Welcome back to our Samhain series! In Part 1, we explored the ancient history of Samhain and learned how our ancestors honored the dead during this sacred season. Now it’s time to bring those traditions into your own home by creating a beautiful, meaningful ancestor altar.

Whether you’re new to altar work or have been honoring your ancestors for years, this guide will walk you through everything you need to know—from choosing the perfect location to selecting offerings that honor your loved ones’ spirits. Let’s create a sacred space where the veil is thin and connection flows freely.

What Is an Ancestor Altar?

An ancestor altar is a dedicated sacred space where you honor, remember, and connect with those who have passed. It serves as a bridge between the physical and spiritual worlds—a place where you can leave offerings, speak to your loved ones, receive messages, and feel their presence.

Ancestor altars aren’t just for Samhain, though this season makes them especially powerful. Many spiritual traditions maintain year-round altars for their ancestors, understanding that our connection to those who came before us is ongoing and vital.

Your altar can be as simple or elaborate as feels right to you. What matters most is the intention you bring to it and the love you infuse into the space.

Choosing the Right Location

The first step in creating your ancestor altar is finding the right spot in your home. Consider these factors:

Accessibility

Choose a location you can visit easily and regularly. Your altar should be somewhere you’ll naturally pass by or can sit with comfortably. If it’s tucked away in a forgotten corner, you’re less likely to engage with it.

Energy

Pay attention to how different areas of your home feel. You want a space that feels peaceful, welcoming, and energetically clean. Avoid high-traffic areas with chaotic energy or spaces associated with stress.

Privacy

While some people love having their altar in a central location, others prefer privacy for their spiritual practice. Choose what feels most comfortable for you. If you live with others who might not understand or respect your altar, a bedroom or personal space might be best.

Size

Your altar doesn’t need to be large! A small shelf, the corner of a dresser, a windowsill, or even a decorative tray can work beautifully. Work with the space you have.

Traditional Considerations

Some traditions suggest placing ancestor altars lower to the ground (as opposed to deity altars, which are often elevated) or facing specific directions. However, these aren’t requirements—follow what resonates with you and your ancestors.

Cleansing and Preparing Your Space

Before you begin building your altar, cleanse the space energetically. This clears away any stagnant or unwanted energy and sets a sacred intention for the work you’re about to do.

Methods for cleansing include:

• Smoke cleansing: Use sage, palo santo, cedar, rosemary, or your preferred herb

• Sound: Ring a bell, use a singing bowl, or play cleansing music

• Salt: Sprinkle salt water or place salt in the corners

• Visualization: Imagine white or golden light filling and purifying the space

• Prayer or intention: Speak aloud your purpose for this altar

As you cleanse, you might say something like: “I clear this space of all energy that does not serve the highest good. I dedicate this altar to honoring my ancestors with love, respect, and gratitude.”

Essential Elements for Your Ancestor Altar

Now for the beautiful part—gathering items for your altar! Here are the essential elements to consider:

Photos

Photographs are the heart of most ancestor altars. Choose images of loved ones who have passed—grandparents, parents, siblings, friends, even beloved pets. You can also include photos of ancestors you never met but feel connected to.

If you don’t have photos, don’t worry! You can write names on paper, use symbolic representations, or simply hold the person in your heart as you create the space.

Candles

Candles represent the light of spirit, the eternal flame of the soul, and the illumination that guides spirits to your altar. White candles are traditional and versatile, but you can also use:

• Purple for spiritual connection and psychic awareness

• Black for protection and honoring the dark half of the year

• Gold or yellow for honoring the divine in your ancestors

• Colors your loved ones favored in life

Battery-operated candles work perfectly if open flames aren’t safe or allowed in your space.

