How do I connect with my ancestors?
Frequently Asked Questions: Tarot, Witchcraft, & Divination
Welcome to Season 14 of Every Day Tarot! This season, I’m answering your most frequently asked questions about tarot, witchcraft, and divination.
Today’s question: How do I connect with my ancestors?
Our ancestors walk with us. They are in our DNA, our gestures, our voices, and even our dreams. But for many of us, the idea of connecting with ancestors brings up big questions: What if I didn’t know them? What if my family history is painful? What if I’ve lost touch with my cultural roots?
Ancestor work is not about perfection or recreating the past exactly as it was. It is about relationship. In this episode, we'll talk about how to connect with your ancestors and consciously invite them into your spiritual practice.
The truth is: you are already connected.
Their choices, stories, and legacies live in your body and spirit. Ancestor work simply brings that connection into consciousness.
Here are some everyday practices to try:
Create an altar – Place photos, heirlooms, jewelry, or tokens of your ancestors on a small table. Add candles, a glass of water, or flowers. Let it be a place of remembrance and conversation.
Cook their food – Prepare recipes they loved or meals tied to your heritage. Eating and sharing food is one of the most direct ways to honor ancestors.
Tend heirlooms and objects – Use your grandmother’s teapot, your grandfather’s books, or family tools in daily life. Objects carry memory and energy.
Offerings and rituals – Light a candle, pour a cup of tea, or leave flowers at their photo or grave. These small gestures carry meaning.
Tell stories – Go through family albums, watch old home videos, or simply speak their names aloud. Storytelling is ancestral magic.
Dreamwork – Invite ancestors into your dreams by placing a photo, token, or dream pillow under your pillow. Record what comes through.
Nature connection – Spend time in places your ancestors lived, or honor plants and animals they would have known. Even if you’re far from ancestral homelands, you can connect with the land where you are.
Ancestor Work When Family Is Complicated 🖤
Not everyone feels safe or ready to connect with family lines directly. For those of us with family trauma, estrangement, or cultural displacement, ancestor work can feel overwhelming.
Here are some gentle ways to approach it:
Start with distant ancestors
Work with cultural or spiritual ancestors
Invite your healed and benevolent ancestors
You get to decide who to connect with, and boundaries in sacred work are important too!
If you haven't listened to my other seasons yet, go check them out!
Season 1 - Tarot basics
Seasons 2 & 3 - Major Arcana and 4 suits
Season 4 - Tarot in Pop Culture
Season 5 - Tarot Spreads
Season 6 - Suit of Wands
Season 7 - Suit of Pentacles
Season 8 - Suit of Swords
Season 9 - Suit of Cups
Season 10 - Tarot and Witchcraft
Season 11 - Tarot and Plant Allies
Season 12- Tarot and Animals
Season 13- Divination and the Harry Potter Series
💭 Today's Tarot Pull:
From Ophidia Rosa Tarot deck by Leila & Olive, I pulled the Seven of Cups (Upright).
The richness of ancestor work lies in choice and possibility. You are not limited to one path of connection, because what matters most is the intention behind it.
Reflective prompts on this card:
What everyday practices help me feel closest to my ancestors?
Where do I feel tension in connecting with my family line, and how might I gently begin with safe, supportive ancestors?
A 12-Week Tarot for Transformation Journey
Starting at the end of September, join me for a 12-week live course based on Tarot for Transformation!
We’ll spend three months together, working through the major arcana as archetypal guides. Each week, we’ll:
Focus on one major arcana card and the life themes it highlights.
Explore journaling prompts and exercises from Dreya Blume’s book.
Share experiences and support each other in a safe, witchy, and affirming space.
Participate in live one-hour calls (with replays available if you can’t join live).
This is not just about learning tarot — it’s about using tarot as a vessel for real, meaningful change in your life.
If you've ever longed for a supportive community to explore big personal shifts, or if you’re ready to commit to discovering your most authentic self, this journey is for you.
You can sign up to receive more information (no FOMO!). We’re planning to begin at the end of August, so there’s plenty of time to get ready.
📥 Sign up for the 12 Week Live Course of Tarot for Transformation here!
If you sign up before September 12, 2025 get 25% off with code Early Bird!
Ways to Connect & Support:
Join my 12-week Tarot for Transformation Live course starting this fall where we will be deep diving into the Major Arcana to Discover Our Best Selves and Create a Life Worth Living. If you’re interested, sign up here!
If you sign up before September 12, 2025 get 25% off with code Early Bird!
Get my Tarot Card Creation Workshop including the full hour long recording with my step by step method, examples of the tarot cards I’ve created, journaling questions, and PDF to walk you through it for just $33. Click here to purchase now!
Patreon: For new moon readings, tarot Q&As, individual card pulls, and behind-the-scenes peeks, join the Every Day Tarot Patreon family.
Newsletter: Get my FREE 2025 5-Card Tarot Spread PDF + weekly musings, event invites, and magic straight to your inbox.
Support the Podcast: If you love the show, the best way to support it is by listening daily, leaving a review, and subscribing or following in your favorite podcast app.
If you’re Local:
Check out my Let’s Talk Tarot Meetup group. Come chat with other tarot enthusiasts, bring your favorite decks and play with tarot and oracle decks with us!
If you’re interested in celebrating the Full Moon I will be holding Full Moon Womxn’s Circles for the rest of 2025. Join my colleague, Izzy, and I under the glow of the full moon for an evening of connection, reflection, and ritual. This gathering is a space for all womxn. We will be meeting at Threshold’s Collective in Tacoma, the first Sunday of the month to welcome in the full moon together. Upcoming dates: 9/7, 10/5, 11/2, and 12/7. Pay for 4 circles in advance to get a 10% discount.
Book a Consultation: I’m a sex & relationships therapist working virtually across Washington. I specialize in helping queer, kinky, polyamorous, and witchy folks navigate anxiety, chronic illness, communication, and identity work. If you’re looking for a therapist and I seem like a good fit, please reach out and book a free consultation: camilleasaunders.com