There’s nothing more powerful than calling on your ancestors for protection. Whether from physical or spiritual dangers, your ancestors need only be asked and they will shield you from harm. You are their child – their descendant. You carry their blood in your veins. Put your two fingers on your wrist and feel your pulse. That’s the whisper of your ancestors. You have inherited the earth after them. Now it’s time to call on them with an ancestor protection evocation ritual. Othala.

When Should You Call On Your Ancestors?

Truly any time you are feeling vulnerable is a good time to evoke your ancestors. But there are certain instances where ancestors are particularly powerful guardians. Like:

• if there’s a threat to your livelihood or business
• during a pregnancy and childbirth
• before or during a wedding
• during an illness
• during and after the death process
• while traveling
• to protect a child in a volatile situation/environment
• when someone is threatening you or your household
• at Samhain and Yule

Ancestor Protection Evocation Ritual

What You’ll Need:

• 4 White Candles
• 1 Red Chime or Tealight Candle
• 5 candleholders
• Lighter
• Dressing Oil: oil to dress your candles. Olive oil or a magical oil you’ve made yourself. 
• 2 Herbs with Protective Qualities:  examples are nettle, basil, cinnamon, clover, fern, curry, cumin, etc.
• 1 Herb with Links to your Ancestors’ Land: chamomile, lavender, heather, etc. (you’ll have to do some research here if you’re unsure. Google “wild herbs in Germany” “wild herbs in Italy” “wild herbs in Croatia” etc.)
• Medium sized plate or piece of foil: something to sprinkle herbs upon and then roll your candle in.
• Long piece of red ribbon, yarn, or string
• Incense for amplification: I recommend dragons blood
• Incense for offering: pick an incense with a scent tied to your ancestors’ homeland or ancestors’ favorites (pine, lavender, patchouli, rose, frankincense, etc.)
• Divination tool of your choice: oracle cards, pendulum, tarot, runes, crystal ball, etc. Use whatever you are comfortable using as this will be how your ancestors speak to you in the circle.

Timing

It is best to call on your ancestors on a Dark or Full Moon, but if you feel this ritual needs to be done ASAP any moon phase will work. Liminal times like dusk, dawn, and midnight are best as this is when the veil between this world and the spirits is thinnest.

1. Preparation

1. Take a cleansing bath to remove all negativity from your aura. 
2. Cleanse your sacred space (the space where you’ll be performing this ritual) by smudging, sweeping, etc.
3. Gather all supplies (You don’t want to cast your circle and realize you left something out of it. Breaking the circle once cast isn’t helpful or encouraged)
4. Set 4 white candles in 4 corners of circle (north, south, east, west). Give yourself enough room to be able to sit/stand and work comfortably (six feet or more).
5. Set red candle, candleholder, both incense with burners, divination tool, lighter, red string, dressing oil, plate/aluminum foil and 3 herbs in middle of circle.

2. Cast the Circle

If you have your own way of casting a circle, do so. Otherwise, follow the steps below:

1. Stand at the North point of the circle with lighter or matches in hand. Take a breath and envision a cave filled with crystals encircling you.
2. Face the north, raise both arms, and say, “I call on the element of Earth. Nourish and protect me this magical night.” Light the candle in the north.
3. Walk towards the east. Envision a powerful, illuminated wind encircling you.
4. Face the East and say, “I call on the element of Air. Inspire and guide me this magical night.” Light the east candle.
5. Turn from the east and walk towards the south. Envision a fire that ignites passion and power from deep within you.
6. Stand facing the south and say, “I call on the element of Fire. Ignite my spirit and empower me this magical night.” Light the south candle.
7. Now turn and walk towards the west. Envision a gentle rain falling all around.
8. Stand facing the west and say, “I call on the element of Water. Give me powers of dream and intuition and purify me this magical night.” Light the west candle.
9. Next, stand in the middle of the circle and visualize a white bubble of light where you walked the circle. This circle isn’t just one dimensional – it reaches above your head and below your feet forming a perfect sphere.
10. Say, “The circle is cast. Let no spirit or energy enter this circle without my invitation.” Proceed with the ritual.

