edithbertrand.com
.
.
The different steps in the entire ritual
The different steps in the ancestor ritual are:
At home:
1. Choose a helper (or two, if you wish) and prepare the whole ritual thoroughly together with your helper;
2. Choose an ancestor constellation and communicate your choice (at least one week before the appointment);
3. Choose a symbol for yourself and a symbol for your inner child, possibly selecting stones yourself;
4. Prepare introductory questions for your ancestors;
5. Plan and carry out a final rehearsal and set a date for the ritual. The final rehearsal must take place no later than the weekend before the ancestor constellation.
During the appointment:
6. Create a ritual space;
7. Laying out the stones and symbols;
8. Your introduction;
9. If applicable: tuning into the field and determining the stones;
10. Tuning in and representing;
11. Thanking your ancestors;
12. Releasing the stones from their task.
At home:
13. Making a place for your ancestors and maintaining the connection.
1. Choose a helper (or two, if you wish) and prepare the whole ritual thoroughly with your helper
Please ask any questions or make any comments you may have at this stage. Please read everything carefully first. Even small questions are important. In a ritual, every detail counts. The helper is also welcome to ask me questions.
2. Choose an ancestral constellation and communicate your choice (at least one week before the appointment)
The ritual begins at your home, once you know which ancestral constellation you would like, and in the case of a thematic ancestral constellation, which ancestral line you would like to set up. See the section entitled ‘Two ritual constellations’ for more information. Further ritual formats are outlined in the section entitled ‘Customised ritual ancestor constellations’. We allow at least one week between the moment you inform me of your choice and the appointment. This is because, from the moment you make your choice, spiritual helpers, ancestors and other energies involved can begin to prepare, perhaps together with you. You need not be aware of this.
Once you have chosen an ancestor constellation, it is clear how many ancestral lines you are setting up, how the stones will be placed and in what order, which stones are being represented, and possibly also who those individuals are in the ancestral line, or whether the energy field is being tuned into.
3. Choose a symbol for yourself and a symbol for your inner child, possibly selecting stones yourself
You choose something that symbolises yourself and something for your inner child. You take both symbols with you for the ritual.
Are you selecting your own stones? They certainly do not have to be large stones, but they should not be too small either, so that they are comfortable to hold in your hand. The suggested general ancestor constellation has 38 stones, the suggested thematic ancestor constellation has 25. If the constellation is modified, count the stones.
4. Prepare introductory questions for your ancestors
Prepare your introductory questions for the ancestors. If you need to, for example if you are unsure about certain questions, you can also submit your questions to me in advance. See the heading ‘Your questions for ancestors’. There you will also find a format for your introduction and questions.
5. Plan and carry out a final rehearsal and set a date for the ritual
The final rehearsal must take place no later than the weekend before the ancestor constellation.
You have a printout of your ancestor constellation in front of you; you know how to place the stones and what the order of the constellation is. We will go through the entire ritual without the ancestors.
There will be no further discussions in the week leading up to the ritual constellation. Everything is now clear enough. As a representative in your constellation, I need some peace and quiet beforehand. That is why this is important.
6. Create a ritual space
With the calm of the week leading up to the constellation session, we meet at my home in Doesburg. You and your helper arrive well in advance. There is nothing left to discuss. We don’t say much, but focus on silence and creating a ritual space. We set everything up and perhaps have a cup of tea.
7. Laying out the stones and symbols
When we start, you place the stones in the order of the agreed constellation. You place the stones far enough apart that you can stand between them when you pick up a stone to tune into it. Place the symbol for the inner child on one side of you and the symbol for yourself on the other side. You sit on a chair and look at the stones in front of you. The inner child is represented by the symbol as energy in the ritual. Nothing else happens with it. Similarly, nothing happens with the symbol for yourself. It represents you at the moment when you stand up to tune into a stone and are not sitting in your place for a moment.
8. Your introduction
When you are sitting quietly and feel ready, you introduce yourself by your first name and invite your ancestors to be present. You welcome them and present your questions to them. You may have written down your introduction, or you may prefer to do it from memory.
9. If applicable: tuning into the field and determining the stones
This part only happens when there is no fixed order for tuning into and representing the stones. I repeat from the heading ‘Two ritual constellations’, section ‘The general ritual ancestor constellation’:
"In the ritual of picking up, tuning into and representing the stones, there is no set order. We limit the number of stones picked up to the number of the thematic ancestor constellation, which is ten. That is sufficient for processing. We choose the stones together by sensing the field. You don't have to do this alone. If you are not used to this, it may seem very difficult or almost impossible to do, but you will probably really feel something, and a stone will attract you. You, your helper and I have sheets of paper, each with its own colour. When a stone catches your attention, place a sheet of paper next to it so that afterwards we know which stone is linked to an ancestor who wants to be represented and who chose this stone. It may be that all three of us feel a certain stone. In that case, we will all place a sheet of our colour next to it. If you feel a particular stone very strongly, you can indicate this by placing several sheets of paper next to it. It may be that someone feels very happy about a particular stone, or has a worrying feeling about it. To remember this, a white or black piece of paper can be placed next to it. Perhaps together we will feel more than ten stones that demand attention, perhaps fewer. That doesn't matter. Perhaps another stone will be added along the way that wants to be seen. It may also be that you do not feel a particular stone pulling at you, but that you choose that that stone should be tuned into and represented, for example your parents or grandparents. You can indicate this with a card stating exactly who you mean."
10. Tuning in and representing
This has been explained earlier in the sections ‘Tuning into and representing stones’ and ‘Your questions to ancestors’. Up to ten stones are tuned into and represented.
In the thematic ancestor constellation, the order is fixed and is the same as when laying the stones.
In the general constellation, you choose the stones yourself. From the section ‘Two ritual constellations’, part ‘The general ritual ancestor constellation’: “When we feel that we have finished tuning into the field and we have marked the stones that require attention with a piece of paper, we sit down again and you decide which stone you want to start with. There is no specific order. So you can also start with a stone from the tenth generation, if there are sheets of paper next to it. It makes sense to start with a stone that has many sheets of paper next to it, because that means it is important in the constellation. But it is up to you.”
When an ancestor is represented in a general ancestor constellation, this is indicated with a black or white pawn. The black pawn represents a male ancestor, the white one a female ancestor. You or your helper place this next to the stone representing the ancestor in question. In a thematic ancestor constellation, the order of tuning in and representing is fixed, so it is clear who has already had their turn without a pawn.
11. Thanking your ancestors
At the end, you thank your ancestors for coming, for what they have shown of themselves, for their help.
12. Releasing the stones from their task
The ancestors are linked to stones. To allow a stone to be just a stone again, the stones are released from their task. You can leave this to me, but you can also do it yourself if you wish. The stones may also be thanked. You do this by focusing your attention on them and saying aloud: “Stones, thank you for representing, you are now just stones again.”
If you wish, you may take a photograph of the constellation.
13. Making a place for your ancestors and maintaining the connection
To ensure that the contact has a lasting effect, it is important that you create a place for them in your home afterwards and that you regularly connect with them by thinking about them.