"Badass Ancestors: Finding Your Power with Ancestral Guides" by Patti Wigington is a powerful exploration of ancestral connections and their potential to empower our lives. Wigington's insightful approach to working with ancestral guides offers readers a transformative journey. With practical advice and personal anecdotes, this book provides a roadmap for harnessing the strength of our lineage. It's a must-read for those seeking to tap into the wisdom and resilience of their badass ancestors. Embrace this book and embark on a profound journey of self-discovery and empowerment.

I was provided an advanced copy of this book by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Badass Ancestors by Patti Wigington is a book I’ve been needing in my life for awhile. As a witch who has been doing ancestral work and diving into researching genealogy, it is an imperative guide in showing how to work with one’s ancestors to help heal ancestral trauma.

Here are some of the quick pros and cons of the book.

PROS:
- Gives beginner info on how to start w/ genealogy
- How to on building an ancestor alter
- Details many rituals & meditations for working w/ your ancestors
- Discusses how to work w/ problematic ancestors
- Accessible to people of different cultures and backgrounds (author had inclusivity in mind)

CONS:
- Most of the genealogical advice & resources is US centric

Rating & Would I recommend?

5/5 Stars! I would highly recommend this book for beginners as well as anyone who has experience working with ancestors as it covers a wide range from starting out to more in-depth practices. I haven’t seen a book like this on the market yet!

I liked Badass Ancestors SO much that after reviewing the electronic ARC provided to me by the author, Llewellyn Publications, and Netgalley, I had to grab a hard copy for my own library.

Thanks to Netgalley, publisher and author for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This eARC was very kindly provided to me by NetGalley, in exchange for my honest review.
I found this book, a well descriptive guide for our personal journey, to find our own ancestors and roots. With a well made list of steps to go through including a self perspective on the author personal experience.
I recommend this book to any person also ready to develop a spiritual connection with your ancestors

Badass Ancestors is a wonderfully written book that tackles the topic of how we might approach honoring and remembering our ancestors. I, personally, will reference this book often to enhance my own ancestor practice as I continue to research my own genealogy and family history. The author also bravely approached difficult topics that people may come up against when delving into their ancestor work and I am grateful for the their approach to such matters. Patti Wigington was thorough and made the content of this book relatable, as well as easy to read and comprehend. I can't wait to begin working on some of the ideas that were presented.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an advanced e-reader's copy in return for my honest review.

This book made my genealogist heart so happy. It’s partly ancestor magic and partly a genealogy guide. I’ve always been interested in ancestry work as I’m a firm believer in knowing where you come from to figure out where your going. I recommend this book!

Thank you to the Publisher and Netgalley for the advanced e-reader copy. All opinions expressed are my own.

I learned so much reading this book. It was very informative and great source of information. It allowed me to better understand how working with ancestors can benefit one. I highly recommend this book for any that is interested in learning more about this practice. Thanks to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for the ARC of this book in return for my honest review. Receiving the book in this manner had no bearing on my review.

Patti Wigington guides the reader boldly through ancestral guides as a way of healing and empowerment. "Badass Ancestors" goes through ancestral guides around the world for a great worldly view of practice.

A fairly comprehensive and simple to follow book on how to dig into family history and unearth ancestors (metaphorically speaking). The author gives you countless tips that you should consider when researching your family tree, how to do it in the best way, and recommends several resources that can be useful in the process.

3.5-4.0 stars

I have always been fascinated by cultures that still today have altars to their family members that have passed on. Certain cultures hold parades, dinners, etc. in honor of their loved ones that have passed on. It always seems so beautiful and enchanting. So, when I had the opportunity to read Badass Ancestors, I jumped.

Now, I will say that my grandfather went on a HUGE genealogy kick many years back, so I tend to know part of my patrilineal heritage. There were highlights of some relation to multiple presidents and wives of presidents, a gunslinger (who was killed by Billie the Kid in the O.K. Corral), and the tracing back to Belgium, 15th century Spain, and even Scottland (know anyone famous named Stewart?). So I have some of the basics but the actual altar space always seemed so... daunting. While I don't think I will endeavor to create one, the author did provide examples of ways you could celebrate your dearly departed with doing an activity they taught you. So in my case, my grandmother taught me to knit. I could host some friends and maybe some kids from the neighborhood who might want to learn. And while doing this I could discreetly set aside a drink and maybe my grandmother's favorite cookies, maybe tell a story about her teaching me, etc. I thought it was a beautiful way to honor those who have passed.

If you are at all interested in learning about your family's origins, the author provides many ways to perform such research and way to go about documenting your family tree. There are many resources and examples provided that can help even a beginner and also how research adoptions and possible enslaved ancestors.

*ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*

Incorporate Your Ancestors into Your Spiritual Practice

I enjoyed this book more than I thought I would! I've been reading Llewellyn titles for decades, so when I see one at one of my favorite book review sites, I want to snap it up even if I am not 100% sold on the topic just by the cover, title, and description alone. I am so glad I went with my instincts on this one. I have long been a student of genealogy as well as metaphysical topics. Why hadn't I thought to marry the two before? The author has a friendly and engaging writing style that is a pleasure to read. The book goes into so many ways about how you can integrate an appreciation for those who went before you into your spiritual practice. The book starts by looking at the history of ancestor veneration and offers direction about how to research your family's genealogy; the author provides resources for the latter in the back. Now that you've learned more about your family, the book dives into setting up a family altar, working with your family including rituals and meditations, dealing with problematic ancestors, and including ancestors of the heart. I particularly liked the last one, because I think it is a great idea to incorporate those friends and mentors who have passed even if they are not of our blood. The author also explores how to work with archetypes like the Warrior or the Rebel. She goes into a little about divination and even has a chapter about eating with your ancestors—including recipes that sound pretty tasty. She ends the book by looking at your own legacy that you will be passing on.

I liked that the author acknowledged several difficult aspects of ancestor veneration, like if you have an absent parent or are adopted—and even problematic ancestors you don't want to acknowledge, let alone venerate. Because she included all these considerations, I was surprised that, in the legacy section, she didn't fully acknowledge that some of us will have no legacy, with no children or grandchildren to remember us in any way after we’ve passed. I would have loved to have seen a section in the legacy chapter about how you deal with that. Other than that, I found this to be a delightful book connecting you to not just some mystical past, as we often do as when interested in the metaphysical or non-traditional spirituality, but our family's actual past, the people on whose shoulders we stand, without whom we would not be. Even if the concept of ancestor veneration doesn't sit quite comfortably with your 20th-century outlook and practice, I recommend this book because it will open you to ideas that are worth considering and integrating into your spiritual practice. It feels grounding in a way that few ideas do.

An interesting and well written book, informative and engrossing.
I learned a lot about how to interact with my ancestors and I liked how the book is organised and the style of writing.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

What a fascinating book! I learned a lot, since this is all new to me. I have a few patron readers in mind already, so I have ordered this for my library. Thank you!

The title is this one immediately captured my interest and when I began reading I could put it down. I’ve been wanting to connect more with ancestors for some time and this book provided great advice on how to do so. Although the genealogy research sounds very time consuming, I’m excited to get started. I will definitely be reading this book again!

This was an awesome & comprehensive introduction to the many ways to get to know and work with one's ancestors. I'm fortunate to be the child of an amazing genealogist, and appreciated the author's thorough and clear directions on how to do that work.

She covered many traditions and life circumstances in the text, and it felt very inclusive. I learned a lot, and also feel as though I'd have to keep going back to actually perform all the rituals and work with all the tools discussed. I'd highly recommend this for anyone who wants to begin developing a relationship with their ancestors!

Patti Winginton has compiled an easy to follow and fun to read handbook on incorporating your ancestors into your worship. While not all of our ancestors may have had positive influences on the world, Wigington puts together a comprehensive guide on how to research your family history, what to do if your family records are spotty, and how to integrate the cultures you find along the way in a fashion that is respectful and not appropriation.

At times, this will feel less like a guide to a pagan practice, and more like a how to on doing ancestry research. The instructions are fairly intuitive as you get farther in, but Wigington gives readers a lot of areas to think and work through challenges that they may have come across in previous attempts.

This book offers a lot of good information for people curious about ancestor worship and magic. It's very similar to another book Llewellyn put out recently, but a difference take is always good.

I received an advanced digital copy of this title for the purpose of reviewing and critiquing. Being an avid genealogist, the title immediately drew me in. Not only does the author provide great resources for the beginning family historian to start searching for their badass ancestors, Patti Wigington discusses how to set up an alter area where you can speak with them, have dinner with them, and ask questions of them.

Although I may not physically practice many or any of the ways suggested to connect with my ancestors, reading the book made me contemplate whether conversing with deceased family members could truly be done, and how I would set up my altar if I decided to give it a try. The book also discussed how to set up boundaries with problem badass ancestors, or how to rid you of someone altogether. Much of what was said could be applied to those living as well.

I enjoyed reading through the book, as it is something I don’t normally gravitate towards.

