The prayer for our Beltane Rite this year is to “remind each other of our kinship throughout the world”. This one was difficult to write an ancestor’s invocation for, since I usually see the Ancestor’s as teachers of the ways, not necessarily reminders of kinship with others.
However I think I figured it out, my three aspects of the Ancestor’s:
Great Ancestor’s who walk behind us, we come here today to remind each other of our kinship throughout the world.
We honor the Ancestor’s of the land, the natives and the laborer’s who were the first children born of this land, those who forged this land. Who better than the native tribes to teach us about working together as one flawless unit, as one family. A place where everyone had a role to play, each person had a purpose to endure and a place within the tribe. It wasn’t a select few who did all the work, but a balance within themselves and with the land. The Sioux have a saying that rings true for all people’s “Mitakuye Oyasin” which means, “We are all related”.
We honor the Ancestor’s of our blood. Our families and our friends, or chosen family, who taught us that our relationships are our most important part of life, not just with each other but also with the land. We surround ourselves with those that compliment our ideals in life, to strengthen and share them with others.
We honor the Ancestor’s of our mind. Our heroes and our legends who inspire us and motivate us to better ourselves. A tribe or a Grove is only as strong as its weakest member, only as unified as its most outcast member. The Ancestor’s of our mind encourage us to better ourselves, so that we might strengthen the tribe. Much like a ripple that cascades across a body of water, we can encourage greatness and unison by starting within ourselves.
So great Ancestor’s, you who have provided us with the foundation of our kinships in all things, we honor you. Ancestor’s we honor you!
