How to set up an ancestral altar at home

To set up an ancestral altar at home, choose a quiet surface and put cool water and a light on it, plus one object that belonged to someone who came before you. Then say hello out loud. In Yoruba practice, cool water is the base. Everything else can wait until you know what you want to add.

This guide is by Tobi, founder of Ẹlẹ́wà, a Yoruba-rooted ritualsware house in Sydney. It draws on published Yoruba teaching, named at the end, and on what Ẹlẹ́wà makes.

What is an ancestral altar?

An ancestral altar is a set-aside spot in your home where you greet and feed the people you come from. It can be a shelf. It does not need a theme.

Yoruba teachers who write about home shrines say the shrine is for ancestors only. Other kinds of shrine have their own rules and their own keepers, but this guide isn’t about them.

The idea underneath is simple. You did not arrive from nowhere, and a daily nod to that keeps you upright or in other words rooted. A Yoruba proverb that gets quoted says the person who forgets the base of the stool will fall.

What do you put on an ancestral altar?

Four things are needed: cool water, a light, an object and a small offering.

Cool water. In Yoruba, omi tútù means cool water. Teachers describe pouring it for coolness and clarity, and changing it often so it stays fresh. A clean glass from your own kitchen works.

A light. A candle or a small lamp. Teachers describe it as lighting the path for the ancestors.

An object. Something that was theirs, or something that stands for them, like a ring or a photograph. Photographs are common but not required. I have photos, beads from my great grandmothers and things they liked like prayer cards.

An offering. A little of what they liked, such as a coffee or a piece of fruit. Present it gently with both hands, and remove it respectfully once it has sat a while.

You do not need to buy a kit. The practice is older than every kit on sale. If you do buy something, buy from a maker you can name.

Where should you put an ancestral altar?

Quiet and clean matter more than where. Yoruba teaching describes a quiet, clean place, sometimes on the ground, indoors or out. One practitioner quoted by NPR has kept altars everywhere from tabletops to a suitcase.

Pick a spot you pass every day, so you remember to change the water. A bedroom shelf works. So does a cloth on a hallway floor.

What if you don't know who your ancestors are?

Start with the people you do know. Then ask the oldest relative you can reach what a person liked, such as a flower or a song. That gives you an object and an offering in one go.

If there are no names, greet them as a group. "Those who came before me" is enough to say out loud. Ẹlẹ́wà has also published an oríkì, a Yoruba praise poem, for kin who were taken across the seas, spoken by Erioluwa in Lagos. You can play it at your altar.

You can keep a place for someone who was hard to love without pretending they were easy. Yoruba teachers add one caution. Some ancestors may be unsettled, and significant rites begin with divination by a priest. A home altar greets and thanks. Anything heavier needs time spent with a priest of your tradition.

Does incense belong on an ancestral altar?

Incense is an extra. Water is the base. Plenty of people light none and still tend a full altar.

If you want smoke, ANCESTRAL incense was made for grief, a birth, a milestone and any moment you want your lineage close. It smells smoky and slow, it is the weightiest of our three scents, and it contains tobacco. I don't burn it often. That's the point.

I added tobacco to the ancestral blend as a nod to African Americans. They feel like the elders and ancestors of the whole Black diaspora and I wanted a way to honour them and connect with them. Tobacco is a North American plant that’s sacred to the peoples of that land. Ijuba.

How often should you tend an ancestral altar?

Yoruba teachers describe a range, from a morning pour of water to weekly or monthly offerings. Pick the rhythm you can keep. A visit every Sunday beats a grand opening you never repeat.

I do have an awful memory so my altar is up high in my dining room, it used to be in my living room. I tend to it weekly and splash out with decorations on special occasions like birthdays and anniversaries of passings.

Questions people ask

Do you have to be Yoruba to have an ancestral altar?

No. Everyone has ancestors, and practitioners quoted by NPR say anyone can start. If you borrow from Yoruba practice, learn it from Yoruba teachers, name them, and leave initiated rites to initiates.

What do you say at an ancestral altar?

Say their names if you know them, then say what you are grateful for and what you need. Plain language works. Some people use set Yoruba phrases, which you can learn from a teacher in the tradition.

Is it safe to burn incense on an altar?

Burn it in a heat-proof holder, away from anything that can catch, and stay in the room while it burns. Keep a window ajar, and keep it out of reach of children and pets.

Where this comes from: Yoruba teaching by Alaje Fadesiye at Ile Oro, and a cross-cultural altar guide from NPR Life Kit. Both are worth reading in full. Last updated 9 November 2026.