Reuniting With Nature and Ancestors: Black Women Lead
Do you ever feel like something is missing in your life? More specifically, have you ever felt the need to reconnect with nature and your ancestors? It’s a feeling I’m very familiar with—one that I’ve been exploring since childhood. It’s the same feeling that led me to develop my practice of helping Black women do the same.
For many of us, our connection to the natural world has been broken. We feel disconnected from our ancestral spirit as if it’s no longer part of us. This can make it difficult for us to find balance in our lives and create harmony between ourselves and our environment.
Reestablishing this connection is not always easy, but it is essential for finding true knowledge and peace within ourselves. In this article, I’ll share some of the tips and techniques that have helped me—a Black woman of Yoruba descent living a magical life—reunite with nature and reconnect with my ancestors every day.
Why Nature Is Important for Black Women
As a black woman, connecting to nature and my ancestors is an immensely important part of my daily life. The healing brought upon by nature is undeniable: it helps me to connect with the world that existed before man-made barriers of race and gender. Nature is also the home of our ancestors and a beloved relationship with them remains sacred.
When I venture out into nature, I come face-to-face with tranquility and a connection that extends beyond myself — it’s about understanding the importance of our ancestors and their integral role in shaping my identity. Although we may be dispersed across different states, countries, or continents, I feel an immediate connection to someone merely by standing in the presence of nature.
By engaging with elements such as plants, trees, soil, and water from rivers or lakes — all of which have strong historical roots — I am able to create meaningful relationships between myself and the environment. This allows me to honor not only those who have come before me but also the world that sustains us all.
How to Open Connections With Ancestors
As a Black woman, one of the most powerful ways to connect to nature and my roots is by opening connections with my ancestors. In this way, I can reach out to my past and find strength in their strength. It helps me to understand where I come from so that I can make sure that we, as a people, move forward together.
One way to open up these connections is through spiritual practices. There are specific rituals that can be done to invite our ancestors into our lives and show our appreciation for them. This could include making offerings of food or tobacco, or simply sitting in meditation and connecting with their spirits. Another option is ancestral divination–this could include reading tarot cards or using other divination tools such as dice or crystal balls. Whatever works best for you, the key is to do it with intention and an open heart so that you can receive the wisdom of your ancestors.
By weaving together old spiritual practices with modern techniques, we can strengthen our relationships with nature and the ancestors who came before us. We not only honor their contributions but also tap into their wealth of knowledge—allowing us to draw on their collective strength as we continue on our journey through life.
Utilizing Nature as a Source of Comfort and Soothing
The natural world has always been a comfort for me, and I want to inspire my sisters to use it in similar ways. Connecting to nature can be as simple as taking a walk around the neighborhood, or as profound as an ancestral retreat. I have found that during times of difficulty or uncertainty, nature often provides just what I need.
Whether it’s taking a hike in the mountains or sitting in silence by the shoreline of a lake, connecting with Mother Earth can be powerful medicine for our minds and spirits. Nature does not judge and enables us to find a place of quiet contemplation that can help us make decisions about our lives. Plus, when I commune with nature, I also feel closer to my ancestors—their spirits commune with me in ways that cannot be explained through words alone.
It is my hope that more Black women will find solace in reconnecting with the natural world around them. The trees, plants and animals of this planet hold ancient wisdom and traditions that we can learn from and carry forward into our current lives. Nature is not just something for us to look at; it is something we must interact with, digest and integrate into our lives so that we may heal ourselves and the generations of Ancestors who came before us.
Reclaiming the Beauty of Nature Through Self-Love
As a Black woman, I believe it is essential to prioritize reconnecting with Nature and our ancestors every single day. When we take the time to bond with Nature and pay homage to our roots, we recognize the beauty and specialness of being Black. We discover what it means to fully love and accept ourselves, which is critical for reclaiming the beauty of Nature.
Whether it’s spending more time in the outdoors, connecting with the elements or simply taking a few moments alone to meditate and reflect on our spirituality, engaging in such activities can help us appreciate ourselves in deeper ways.
By simply breathing fresh air, listening to birdsong or observing plants as they grow from one season to another, we learn invaluable lessons that help us reclaim our self-love. It’s no wonder that so many of us have experienced a dramatic shift in mindset since starting this journey. Through harmonizing with Nature on a regular basis, we can celebrate our beauty and learn how to live a magical life.
Exploring the Spirituality of Nature Connections
One of the most rewarding aspects of connecting with nature and my ancestors is understanding the unique spiritual power that this connection holds. As Black women, we often find ourselves cocooned away, where the mundane and material world prevails, leaving us disconnected from our spiritual needs.
Suddenly, when I reconnect with my ancestors and explore the spirituality of nature through their eyes, I am instantly transported to a blissful place where we can learn to let go of our worries, open our hearts and minds to the power of love, and discover our true purpose. Ultimately, this connection helps us to remain grounded in the knowledge that we are intimately connected to all things in nature and that we are an essential part of its beauty.
When I explore this spirit-to-spirit connection with other Black women on my journey towards self-love and healing, I am inspired by their strength and courage. Together we can learn to embrace our truth, embody our power and become more connected to ourselves through nature’s wisdom.
For me, reconnecting with nature in this way is not only about embracing my spiritual heritage—it’s about being reminded of the interconnectedness of everything in existence: from plants and animals to rocks and minerals; from rivers and seas to forests and streams; from the sun up above us in the sky to the stars twinkling at night; from individuals like myself or others around me—all partaking in one beautiful cosmic dance together.
How to Make Every Day a Day in Nature
One of the ways I make every day a day in nature is by honoring my Yoruba ancestors. They believed that everything in nature had a spirit and that humans were responsible for balancing our interactions with Earth. They believed if we treated land, water and air as sacred, they in return would gift us abundance. They made sure to respect the natural environment, and this is something I strive to do everyday.
So to honor them, and reconnect with nature, I:
- Take time out of my day to appreciate the sunset or sunrise.
- Get up early pay attention to the birds singing or watch the dew evaporate on a plant leaf.
- On weekends I take long hikes through nature or visit parks that are specific to my heritage.
- When I have time, I spend time cleaning up my local parks or planting flowers at community gardens.
- Lastly, I make sure not to take more than what I need from Mother Earth and always thank her for her abundance when it’s given back to me.
Doing these simple things allows me to reconnect with both my ancestors and nature everyday in a meaningful way that helps me continue their legacy of being a steward of our natural resources while being closer to the source of all life — Mother Earth herself!
By reclaiming our power and reconnecting to our ancestral roots, Black women can lead the way in regaining the ancient forgotten knowledge embedded in our DNA. It is important to recognize that this connection to the divine is not only a spiritual awakening but is also a call to recognize and embrace the strength we have within.
Through nature, we can become whole and complete. As we reclaim our power and become active citizens in the physical world, we can also be active participants in our own wellbeing. By uniting ourselves with nature and our ancestors, we can lead the way in building healthier and more resilient communities, and in creating a more just and equitable future.
