those who are considered to be the spiritual ancestors of a particular people or community, without having any blood lineage relationship.
Here’s a small sample of Collective Ancestors of African American people:
- Harriet Tubman, leader of the Underground Railroad
- Sojourner Truth, Civil and Women’s Rights Leader and author of “Ain’t I a Woman?”
- Madam C.J. Walker, America’s first self-made female millionaire.
Collective Ancestors can also be specific to a spiritual community, such as:
- Remigio Herrera Adeshina Opara Meyi, a Yoruba Babalawo who is said to have brought Ifa from Nigeria to America
- Pramahansa Yogananda, who brought the practice of Kriya Yoga to the West
- Bayou John, a Senegalese Vodou practitioner who taught the religion in New Orleans
Our Collective Ancestors lived in such a way that their energetic imprint has a positive ripple effect through space and time. For the living, when we remember or call on their names, we connect to their energy to draw on the qualities they exhibited while embodied. They are believed to provide protection and guidance for the community as a whole.
Two things for sure: You come from a lineage of people. The blood in your veins and the strands of your DNA are uniquely combined from those who came before you. Your Personal Ancestors main objective is to maintain and progress the lineage. They offer guidance and support to the individual or family based on the specific needs and desires that are presented to them, and they respond to the elevation and healing that is offered to them by their lineage ambassador.
You are surely being impacted by your Personal Ancestors. Their energetic imprint is such that a whole family unit can operate under the patterns and qualities that others have lived before them, without being consciously aware of the Ancestral connection. Keep in mind, this is true for both challenging aspects and positive aspects. Just think of those families where it seems that everyone is musically inclined, or there is a physical quality that is distinct, or a great majority of them have athletic ability. We can thank our Personal Ancestors for the blessings they pass down to us, without us having to do anything to earn it.
In both cases, the energy of our Ancestors wants to be shared and felt. Now is an advantageous time to connect with Collective and Personal Ancestors. Here are three things you can do today to open up to their energy:
- Identify Collective Ancestors that you can look to for inspiration and support.
- Connect with Personal Ancestors by learning about your lineage and offering elevation and healing.
- Acknowledge and express gratitude for the blessings passed down from Personal Ancestors.