3. Call the Ancestors

1. Anoint the red candle with a little oil from top to bottom. 
2. Sprinkle all herbs onto the plate/foil.
3. Visualize your ancestors. What they might have looked like. Where they lived. The struggles they endured. The happiness they felt around their families. While doing so, roll the red candle in the protective and ancestral herbs on your plate/foil (this is called dressing the candle). 
4. Put candle back on candleholder when done dressing.
5. Light the amplification incense (dragons blood, etc).
6. Raise energy in the circle by doing what you feel comes naturally. Examples include dancing, singing, chanting, and showing pure emotion (if you plan to dance, be sure to allow yourself enough room in the circle to move around without knocking candles and incense over).
7. Once you feel you’ve raised adequate energy (you’ll know instinctively), light the red candle. 
8. Take up the red string and press it to your heart. Say:

“I call upon my ancestors,
the ones who came before me.
May this red candle light your way
to my circle.
I thank you for the blood, sweat, and tears
you shed to pave a way for me on this earth.
I thank you for your presence, oh ancestors
whose blood pumps through my very heart.
I call upon my ancestors
to protect me in the coming months and years.
I summon only the ancestors who wish to guide
and protect me and my household.”

9. Tie the red string around your left wrist so none of it dangles loose (fire hazard).
10. Light your offertory incense and say:

“Let my offering of smoke be pleasing to you.
As we move forward with our relationship,
I will give offerings in exchange for protection
over me and my household.
So be it.”

11. At this point, sit quietly and let your ancestors speak to you, do so while the red candle and incense burns all the way down. I also recommend using a form of divination you’re comfortable with such as oracle cards, pendulums, runes, etc. at this point. Your ancestors will use these forms of divination to speak to you. To end the divination session, be sure to state it is ending and thank the ancestors once more for any message they’ve given to you.

4. Release the Circle

1. Stand at the North point of the circle. Say “I release the element of Earth. Thank you for your protection this magical night.” Blow out the north candle.
2. Now turn and walk counter-clockwise towards the west. 
3. Stand facing the west and say, “I release the element of Water. I thank you for the ability to connect with my beloved dead this night.” Blow out the west candle.
4. Turn from the west and walk towards the south.
5. Stand facing the south and say, “I release the element of Fire. Thank you for your empowerment this night.” Blow out the south candle.
6. Walk towards the east and say, “I release the element of Air. Thank you for your guidance and inspiration.” Blow out the east candle.
7. End at the north point of the circle and visualize the bubble of light you had cast popping and turning into a cloud of white light then radiating through the atmosphere.
8. Say, “The circle is open. My ancestors are free to do their bidding. Let only positive energy remain in this place.”

5. Grounding

After any elaborate ritual in which energy is raised, grounding any extra energy is necessary for your physical and spiritual health. There are different ways to ground the energy, including eating something heavy like bread or cheese or performing a grounding routine. Take your time moving on with your night as you may feel a little light-headed or tired. This is totally normal. Drink a cup of chamomile or basil tea if you still haven’t normalized after an hour or so. 

Ritual Remains

Take the red candle remains and incense ash and put it in a small bag. Hang on your front door or bury under the front doorstep for added protection. The red string/yarn you tied around your wrist can be added to the bag or can be worn on your person for added protection. You can also wear the red string when performing divination to communicate with your ancestors more easily.

Moving Forward with Your Ancestors After the Ancestor Protection Evocation Ritual

A word of caution: uphold your end of the bargain to your ancestors by regularly giving offerings to them. Even after the ancestor protection evocation ritual has been long done. I try to give an offering daily, but once a week is good. Offerings are as simple as a cup of coffee, a bit of dinner in the evening (without salt), a glass of wine, burning incense, saying prayers of gratitude, or lighting a candle in their memory. Remember, the ancestors must feed off of energy in order to lend their energy to protect you and your household. By giving offerings, you are thanking them but also feeding them the energy they need. If you only take and never give, you might eventually find yourself without their protection.