Small Devotions: Feeding the Ancestors
King Edward Hotel, Toronto, 1919, John Chuckman
I’m still figuring out my ancestor practice, with helpful suggestions from Karen Krebser, who has done quite a bit of her own work on the topic. Like the rest of my practice, it gets bumpy and doesn’t receive enough attention when I travel for work, but I’ve found a Small Devotion to help keep me focused on the practice, even when I’m jetlagged and not entirely sure what I’ve ordered at the hotel restaurant.
If there’s a bread plate, I’ll use that; if not, I ask for a separate, small plate, or sometimes just use a part of the plate I’m eating from, because some of them are huge and have enough real estate to set up a small village of offerings.
I set aside a bite of each thing I’m eating on the small plate, and add to it as additional courses are served if it’s that kind of meal. I add a bit of each beverage (my folk are really into wine) as well. And, of course, if I have dessert, the ancestors receive a bite. It’s all about dessert for so many of them—I think it’s programmed in my family of origin’s DNA that the meal is not complete without a treat!
Once I have the initial plate ready, I hold my hands over it and recite this blessing:
“May the Gods bless this food, my offering to my Ancestors, to nourish and nurture them in the afterlife, so they know they are remembered, honored, and loved.”
Simple, and short, but seems to be effective. None of them have complained to me about my choice of wording, at least. Occasionally, there’s questioning about what is being offered—”hey, last night we had an eight course meal and three kinds of wine, and now you’re giving us oatmeal and toast?”—but some of my more distant ancestors have different ideas about nutrition. Also, I have to watch my calorie intake; it’s not so much an issue for them.
If I’m dining alone, or with my spouse (who doesn’t share my practice, but does not die of embarrassment when I do this in public), I do this practice. If I’m at a business meal (which is often the case when traveling), I will simply make a small offering on one spot on my plate, and recite the blessing silently. If I’m in a situation where even that doesn’t feel comfortable, I don’t create the separate offering, and I recite this blessing silently:
“May the Gods bless this food, which nourishes me; as I eat, I share this blessing with my Ancestors, to nourish and nurture them in the afterlife, so they know they are remembered, honored, and loved.”
At home I don’t have to worry about reactions from business associates or random strangers, and I use the small plate method. I know some people set a full plate as an offering to the Ancestors, but in this day and age, setting out that much food to end up in the compost feels wrong. Instead, I offer a token portion to the Ancestors, and donate the money that would have gone to fill that plate to the local food bank. My Ancestors appreciate the acknowledgement of the token offering, and I appreciate that I can make a tangible difference to someone in my community.
