Ancestor Candle Ritual + Ancestor Oil Recipe.

Every morning, when I wake up, the very first thing I do, is light a candle for my Ancestors. I felt it best to share a bit of this morning ritual with you, on the off chance that you are looking for something to try out in your own life.

My Ancestors play a huge role in my practice and my daily life, because after all, I wouldn't exist without them. Our relationship is sacred, and maintaining that bond is really important to me.

I don't believe in just hitting up your Ancestors whenever you need something either. It should be a relationship you not only consistently work on, but also value and appreciate. Of course, all of our Ancestors want to see us succeed, but you would be pretty annoyed if the only time your sister or your cousin came around was to ask for something wouldn't you?

As I mentioned at the start of this post. I light a candle for them every morning. These candles are the small, chime candles, and I always use white......unless it is the anniversary of someone's death.

On these Death Days, I switch to a black one, and carve the name of the deceased into the side. I then promise them that as long as I am here as a living, breathing person, I will love and honour them. 

Regardless of colour or the day's significance (you can pick whatever colour you like). I dress the candles with a specially crafted oil. Three drops down the sides of the candle (avoiding the wick). 

I encourage you to make your own oil, but this recipe is a good jumping off point. Just note, it is geared towards my ancestors with Scottish and English ethnicity (though I am half Slavic, and a lot of the plants of Europe overlap). 

Your oil can include any ingredients, but right now I am on a path of understanding the plants and animals native to where my ancestors came from. 

Items Needed:

Amber bottle with a dropper lid. 

Carrier oil - I am using Rapeseed.

Essential oils - Lavender, Juniper and Pine.

Various dried herbs and flowers - Juniper, Nettle, Colt's Foot, Heather, Yarrow, Plantain and Bog Myrtle (sacred to Clan Campbell).

Directions:

1. Put a few drops of your essential oils into your bottle, and fill the remaining space with carrier oil. 

2. Close and shake well. 

3. Next get a dish and place your bottle in the centre.

4. Sprinkle your herbs around the bottle. This is known as placing the essence of a plant in something spiritually or energetically. 

5. Leave everything on your Ancestor altar or other sacred space overnight. 

6. In the morning, place the herbs in a separate bottle or bag, and it can be used for incense, or an addition to other workings. You may also wish to sprinkle some around your candle while it burns, which is completely acceptable. 

7. Your oil is now ready. 

I assume here that everyone knows enough to research any toxicity or flammable properties of an herb or oil BEFORE you use them. Please also keep in mind, this is for candles only, and should not be put on your skin or ingested. 

One more thing to remember is, while I do do magic daily, a weekly ritual may be more your speed. Feel it out for yourself, but there should be some sort of real effort there. We see a lot of "lazy" witchcraft these days and it's my personal opinion that slacking too often leads to mediocre results. 

- Claire