Inviting Ancestral Wisdom to Your Dreams
calling forth the ancestors
Have you ever had ancestors appear in your dreams?
I have.
Once upon a time I wrote a petition to the Ancestors, asking for assistance with a specific issue. That night I had a dream in which not one, but many ancestors appeared.
In the dream, I opened what looked like my front door, and standing there was my grandmother. Standing behind her was her mother and then her mother and her mother and beyond. There was such a long line of female ancestors I couldn’t see the end. When I woke up I felt as though all of the Grandmothers until the end of time were letting me know they were with me . . . always.
Did the dream answer my question? Yes.
Once I had the experience, I knew that by petitioning those in my family line, I could call them into my dreams to render the advice I couldn’t find in my waking life.
If this sounds like something you’d like to do, here’s how.
Petitioning a Dream
A petition is a written request, appealing for a specific outcome. You’ve seen petitions all of your life, mostly from people standing outside your grocery store asking you to sign a form to get something on the ballot.
A spiritually-based petition is similar. It’s a written document (spell, poem, letter, etc.) that you direct to a specific entity (God/Goddess/Spirit – or in this case, an ancestor) asking for assistance. When you petition, you’re asking that a need be filled, and that you are trusting the process and the outcome.
Next, before going to sleep, re-read the petition out loud or to yourself as many times as you like. In my experience, reading it once versus multiple times hasn’t really made a difference. Having faith in the process (IMHO) really does. Then, place the petition under your pillow or inside your pillow case and . . .
As you’re drifting off, invite an ancestor who can best help with your issue to meet with you in your dream. If you’re one of those people who don’t remember their dreams, use tarot to bring back the message, whether in symbols or ideas.
For example, in this image of the 8 of Fire (Wands) from the Gaian Tarot, the 8 fireballs streaming through the sky would tell me that I’m going to be getting an answer VERY soon. In fact, the answer will come in multiple parts.
For you, the answer would be different.
If you prefer an oracle deck to tarot, that works too. These three cards from my Ofrenda Oracle may carry a message such as: You’ll receive a message about going somewhere with a gentleman, or you’ll receive a letter about a trip you have planned with your partner.
If you forget your dreams, have faith that the ancestor did appear, and that the card/s you draw will eveal the dream message.
Give this a try – and use the petition more than one night. If this isn’t something you’re used to doing, it might take a little practice.
Let me know in the comments if you’ve used the petition method and how it worked for you.
Nancy
P.S. I am now available for Ancestral Message readings. Click to learn more.
Nancy, Thank you for sharing this, it does remind me of a practice I did years ago, I am reminded of how the messages can be given through intention and how the cards can support our fogginess!!
Great article and I may try this method tonight. I also like the idea of using the Tarot to receive in the morning if you don't remember the visit. My first aware contact with Ancestral line came when I was writing the novel (became a trilogy) about a Druid Priestess in late 5th century Wales. Totally Muse-driven but I was not aware I had ancestral guides on this till they came in an intentional meditation to reach them (suggested by a psychic). I saw four...but mainly the two in front...and they gave me 5 days of information, including the fact that I had to visit Wales. I followed that advice and received a download that included her training. It's a fascinating thing to realized they are always there and we have them in our bones. I'd like to connect with them again about some aspects of promoting and energy for a prequel. Overcoming the 'stigma' attached to the pre-Christian ancestors is also very liberating.