Prayers for
the Ancestors

The offering of this ritual is intended to liberate ourselves and our ancestors from shame that prevents us from coming into relationship with our pleasure. Though these prayers are intended to open and close a Mindful Erotic Practice, please say, sing, or carry them with you wherever you are called.

The invitation for a practice is to follow pleasure through whatever arises, bearing in mind that there is no “right way” to do this. Bliss is not the only pathway to liberation. All of your sensations, emotions, and experiences are a contribution to the energetic sacrament that is a healing balm for your ancestors. This sacrament that is the offering is made of the sensations and experiences that arise in your practice: movements, sounds, touch, emotions, thoughts, images, words, breath, heat, etc.

I invite you into the experience of the Earth as the common ancestor of all of us, the lineage that connects each of our bodies to each other, and connects us to ancestors that we may not consider to be “genetic ancestors.” The ancestors that are called in at the beginning of this ritual are ancestors of all of us by nature of our relationship with the Earth. They act as mediators between you and those of your ancestors who receive this healing. They collect and distribute the offering to those of your ancestors who would most benefit, and also create a barrier between you and the ancestors receiving the healing. You can read more about the saintly ancestors that I came into relationship with while writing these prayers in this essay I co-wrote with my friend Jesse.

Finally, I invite you to email me to share any reflections, feedback, or experiences relating to these prayers. If you would like to reach out to me anonymously you may do so through my contact form by putting “anon@anon.com” in the email field and omitting your name. I would so enjoy receiving how these prayers make their way through the world and land for you.