Throughout my life, I’ve never been one to wonder “Who were my ancestors?” or “What are their stories?” Maybe I’ve been a bit too self-involved.  Or maybe it’s because both of my parents came from dysfunctional families that were touched by the disease of alcoholism and therefore, they never talked about their parents (very much) or grandparents (hardly ever).  Why would I be curious about people who obviously caused harm to their families, and more specifically, to my own mother and father?

But lately I’ve been rethinking this whole topic.  Thanks to Audrey Chowdhury, a SoulCollage Facilitator in Wisconsin, who has written a thought-provoking and creativity-inspiring book, Ancestral Impressions: Exploring Your Ancestry through Creativity, Imagery, and Intuition.  Don’t let the sepia-toned cover fool you- this is a powerful book that is popping with imagination, color, and creativity.

Because of Audrey’s teachings on this topic, I was reminded of a SoulCollage® card I made a while back that spoke to me from my collective ancestors’ voice. This card and its story can be found here:  Soul Songs Newsletter October 2017

Also as a result of Audrey’s book, I have been led to make some new cards honoring my ancestors, both known and unknown.

I made this card (right) to honor my mother’s parents. Their names were Gus and Alice. Grandma Alice died when I was 22, and she was close to our family. Grandpa died when I was 5, and I have no memory of him. But after reading Audrey’s book, I came to realize that their story is an important part of my own story and I felt led to make a card honoring their relationship.

Although my mother and grandmother hardly ever spoke of my grandfather (he was an alcoholic), I was happy to find  some pictures of them when they were very young and obviously in love, and then added a photo of them in their older years, holding hands. The addition of the Indra’s Net image and pale pink flower petals speak to me of being held in the Oneness of all beings.

Who are you?
We are the ones who gave birth to your mother. We are your grandparents. We are the ones who loved you when you were born, and now love you from another space and timeless time. We are the ones who were in love and whose marriage lasted “til death do us part.” We are the ones who lived through the Depression. We are the ones who knew what hard times were. We are the ones who survived. We are the ones who are so proud of you.

What do you want from me?
We want you to know that even though we both died when you were young, we are still connected through the “nettedness” (Seena’s word!) of all beings.  Our lights shine bright on Indra’s Net, as does yours. We want you to know that we are happy that you have connected with us here. We want you to continue learning about our stories.  We want you to know that you are loved.

I made this SoulCollage® card (left) to honor my parents as a couple, along with what I am calling my “unknown ancestors.”  I found the photo of my parents on their wedding day with their mothers beside them, and then added a variety of photos of other ancestors from both of their families. Some I can identify, and some I cannot.

Who are you?
We are the ones who came before you. We are your parents and your parents’ parents’ and the parents of them as well. We are the ones who are your lineage. We are the ones who bear your roots. We are the ones whose DNA matches yours. We are family, even though you do not know all our names. We are the ones who are, and have always been, a part of your life.

What do you have to give me?
We give you the knowledge that you are not alone. We give you your physical characteristics, your intellectual curiosity, your creativity. We give you the will and the capacity to survive difficult situations. We give you our love.