Three Ways To Tap Into Our Ancestral Nature

Many belief systems across the African Diaspora embraced the natural world. Our people have long considered Earth as a sacred place we get to experience. If you want to connect with the outdoors but don’t know how, look to the ancestral ways we have always treasured nature.

Wading Water

We’ve been wading water for centuries, from surfing in 1640s Ghana to living within the Great Dismal Swap during enslavement.

Honor this history by expressing gratitude to those ancestors for making it through rough tides anytime you’re near a body of water.  

Stargazing

Our people followed the Drinking Gourd, a code name for the Big Dipper, to freedom. They trusted ancestral wisdom about the night sky and their intuition to survive.

We can lean into this legacy by practicing stargazing. Whether with an app like Star Walk or binoculars, just look up. Take the time to gaze above.

Stay Mindful

The Yoruba people of West Africa traditionally used a divination tool called ‘obi abata’ to ask permission from nature spirits before they dug into or disrupted the ecosystem in any way.

Remember that mindfulness and nature go hand-in-hand. Embrace the Yoruba way of approaching nature by leaving things as they are and lean on God and ancestors for guidance anytime you’re out in nature.

Basking in nature is our divine right and honors our ancestry. This is your reminder that nature is nurturing and a simple way to keep your spiritual wellness in check.

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