African Traditional Religions (ATRs) Part 2: Going Deeper Into Ancestral Magick

Unique Kween Alpha
May 18
3 min read

So you’ve started exploring African Traditional Religions (ATRs), maybe built a simple altar, honored your ancestors, or felt spirit move during prayer or ritual. You’re curious, feeling the pull deeper, and ready for more.

This post is your next step a deeper guide into the world of ATRs, ancestral magick, and living in alignment with sacred African wisdom.

1. Who Are the Spirits? Deities, Ancestors, and Nature Forces

ATRs don’t see the spiritual world as distant or abstract. It’s intimate and relational. You’re not just believing in spirits you’re in relationship with them.

Here’s who you may meet on this journey:

🕊️ Ancestors (Egun, Nzambi, etc.)

Your personal lineages blood, spiritual, and sometimes cultural hold your first spiritual connections. They protect you, guide you, and can also need healing. Most ATR paths start with ancestral veneration before working with any deities.

🔥 Deities (Orisha, Loa, Abosom, Nkisi, etc.)

These are forces of nature and consciousness gods and spirits who govern aspects of the world (thunder, rivers, love, war, fertility, justice). You don’t worship them as "almighty" beings, but work with them through respect, ritual, and alignment.

Orisha are found in Yoruba traditions (e.g. Oshun, Ogun, Shango).
Loa (or Lwa) in Haitian Vodou (e.g. Erzulie Freda, Papa Legba).
Abosom in Akan traditions.
Nkisi in Kongo cosmology.

These spirits often “choose” you over time, especially if you begin building relationships with your ancestors first.

🌿 Nature Spirits & Elementals

Mountains, rivers, forests, animals all hold spiritual power. These spirits often act as guardians of land and lineage. Respecting the land is key in any ATR practice.

2. Altars: Your Spiritual Home Base

Altars are not optional in ATR they are central. This is where you build your relationships, make offerings, pray, and maintain spiritual hygiene.

✨ Basic Ancestral Altar Setup:

A clean table or shelf in a quiet place
White cloth (optional)
A glass of water
A white candle
Photos or heirlooms of loved ones
A small offering (fruit, coffee, liquor, food)

Speak to them. Pour water. Thank them. Share your life. Over time, you’ll feel the energy build.

When working with deities, you may be guided to create separate altars with items and colors specific to that spirit.

3. Divination: Hearing Spirit’s Voice

Divination is the sacred technology of ATRs. It’s how we communicate with ancestors and deities, get clarity, and avoid spiritual traps.

Each tradition has its own method:

Cowrie shell divination in Ifá
Obi (coconut) throwing in Lucumí
Bones and sticks in Zulu and Kongo traditions
Cards or veves in Vodou

Divination is not fortune-telling it’s spiritual guidance and accountability. If you’re new, seek a trusted diviner or priest(ess) to read for you.

4. Initiation: Do You Need It?

Not everyone needs to be initiated. ATRs are layered some people remain at the level of ancestor work and still live a full, powerful spiritual life. Others are called to priesthood or deeper service.

Initiation involves:

Spiritual tests and dreams
Recognition of your gifts or calling
A teacher or lineage accepting you
A formal ceremony marking your new path

DO NOT self-initiate or mimic rituals you find online. Respect the traditions, lineages, and elders.

5. Daily Practice: Living ATR, Not Just Studying It

You don’t have to perform major rituals every day. But consistency builds power.

Here’s what ATR might look like in your real life:

Lighting a candle and greeting your ancestors each morning
Pouring libation before meals or on special days
Listening to drumming or chanting to shift energy
Speaking your intentions out loud to the spirits
Keeping your space spiritually clean (smoke cleansing, floor washes, prayer)

Ritual is in the everyday. The ancestors walk with you always.

Final Words: Trust the Call, Walk Slowly

ATR is not a trend. It’s not a “vibe.” It’s a sacred, living path that requires reverence, patience, and accountability. But it’s also incredibly healing. It reconnects you to your people, to the Earth, and to your own power.

If you’ve made it this far, maybe it’s because your ancestors are nudging you. Maybe they’ve been waiting for you to remember who you are.

Don’t rush. Don’t pretend. Just begin.