Offerings

Offerings show respect and provide energetic nourishment for your ancestors. Traditional offerings include:

• Food: Bread, fruit, nuts, grains, or your ancestors’ favorite dishes

• Drinks: Water (always appropriate), coffee, tea, wine, whiskey, or their preferred beverage

• Flowers: Marigolds (traditional for Día de los Muertos), chrysanthemums (associated with death in many cultures), or any flowers your loved ones enjoyed

• Incense: Frankincense, myrrh, sandalwood, or scents they loved

Remember to refresh food and drink offerings regularly—remove them after a day or two and replace with fresh items.

Personal Items and Mementos

Include objects that belonged to your ancestors or remind you of them:

• Jewelry, watches, or accessories they wore

• Small tools or objects related to their work or hobbies

• Letters, cards, or writings in their handwriting

• Fabric from their clothing

• Military medals, awards, or achievements

• Religious or spiritual items they cherished

Natural Elements

Connecting with nature honors the cycles our ancestors understood intimately:

• Crystals: Clear quartz (amplification), amethyst (spiritual connection), obsidian (protection), smoky quartz (grounding)

• Seasonal items: Autumn leaves, acorns, pumpkins, dried corn, pine cones

• Bones or shells: Symbolic of the physical form returning to earth

• Soil or stones: From places significant to your ancestors

Symbols and Decorations

Add meaningful symbols that represent your spiritual beliefs or your ancestors’ heritage:

• Religious symbols (crosses, pentacles, om symbols, etc.)

• Cultural symbols representing your ancestral heritage

• Skulls or skeleton imagery (not morbid—celebrating the cycle of life!)

• Ancestor-themed artwork or statues

• Divination tools (tarot cards, pendulums, runes)

Step-by-Step: Building Your Altar

Now let’s put it all together! Here’s a simple process for creating your ancestor altar:

Step 1: Create Your Foundation

Start with a cloth or scarf as your altar base. Choose colors that feel right—traditional options include white (purity), black (the void and mystery), purple (spirituality), or colors significant to your family. Some people use family heirlooms like vintage tablecloths or handmade textiles.

Step 2: Arrange Photos Centrally

Place photographs in the center or back of your altar where they’re clearly visible. You might lean them against the wall, use small frames or stands, or create a photo collage. Arrange them in a way that feels honoring—perhaps with elders in the center or back.

Step 3: Add Candles

Position candles where they’re safe and visible. Many people place a central candle as the “eternal flame” with additional candles around it. Make sure candles are stable and won’t be knocked over.

Step 4: Place Offerings

Arrange food and drink offerings in small dishes or cups. Place them where your ancestors can “access” them—typically in front of photos or in the center of the altar. Fresh water should always be available.

Step 5: Add Personal Items

Thoughtfully place mementos and personal objects around the altar. Handle these items with reverence, perhaps speaking to your ancestors as you place each one: “Grandma, I’m placing your wedding ring here to honor your love and strength.”

Step 6: Incorporate Natural Elements

Add crystals, seasonal decorations, and natural items. These can frame your altar or fill in spaces between other objects. Let your intuition guide placement.

Step 7: Final Touches

Step back and look at your altar. Does it feel complete? Does it honor your ancestors in a way that feels authentic? Add or adjust anything that calls to you. Remember: there’s no “wrong” way to do this.

Consecrating Your Altar

Once your altar is built, it’s time to consecrate it—to officially dedicate it as sacred space. Here’s a simple ritual:

1. Light your candle(s)

2. Take a few deep breaths and center yourself

3. Speak aloud to your ancestors (or speak in your heart if you prefer):

   “I dedicate this altar to my beloved ancestors. I honor those who came before me, whose wisdom lives in my heart. This is a sacred space where the veil is thin, where I can connect with you, remember you, and feel your presence. I welcome you with love and gratitude. May this altar be a bridge between worlds, a place of healing, and a testament to the eternal bond we share. Blessed be.”

4. Sit quietly for a few moments, feeling the energy of the space

5. You might sense your ancestors’ presence, receive messages, or simply feel peace

6. Thank your ancestors for their presence

Adapt this ritual to fit your beliefs and relationship with your ancestors. What matters is the sincerity of your intention.

