Ancestral Healing - What Is It?

Ancestral Healing - What Is It? by Rose E Smith

You can heal members of your current family, your children, grandchildren, and so on, even before they are born. Our ancestors exist not only in genes passed down through the generations, but also in an energetic pattern of thoughts, emotions, illnesses and karma which can effect every part of a person's life. Ancestral healing can transform energetic patterns with a vibrational shift in the entire ancestral line.

What Can Be Healed?

Physical, emotional, mental and spiritual issues can be healed such as alcoholism, depression, mental illness and various physical illnesses. Even criminality which has now been mapped by the Human Genome Project can be addressed by ancestral healing. In short, anything detrimental you feel you have inherited or where there is a dysfunctional pattern in your family tree can be a candidate for ancestral healing e.g. incest or abuse.

How Does It Work?

Many cultures embrace the idea of the connection with our ancestral lineages. Native Americans and Aboriginal peoples particularly incorporate the idea of their ancestors living with them and guiding them through their lives. As modern day westerners, unfortunately we have forgotten our ancestral connections as we go about our busy lives. Some of us see little relevance in what our distant family may have done in the past. We do not realize that whatever has been done, felt or thought is within our DNA.

We have inherited all the energetic patterning including our ancestors' thoughts, feelings, illnesses and reactions to both tragedies and celebrations. Although we normally don't remember these things, as we become conscious, we become more aware of the importance of making peace with our ancestors.

How Do I Do It?

There are many things you can do to help heal your family tree. From a practical point of view, tracing your family tree and making notes of reoccurring patterns is a starting point. You may also choose to visit ancestral homelands and cemeteries where your ancestors are buried. Talk to your family and find out as much as possible about your ancestors. Consult a specialist who can assist you with tracing your family tree. Birth and death certificates can be obtained. Check old church records. Trace the meaning of your surname.

Surnames often describe occupations or regions where your ancestors would have lived. For example my surname smith comes from blacksmith, silversmith or metal smith. At one point in history, these were cutting edge technologies (and also thought to be 'magical') and smiths were highly valued in their communities. Consequently in Britain, sometimes the legs of local smiths were broken so they couldn't walk away from their villages.

Smiths were simply too valuable to be free to roam the country. Until I realised this connection in my early 30's, I used to dream about having broken legs which wouldn't walk properly. These dreams started in my childhood and bothered me for all those years. When I realised what my dreams were about, I made peace with my ancestors about being a 'smith' and the dreams stopped. I now thank my ancestors for giving me a name which is connected to both a spiritual and practical craft.

Smithing is about craftsmanship done with a spiritual purpose. You too may find your name has an important meaning for you and you can thank your ancestors.

From a spiritual point of view, in order to heal your family tree, you will need to confront the energetic patterning. This does not necessarily mean confronting your living family members if you have a problem with them. It's the energy you must confront. This sometimes means you may discover very unpleasant things about your family. Do not be afraid to do this as you have already been carrying this energy around with you all of your life.

If you don't look at these patterns, they will still influence your life. If you feel uncertain, consult a specialist healer. Hypnotherapy, EFT (Emotional Freedom Techniques), kinesiology, homeopathy, EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization Response), spiritual healing, reiki, rebirthing, Shamanism - all these things could help.

Another thing you can do, is a meditation where you go back and talk with your ancestors. Find out what they did and how they lived, then approach the problem with them. If they have made mistakes which are affecting you now, forgive them and tell them they are forgiven.

If you are having problems with forgiving your ancestors, then tell them that you are 'willing to forgive them'. Not only will you be releasing them from their torment, you will be helping yourself. All that is required is your heartfelt intention to forgive and this will begin the healing process for your entire family.