Why Photos of the Living Don’t Belong on an Ancestral Altar

If you’re at all familiar with the practice of ancestral veneration you may have heard that photos of the living are not to be placed on the ancestral altar, and you may be wondering why that is.

First it’s important to establish the purpose of your ancestral altar. If your ancestral altar is simply a testament to your family tree, if it’s purpose is only remembrance of loved ones, then you don’t have to worry about whether or not photos of the living are on your altar. It is perfectly acceptable to have photos of the living included in a family shrine.

If your intention is to use this altar to house the spirits of your ancestors, and as a space to actively work with your ancestral dead and build and strengthen your connection to them, then photos of the living don’t belong on this altar and should not be included in this space.

The Living and Dead Should be Separate

The simple reason for this is that it’s not an altar for the living, so the living don’t belong there. The living don’t belong in the realm of the dead. It’s not a question of whether or not your ancestors recognize that you or your siblings or your children are alive. Connecting with the dead in this capacity invokes Death. There is not an altar for working with the dead that doesn’t involve death.

Putting photos of the living on an altar that is meant for working with and connecting to the dead invites death to the living who are represented. It’s symbolically pushing the living over the hedge. What is done symbolically in our world is done in actuality in the otherworld. While it’s perfectly possible that death won’t accept the invitation to come for the living represented, it’s also better not to hand over the invitation at all.

About the Author

Jessica Jascha is a clinical herbalist, intuitive consultant, and writer in Minnesota. She provides herbal medicine consultations, tarot readings and spiritual mentorship, hosts the Moon Ritual Subscription, and teaches She also writes for Witch Way Magazine. You can find her at jaschabotanicals.com or on Facebook.

Featured image via pexels