For those who understand that there is more to life than the physical – that life includes the meta-physical, energetic or spiritual – we know that our lives cannot be separated from the living world within which we are formed, grow, mature and die. This includes a host of living beings, nature spirits, the elements and our human ancestors.
Just like we stand on the shoulders of those who have recently come before us, there is a long lineage of ancestral support that has carved out the path which we now trod. Their support is available to us, whether we are consciously aware or not. We always have the opportunity and ability to invite the ancestors into our lives and many of us do this through some form of prayer, ritual or other acknowledgement.
Ancestral lineages are strong. Our ancestors overcame many hardships to shape a life of meaning, purpose, spirituality and success. Their resilience came from a deep faith that sustained them. Not all who have died become spiritual ancestors; only those who have lived a full measure of life, cultivated moral values and achieved distinction attain this status. Without our ancestors, none of us would exist. We are the living embodiment of our ancestors’ dreams. We honour them with offerings of prayer or other ritual and through acknowledging their presence on a regular basis.
Ancestors are custodians of our lives. They occupy a position of dignity and awe among descendants and they hold great wisdom and knowledge. They have the power to influence the future. They bring good fortune and protect living relatives and future generations when called in. They teach us that the most meaningful life is one lived in service to and for others.
Just as the ancestors are available to us on a personal level, they are also available and ready to support us in our communities and the work we do. In some ways, not acknowledging them, not calling them in, can seem irresponsible, causing us to operate through ego and without the full awareness of all that is available. Deliberately calling the ancestors into community convenings or group gatherings or other facilitation provides a deep foundation from which to be present, to trust and to do the work. In some gatherings this is done transparently in the group, but it doesn’t have to be with the full group. They can be called in silently, they can be called in by the hosting team and they can be invited prior to the gathering.
We can ask for their guidance and make specific requests. We can call on them to bring wisdom, knowledge and support for the actions we take. Our ancestors offer great spiritual guidance and power. They are a deep wellspring of blessings, healing and resource. As we call them in, we bring a different level of presence and potency into our lives and into our work that includes the groups and communities we serve and convene.
We each have support beyond what we think possible. As we hold so much, may we soften, expand our consciousness and open into all that which can hold us.
The second time I was reminded of my gifts it was jarring – where I did not fully realize how deeply I sensed the disconnect between the surface and what is underneath. But my whole body was on heightened alert. 
In my own 
These days, when I invite this question of who am I at my most powerful, I see an image of a woman – me – with powerful posture, in a long flowing dress, levitating slightly off the ground, surrounded by a ring of fire with fire breathing dragons protecting my boundaries and my arms raised by my sides to receive that which the universe wants to bring me. The fire breathing dragons do not isolate me or keep out that which is intended to flow to me but they do create a barrier and warning to anything which would seek to harm me or diminish my power. In my wakeful moments – during the day or at night and especially in the morning – I call that image to me and remember who I am at my most powerful.
What is your image? Call it to you now and know it is also who you are. You can choose it every single time.
Embracing the Stranger in Me 