This is a simple guide for what to put on your ancestor altar. Please continue to follow your intuition as you step into the craft of building your altar.

For a long time, the word "altar" had a dirty feeling for me. When I thought of altars, I thought of worshipping idols, which in Christianity and Islam is a no-no. I didn't grow up religious, but I remember watching the 1956 film The Ten Commandments with my mom every Easter, and there's a scene where Moses returns from the mountain to find the village worshipping a golden calf idol. The movie depicted them as sinners. When I began studying Islam as an adult a couple of years ago, I was taught that no object should be prayed to or worshipped over — that God or spirit didn't exist in "things" and to direct your spiritual intention toward anything but the man in the sky was forbidden.

Up until that point, the only altars I'd known were associated with demonic witchcraft and satanist cults as seen on TV and in movies. But altars are actually a very empowering way to connect to the Creator and discern Their plan for you. Now, I can't help but wonder if this was an intentional perversion of ancient spiritual practices, in order to scare us away from doing something that is actually a really powerful and sacred ritual, a positive meditation and a divine use of energy.

Two books changed my opinion on altars within the last year: Sacred Woman: A Guide to Healing the Feminine Body, Mind and Spirit by Queen Afua and Jambalaya: The Natural Woman's Book of Personal Charms and Practical Rituals by Luisah Teish.

I read Queen Afua's book first, and she introduced me to using an altar as a way to set positive intentions and direct spiritual energy toward positive goals for myself. Queen Afua describes the "sacred altar" as central to womb wellness work, and calls it "a private prayer area...where you will commune with the Creator, receive spiritual, mental, and emotional comfort, and gain inner guidance through visions for your greater upliftment." For each of the 10 Sacred Woman gateways she lays out, she describes physical objects to place on the altar in order to manifest that gateway. For example, for "Sacred Movement" — the gateway focused on using movement in the body to restore the free flow of prana energy — she suggests placing a tambourine or ankle bells on your altar, to symbolize dance and movement, and a Carnelian crystal, which is associated with fire, passion and creativity.

With those basics set, Luisah Teish's book then taught me how to use the altar as an actual way to connect to ancestors, establish a relationship with your spirit guides and enhance your divinity. "The ancestors function as guides, warriors, and healers. The guides are our travel consultants on the road of life. They help us to make major decisions, advice us on what to do when and with whom," Teish writes. "You don't know how much they are willing to help you until you contact them."

Jambalaya gives instructions for setting up a basic ancestor altar. I was nervous to set mine up at first, but even just the act of reaching out to different family members to collect pictures of my ancestors has been soul rewarding.

Here are some basic items you can place on your altar to get started. Cleanse any item you place on your altar with salt to remove negative energy:

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A cloth to serve as the altar cloth that will hold all of your objects. This can be white, or a specific color related to a frequency or chakra, or a beautiful cloth that’s personal to you, given to you by a beloved family member or found on a memorable trip to another place.
Photos of family members (ancestors) who’ve passed on, with whom you’d like to cultivate a personal relationship for guidance, wisdom, protection and healing of family trauma. Your direct ancestors are the spirits closest to you, they are the ones who are invested in your success and prosperity. They want to help you continue on their lineage, so speak to them and and be in honor, respect and gratitude of them.
Candles (7-day candles, tea lights or Jambalaya teaches you to make a more intentional one). The purpose of the candle is to provide a source of light energy that will attract the ancestor or spirit energy you are working with. Please take precaution! Most people put the flame out after they have done their altar work for the day.
A glass of water to attract your desired energy. Water, like fire, is a very powerful portal for spiritual energy.
Food offerings to your ancestors. I’ve seen people speak about using water and food to feed an ancestor, but through my studies, I’ve learned that it’s not about quenching their thirst or hunger, but about providing their favorite dishes as a way of attracting their energy to your space. The food and the water act as a portal to this dimension for your ancestors.
Written intentions that you would like to manifest.
Objects representing the four elements:
- Earth: crystals, flowers, plants, dirt from a sacred place, dried herbal tea offering
- Water: pure water in a bowl, can add drops of essential oils to it; alcohol offering
- Air: incense, sage, or a feather representing the Kemit goddess Ma’at — truth, balance and harmony
- Fire: candles, a mirror to reflect sunlight
A knife or machete, for your ancestors to use when you feel you need extra protection.

IMPORTANT: Before creating your altar, reflect on why you are creating one in the first place. If something doesn’t resonate with you, or you don’t understand why you should or shouldn’t be doing it, then follow your intuition. Remember that you are the ultimate power, and your altar is meant to help you find your ancestral power through your bloodline and ancestors.

It’s really about getting started, and letting your intuition guide you on how best to create your altar and figuring out what to meditate on and what your ancestors need. I set up my altar in the plant room of my house, and it is so peaceful and meditative. Sometimes I go there to journal or do yoga, sometimes to meditate and pray, sometimes just to look at pictures of my family.

All of it allows me to reconnect with the divine within me and to be proactive in my own spiritual practice. I hope it helps reveal some special things for you.

How to Create an Ancestor Altar (and Tap Into Your Divine Femininity)

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