There are many different ways of working with the Ancestors. The following categories are simply one way to organize your practice, though you may find that different delineations work better for you. The three broad categories we discuss here are the Ancient Wise, the Mighty Dead, and the Beloved Dead. The Ancient Wise are those ancestors who had special wisdom or intelligence in their life, and as such they now have knowledge beyond our comprehension that can aid us in our work and on our journey.

The Mighty Dead are the heroes. They are not only those heroes described in myth, but also the people who have helped to shape our world, culture, and society. The heroes of mythology have aided the growth and development of culture through feats of strength and bravery, or by gaining wisdom to share with human kind. The heroes of modernity have aided the growth and development of culture through scientific discoveries, exploration, and work in the humanities or social justice. The Mighty Dead are those who’ve experienced the world, strove to make it a better place, and because of that have had their stories told to many.

The Beloved Dead are those who have some direct connection to us. They may be those ancestors that we are related to by blood, such as our parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents. The may also be close friends who we care for. The Beloved Dead are those who influenced our lives in a positive way.

The Nature Spirits can be divided into two broad categories: those beings of nature that we can see, and those we can’t. The first type of Nature Spirit is the more obvious. They are the creatures that inhabit our world: the birds, fish, insects, reptiles and mammals, but they are also the trees, rivers, rocks, plants, dirt, and oceans. They are all part of the ecosystem that makes our world work together and function.

The second type of Nature Spirit, the kind you can’t see, are the mythical creatures. This incorporates creatures that live hidden in our world or are described in myths, like nymphs and dryads, fairies, spirits of the local land, and house spirits. They can also be creatures that take on roles beyond that of their mundane counterparts, such as a archetypical plant, stone, or animal.

The Shining Ones refers to the Gods, Goddesses, Godden, and other deities. While they may not all “shine,” they do all radiate power. The Shining Ones each have a domain that allows them to connect to each other and/or the mundane world. There are those who work in the Upper Realm, deities of the sky, air, sun, wind, etc. or those who are specifically said to dwell in the Upper Realm. There are those who work in the mid-realm, like deities of the forest, hearth, commerce, war, etc. There are those who work in the Underworld, deities of death, or sometimes wealth.