I want to take some time to talk with you about your ancestors and how we deal with ancestor service in Vodou. For a long time anthropologists called the practice of “ancestor service”, “ancestor worship”. Thankfully there is now a trend in anthropology to move away from using that problematic phrase and toward the use of “ancestor service”. The problem with “ancestor worship” is with the word “worship”. In most cultures that have ancestor-centric practices the people don’t worship their dead. Instead they serve them and revere them. They reserve “worship” for ritualization that focuses on deity, or in our case Bondye (from the French Bon Dieu or “Good God”).

 While we worship the God Almighty in Vodou, we serve our ancestors and the lwa. Over the years it has become a pet-peeve of mine to see “lwa” translated as “God”, “Goddess” or “deity”.  Like our ancestors the lwa are only served they are never worshiped, after all they themselves worship God just as we do! We serve our ancestors and the lwa because they have the ability to influence our lives. Our ancestors have an invested interested in our lives. The want us to be happy constructive people, they want us to experience love, they want to be financially comfortable, and they want us to be safe. As long as they are remembered on earth they will influence the earthly realm from which they came.

 Many people, myself included, have relatives who have passed away who were less than pleasant in life. And I have met many people – clients and initiates, who are strongly opposed to working with their ancestors who were cruel or unjust in life. Nevertheless we have to remember that in death they have experienced the love and awe of God. In death we “know” things we didn’t know in life, and we often become privy to universal spiritual laws. And many of our ancestors quickly become very apologetic for their less-than-perfect lives. As a matter of fact, I always teach my initiates that those ancestors often will go out of their way to “right” their “wrongs” and can become powerful and dynamic spiritual allies. For example, while I didn’t have the best relationship with my maternal grandmother she has never failed me when it comes to my personal spiritual work. She always comes through for me. Our relationship now is much stronger than it ever was when she was living, honor to her!

 While its true, initiates of Haitian Vodou have certain trade secretes that are associated with ancestor service, the vast majority of Haitian Vodouisants are not initiates, just as the vast majority of Roman Catholics are not priests. Therefore, non-initiates can also perform ancestor service and achieve amazing results! As a matter of fact, I always try to encourage people to serve their ancestors for everything! Your ancestors love you dearly and truly do want to help you in any way they can. Of course they aren’t Gods and therefore they can’t perform deific miracles but they can help you with almost any problem you bring before them. If you want to serve your ancestors just follow these simple instructions.

How to perform Ancestor Service when you are not initiated 

The first thing you will want to do is collect photos of your deceased relatives or even items they enjoyed in life, for example on my paternal grandmother’s altar I have her rosary, which she said every day three times a day in her devotion to the Catholic Church.

 Then you will want to make a list of their favorite foods and drinks. If they loved alcohol and cigarettes in life you can be sure they love them even more now! Collect the foods they loved. If they had a favorite perfume or cologne try to find that too (if it’s still available), do everything you can to recreate their vibration.

 In Vodou we love to take ritual baths. The baths help to prepare our bodies and our minds for ritual and possession. For a fee, any Houngan or Mambo such as myself can construct ritual baths that are designed to help you achieve your goals, including ancestor service. However, if you are pressed for money or you just want to do something completely on your own, I have found that by placing a few splashes of Bay Rum in your bathwater and offering the dead a white candle (present the candle to the East, the West, the North, and the South before lighting) you can help to facilitate contact with the dead!  

 You will also want to buy some white candles, a white “altar cloth”, and a vessel (perhaps a bowl or a goblet) to hold water. We use water for a couple of reasons. First of all when the dead come they always seem to come thirsty it gives them a way to quench their thirst. Secondly the dead live “Amba Dlo” (Under the Water) and water serves as the catalyst for them to make contact with the world of the living. As a side note:  If you are interested in “water” and its use in the world’s religions there are many compelling theories that can be found in the occult literature on water and its’ importance to religion and ritualization that can be found by looking up works on “Quantum Physics”. Of course most Haitian Vodouisants aren’t aware of these theories and I wouldn’t categorize them as Orthodox Haitian Vodou, but they are dynamically interesting nonetheless.

 To set up your altar you will way to hold your white “altar cloth” to the East, the West, the North, and finally the South. Then either place it on a table or on the floor. You will then want to place fill your water vessel with water and salute with it in the same way (East, West, North and then South). Once you have presented the water to the four directions you can placed it in the center of your altar. Next, present your white candle to the four directions and place it on the altar either behind of or in front of your water vessel. Then decorate your altar in anyway you see fit! You can use their photos their “things” and their food and drinks! Place small white candles in each dish of food you prepared for them, marking it as theirs. Mist the altar with perfumes and colognes worn by your ancestors. Have fun and be creative! Ritual isn’t supposed to be tedious it’s designed to be celebratory! Have a good time while you prepare to serve your ancestors and reminisce about their lives. Just remember, each time you place something on the altar it needs to be presented to the four directions!

 Now, light your central candle and offering candles and any other candles you may have placed on the altar. Dim the lights. If you know the Our Father and the Hail Mary recite those – three times each. Then call to your ancestors. Say each of their names, three times each. When you are done calling them just sit and talk with them like you did in life. Ask for their help. Tell them the things you regret not telling them when they were living. Be at peace with them and bask in their loving presence.

 Congratulations you are now ready to serve your ancestors! Ayibobo!