Maintaining Your Altar

An altar is a living, breathing sacred space that requires regular attention:

Daily or Weekly Practices

• Light a candle and spend a few moments in connection

• Speak to your ancestors—share your day, ask for guidance, or simply say hello

• Refresh water offerings daily

• Keep the space clean and dusted

Regular Maintenance

• Replace food offerings every 1-3 days (compost or return to earth)

• Change flowers when they wilt

• Adjust seasonal decorations as the year progresses

• Cleanse the space energetically when it feels heavy or stagnant

Special Occasions

• Add extra offerings on birthdays, death anniversaries, or holidays

• Include items related to special memories or family traditions

• Invite family members to visit the altar and share stories

What If I Don’t Have a Good Relationship with My Ancestors?

This is an important and common question. Not everyone has loving, supportive ancestors—and that’s okay. Your altar is YOUR sacred space, and you get to choose who you honor. You can even choose to use this space to have open discussions about what happened or to forgive. This is YOUR space and you get to say what happens, how and when. 

Consider these approaches:

• Honor only ancestors you feel positively about: You don’t need to include everyone

• Honor “ancestors of spirit” rather than blood: Teachers, mentors, chosen family, cultural heroes

• Call on “elevated ancestors”: Those who have done their healing work in the spirit world

• Focus on ancient ancestors: Go back generations to those you never knew but whose strength you carry

• Create boundaries: You can acknowledge difficult ancestors while asking for protection from any harmful energy

Remember: you are in control of your spiritual practice. Honor those who deserve honor, and don’t feel obligated to include those who caused harm. No spirit can hurt you, ever. 

Altar Variations and Ideas

Your ancestor altar can take many forms:

• Portable altar: Create a small altar in a box or basket that you can set up and put away

• Outdoor altar: Build a natural altar in your garden or a special outdoor spot

• Digital altar: Create a virtual altar with photos and music if physical space is limited

• Seasonal altar: Build your altar specifically for Samhain and maintain it through the season

• Family altar: Create a communal altar that multiple family members can contribute to

The Power of Your Altar

Your ancestor altar is more than decoration—it’s a portal, a telephone line to the other side, a place where love transcends death. When you tend your altar with intention and reverence, you strengthen your connection to those who came before you.

You might be surprised by what happens when you create this sacred space. Many people report:

• Feeling their ancestors’ presence more strongly

• Receiving messages in dreams or meditation

• Finding comfort and healing in grief

• Discovering family stories or information they didn’t know

• Feeling more grounded and connected to their roots

• Experiencing synchronicities and signs from their loved ones

What’s Next: Honoring Practices

Now that you’ve created your beautiful ancestor altar, you’re ready for Part 3 of our Samhain series! Next week, we’ll explore specific practices for honoring your ancestors during this sacred season—including how to hold an ancestor supper, make meaningful offerings, and use these rituals for deep grief healing.

In the meantime, spend time with your altar. Light candles, speak to your loved ones, and notice what you feel. This is the beginning of a beautiful practice that can continue long after Samhain ends.

Deepen Your Connection This Samhain

If you’re ready to strengthen your relationship with your ancestors and the spirit world, I’m here to support you:

Mediumship Readings: Connect directly with your loved ones in spirit. Receive their messages, feel their presence, and find the healing that comes from knowing they’re still with you.

Cosmic Grief Reading: Understand your loved one’s soul contract, their emotional state at passing, and the deeper spiritual meaning of their death. This unique service combines 30+ years of mediumship with astrology for profound insight and healing.

Cosmic Wisdom Hour & Messages: Join me every Tuesday at 7pm MT on Facebook and YouTube for live spiritual guidance and messages from spirit.

Grief Coaching: Work with me one-on-one to heal your grief through spiritual practices, ritual, and connection with your loved ones in spirit.

Visit DivineAndrogyne.com to book a reading or learn more. And be sure to return next week for Part 3 of our Samhain series!

May your altar be a place of love, healing, and sacred connection.