The thesis consists of introductory commentaries and other original writings by the author extracted from the published work of the same title, as well as the published work itself (Knowledge, Ideas & Trends, Inc., 1997).

Your ancestors want to help and guide you, and this book reveals effortless ways to communicate with them and to interpret their messages and symbols. You'll learn about your distant ancestors, including ancestors from past lives, as well as how to spiritually visit your ancestral homes and towns to connect with your earliest roots. Discover your different types of ancestors, including angels, your ancestors of community, and your "Landcestors," those who sprang from the cultures and geographical regions where you began. Discover the ways in which your ancestors reveal themselves to you in everyday life-from a tickle on your cheek to the image of a long-ago ancestor/author who is helping you with a writing project in the here and now-and become attuned to the spiritual symbols and messages from the other side. You will be amazed when you discover how easy it is to ignite your intuition and get answers from your ancestors anytime, anywhere, and about anything.

Explore the realm of the ancestors with author and Pagan scholar Raven Grimassi. In this fascinating and far-ranging guide, you will learn practices and rituals both ancient and new for communing with the ancestors, specifically: How to build shrines and altars and make offers. Where to find and work with sacred sites, power places, and special portals to the ancients. Guided imagery that will take you into the “Cavern of the Ancestors,” the spiritual corridor where the ancestors can be directly approached. How to access the Spirit-Rider, an ancestor that can travel between the realms of mortals and ancients. How to see and understand the restless dead who remain bound to the Earth realms. The role of reincarnation in the soul’s relationship to ancestral lineage. Plus some of the extraordinary folklore, legend, and superstition surrounding the topic.

At a time when interest in family ancestry has never been greater, Sandra Easter's book introduces us to a powerful mode of psychological inquiry that engages the ancestors as living presences shaping who we are and the lives we live. Expanding the traditional focus of depth psychology beyond the realm of personal biography, the author finds evidence of the ancestors in dreams, visions, and symptoms of illness, and in nature and the land on which we live. Interweaving theory and practice, and drawing skillfully on C. G. Jung's work and personal reflections, the book is rich with real-life examples of women who, by establishing dialogues with the ancestors, have been able to work through personal and generational trauma and wounds, healing themselves and those in their ancestral lines. By exploring the unconscious psyche as the ancestral "land of the dead," Easter argues we can also find greater meaning for our lives and better understand our own personal myth. Jung and the Ancestors is an important contribution to depth psychology, focusing on an area of Jung's thought largely overlooked, yet rendered increasingly significant in the wake of the publication of The Red Book. Easter's work will change the way you understand yourself and your relationship to those in your past and your future.

Ancestry is big business these days, but mere biological genealogy fails to tap into our spiritual roots. The shamans of indigenous cultures have known for millennia how to do this. In this comprehensive cross-cultural survey, Dr. David Kowalewski, scholar and practicing shaman, offers several techniques for engaging the Old Ones the old-fashioned way. Although modern people have largely lost this tradition, the ancestors are coming back strong, along with the shamans—a welcome happening that may reverse our ancestor-deficit disorder. Drawing on a global survey of ethnographic reports, direct teachings from shamans of many continents, and experiences from his own shamanic practice, the author presents a wealth of useful ways that shamans have developed, around the world and across the ages, to connect with ancestors in both our realm and theirs. These include spirit-plates; effigies; pilgrimages; walkabouts; and trips with plant-spirits. Using these ancient techniques, indigenous peoples receive a variety of gifts from their Old Ones, including destiny guidance, healing, protection, and wisdom teachings. Yet some ancestors may behave like hooligans, causing psychological distress and physical woes, and even curses against a whole lineage. But these maladies are both prevented and countered by shamanic methods such as home cleansing, disposal of the deceased’s property, severance ceremonies, and the like. The author ends with practical takeaways—lessons from the lineages so to speak—showing how you and your ancestors, through concerted spiritual action, can co-evolve to higher spiritual planes. As a team.

Have you ever had an unexplained phenomena - a knock at the door but no one is there; the hairs on your arm standing up, as though you're suddenly chilled; a gradual aroma arising from nowhere; an abrupt noise; a strange sensation on different parts of your body, like someone stroking your hair; or dreams of your deceased loved ones? These are just a few examples of how your ancestors and spirit guides may be trying to gain your attention.Perhaps you've felt empty or unfulfilled at some point in your life. Have you ever wondered if there is something waiting for you beyond your sphere of existence - your friends, your job, your loved ones, your church - do you pray for a deeper understanding of the world around you? Priestess Aladokun was a newcomer to spirituality, but through curiosity, dedication, and perseverance, she has learned to let herself be guided by the spirits of her ancestors. She has studied various schools of spirituality, primarily Afrikan, Latino, and Native American spirituality. She has made many deep connections through these forms of study and worship. Much of what she learned did not come easily, whether through a lack of resources, qualified teachers, or negative energy in her own life that blocked her spiritually. Despite the obstacles, she emerged stronger, wiser and more prepared than ever to guide others down the path paved for us. She has given us "Ancestor Paths." Simply put, "Ancestor Paths" is about ancestor reverence and communication. If you have an interest in spirituality, do not let the complexity of the ideas confuse and discourage you. Do not be disheartened by misunderstandings and misinterpretations. Let Aladokun be your guide to finding your own spirituality, through the veneration of ancestors and the spirits you can learn to access. Let your life become enriched by the knowledge and understanding that "Ancestor Paths" will give you - no matter your race or heritage."Ancestor Paths" is a tribute to all divinities within the universe that continue to guide, bless, and elevate our souls toward higher consciousness and enlightenment. No matter what path you walk, it is the ancestors and the guardian spirits who protect and guide you. This book was written to spread knowledge of how to acknowledge and communicate with your ancestors and guardian spirits on an everyday basis through cleansing rituals, constructing ancestor shrines/altars, suggested prayers, encountering spirits, and fundamental divination. For those interested in spirit contact, this book is for you!

Though a minority religion in Vietnam, Christianity has been a significant presence in the country since its arrival in the sixteenth-century. Anh Q. Tran offers the first English translation of the recently discovered 1752 manuscript Tam Gi o Chu Vong (The Errors of the Three Religions). Structured as a dialogue between a Christian priest and a Confucian scholar, this anonymously authored manuscript paints a rich picture of the three traditional Vietnamese religions: Confucianism, Buddhism, and Daoism. The work explains and evaluates several religious beliefs, customs, and rituals of eighteenth-century Vietnam, many of which are still in practice today. In addition, it contains a trove of information on the challenges and struggles that Vietnamese Christian converts had to face in following the new faith. Besides its great historical value for studies in Vietnamese religion, language, and culture, Gods, Heroes, and Ancestors raises complex issues concerning the encounter between Christianity and other religions: Christian missions, religious pluralism, and interreligious dialogue.