Anyone who believes in an afterlife (whatever that looks like) has probably talked to their ancestors after they passed. For example, I've told my maternal grandparents about my day, and I've apologized to my paternal grandmother for not calling her more often. I like to believe that they hear me and that they look out for me, even though they're gone. Wiginton would say that this belief is correct and that I can use it to my, and my ancestors' advantage, that I can utilize the vast family trees I've built through genealogical research and add a layer to my spiritual practices by honoring my ancestors and asking them for guidance. Frankly, I completely dig this idea. It's a great way to take my genealogical research in a new, interactive direction.

Speaking of genealogy, this is very much a book for genealogists, with wonderful advice and resources for tracing and building a family tree. It points the reader to the usual suspects, such as census records and so on, and suggests databases (Ancestry, of course, and Fold3), but also mentions some that I wasn't aware of. In other words, there's something for just about every researcher. For people that see ancestor work as a bunch of hooey, yes, there's something for you, too! Best of all, it encourages us to look at our ancestors as living, breathing people, with strengths and weaknesses, likes and dislikes. The ways in which Wigington suggest you use that information may not be your cup of tea, but if you're like me you're always interested in learning more about what your ancestors ate, how they lived, what they believed, and so on. This book suggests ways to think about that, so don't discount it as a tool. Borrow it from the library, if you prefer. As for me, I'm buying a copy.

Review based on ARC generously provided by NetGalley, Llewellyn Worldwide, and the author. Thank you!

First Glance
I know you don’t usually judge a book by its cover, but a good cover design can get your attention long enough to have you reading the description. That happened here, where the cover art drew me in and then the details had me requesting an advanced readers’ copy on NetGalley.

I don’t work with ancestors in my current practice. My family is a far-flung mess of people, with my biological father’s side completely unknown to me. I’ve always wondered where you would begin to work with ancestors in that kind of situation.

Positive Bits
To be honest, I only made it to the end of Chapter 3 before pre-ordering a physical copy of this book. In the introduction, the author already drew me in with a discussion of chosen family, adopted family, and purposefully severed family ties. She then followed through with that promise from the start, covering different definitions of family and ancestors than just blood relatives.

This book provides both research guidance and ancestor rituals with equal balance between spiritual and mundane methods. I found myself browsing some of the suggested resources just to see what I could find, losing a few hours just poking around online. Thanks to prior family tree work, I know there’s one branch of Filipino heritage I can trace back to ship records, but the author provided suggestions that led to a local ancestor’s grave and a marriage to an actress in the 1930s. Neither of those details came up in previous searches, because I didn’t know where to start.

Meanwhile, the rituals are very approachable and intuitive. Her suggestions for tying in culturally relevant foods resonated with me the most, as I’m a foodie at heart and love trying unfamiliar recipes. The idea of integrating that love into something I can share with my ancestors to show them appreciation just made sense. Again, I found myself down a research rabbit hole as I looked into traditional Filipino recipes and clothing (prior to colonization), but I enjoyed every minute of it.

Less Enjoyable Bits
As with most books, there were parts that didn’t speak to me. As a polytheist, I couldn’t connect to Chapter 8 as the author discussed calling archetypes in place of unknown ancestors. The idea hadn’t sounded strange when it was mentioned prior to that chapter, but then she used deities as if they were archetypes throughout this section. That may work for a non-religious witch or someone who believes deities are archetypes of the Unnamed Divine. However, as a person who’s worked to develop relationships with individual deities along my path, I can’t connect to the idea of treating them like ancestors or symbols instead of actual gods.

I’ll admit that I felt a little lost and left out at times, though it’s not the author’s fault. My family is a tangle web of marriages and divorces, immigrants, lost records, and poor folks. I don’t have family heirlooms or anything older than my grandparents’ generation. We have almost no pictures older than that, either. And don’t get me started on how being poor means not putting down roots! All of that is to say, sometimes the author’s descriptions of how her research progressed (talking to elder living relatives, asking about family heirlooms or where traditions started, looking up local newspapers) felt unfamiliar and almost impossible.

Efforts were made to pull in options for those without steady family trees. They were imperfect, but I appreciate the attempt. By the end of the book, I could tell I’m still out of luck on some fronts when it comes to ancestor tracing and the related spiritual workings. Thankfully, there were plenty of other parts that spoke to me and gave me guidance for working with the ancestors I can reach.

An accessible, fresh take on working with ancestral wisdom and power, perfect for anyone who is starting out on this path. Wigington takes on a subject that can seem a little spooky and delivers a straightforward, concise path to the work that puts the reader at ease. At a time when we have forgotten the old traditions of our heritage, this book reminds us to get back to our roots and seek out the wisdom of experience and assistance from our dearly departed.