Day of the Dead: Ancestral Business Guidance and Entrepreneurial Wisdom

By Nicole, Founder of Mystic Ryst

Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) is one of the most beautiful and misunderstood celebrations in the world. Far from being a morbid or scary holiday, it's a joyful, colorful celebration of life, death, and the eternal connection between the living and the dead. Celebrated primarily in Mexico and throughout Latin America on November 1-2, this ancient tradition offers spiritual entrepreneurs profound wisdom about honoring ancestors, receiving guidance from those who came before, and building businesses that honor lineage and legacy.

The Day of the Dead teaches us that death is not an ending but a transformation, that our ancestors are not gone but present in another form, and that we can call upon their wisdom, protection, and guidance in our work. For entrepreneurs, this means access to the collective wisdom of every business owner, innovator, and creator who came before you—including your own ancestors who built, created, and survived against all odds.

This isn't ancestor worship in the religious sense—it's ancestor honoring, ancestor connection, and ancestor collaboration. Your business ancestors (both blood relatives and spiritual lineage) have wisdom to share, obstacles they've overcome, and blessings they want to pass down. Day of the Dead shows us how to open that channel.

Let's explore Day of the Dead traditions and how to work with ancestral business guidance.

Understanding Día de los Muertos

The Two Days

November 1 - Día de los Inocentes (Day of the Innocents):

• Honoring children and infants who have passed
• White decorations, toys, sweets
• Gentle, tender energy

November 2 - Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead):

• Honoring adult ancestors
• Full celebration with ofrendas, food, music, stories
• Vibrant, joyful energy

For business: Focus on November 2 for connecting with business ancestors and entrepreneurial lineage

Core Beliefs and Philosophy

• Death is not the end: The dead continue to exist in Mictlán (the underworld) and can visit the living
• The veil is thin: On these days, the boundary between worlds dissolves
• Ancestors want to help: They're not gone; they're watching and want to guide you
• Memory keeps them alive: As long as we remember them, they live
• Celebration, not mourning: We celebrate their lives with joy, not sadness
• Reciprocal relationship: We honor them; they bless and guide us

Indigenous Roots

Day of the Dead predates Spanish colonization, originating with Aztec festivals honoring Mictecacihuatl (Lady of the Dead). The Aztecs believed death was a natural part of life's cycle, and the dead journeyed through nine levels of the underworld before reaching their final rest.

The Ofrenda: Altar for the Ancestors

What is an Ofrenda?

An ofrenda (offering) is an altar created to welcome the spirits of the dead back to the world of the living. It's not worship—it's hospitality, remembrance, and connection.

Traditional Ofrenda Elements

1. Photos of the Deceased

• Central element—the ancestors you're honoring
• For business: Include business mentors, entrepreneurial ancestors, innovators you admire

2. Marigolds (Cempasúchil)

• The flower of the dead—their scent and bright color guide spirits home
• Create paths of petals leading to the ofrenda
• Orange/yellow = life, sun, vitality

3. Candles (Velas)

• Light the way for spirits to find their way home
• One candle per ancestor, or many candles for collective ancestors
• Keep lit during the celebration

4. Copal Incense

• Sacred resin used since pre-Columbian times
• Purifies the space and pleases the spirits
• Alternative: Any incense, but copal is traditional

5. Water

• The spirits are thirsty from their journey
• Offer fresh, clean water
• Symbolizes life and purity

6. Salt

• Purification and protection
• Represents the continuance of life
• Sometimes arranged in a cross or circle

7. Food and Drink

• The deceased's favorite foods and drinks
• Pan de muerto (bread of the dead)—sweet bread decorated with bone shapes
• Fruit, especially oranges and sugar cane
• Mole, tamales, or other traditional dishes
• Tequila, mezcal, or their favorite beverages

8. Sugar Skulls (Calaveras de Azúcar)

• Decorated skulls made of sugar
• Often inscribed with names
• Represent the sweetness of life and the acceptance of death

9. Papel Picado

• Colorful perforated paper banners
• Represent wind and the fragility of life
• Add beauty and festivity

10. Personal Items

• Objects the deceased loved or used
• For business ancestors: Tools of their trade, photos of their businesses, items representing their work

Creating a Business Ancestor Ofrenda

Who to Honor:

• Blood ancestors who were entrepreneurs: Grandparents who owned businesses, family members who created and built
• Spiritual business ancestors: Mentors, teachers, business leaders you admire (even if you never met them)
• Collective ancestors: All entrepreneurs who came before you, especially in your field
• Cultural/professional lineage: Innovators, creators, pioneers in your industry

Business Ofrenda Setup:

1. Choose a space: Dedicated altar area in your workspace
2. Create levels: Traditional ofrendas have 2-7 levels (representing the underworld journey)
   • Simple: Use boxes or books to create height
   • Elaborate: Build a stepped altar
3. Cover with cloth: White or colorful fabric
4. Place photos: Your business ancestors (blood and spiritual)
5. Add marigolds: Fresh or artificial, in orange/yellow
6. Light candles: One per ancestor or many for collective
7. Burn copal: Or your preferred incense
8. Offer water and salt
9. Add their favorite foods/drinks
10. Include business items:
    • Vintage business cards or advertisements
    • Old coins or currency
    • Tools of their trade
    • Books they wrote or loved
    • Symbols of their industry
11. Add sugar skulls and papel picado
12. Personal touches: Anything that honors their memory and work

Connecting with Business Ancestors

The Ancestor Invocation Ritual

Timing: November 1-2 (or any time you need ancestral guidance)

The Ritual:

1. Prepare the ofrenda: Set up your altar with all elements
2. Cleanse the space: Burn copal or sage
3. Light the candles: As you light each one, name an ancestor or say "For all my business ancestors"
4. Ring a bell: Call the ancestors home
5. Invitation: Say aloud:
   "Beloved ancestors, business builders, entrepreneurs, and creators who came before me, I invite you to join me. The path is lit with marigolds, the candles burn bright, the food is prepared. Come, share your wisdom. Come, offer your guidance. Come, bless my work. You are remembered. You are honored. You are welcome here."
6. Offerings: Present each offering, explaining what it is and why you chose it
7. Sit in silence: Allow the ancestors to arrive, feel their presence
8. Ask for guidance: Speak your questions or challenges aloud
9. Listen: Pay attention to thoughts, feelings, memories, or insights that arise
10. Gratitude: Thank them for their presence and wisdom
11. Leave the ofrenda: Keep it up for at least 24 hours (traditionally through November 2)

Questions to Ask Your Business Ancestors

• What wisdom do you have for me about [specific challenge]?
• What obstacles did you overcome that I'm facing now?
• What would you do in my situation?
• What blessings do you want to pass down to me?
• What mistakes did you make that I can avoid?
• What are you most proud of in your work?
• How can I honor your legacy in my business?
• What do I need to know right now?

Receiving Ancestral Guidance

Guidance may come as:

• Immediate knowing: Sudden clarity or insight
• Memories: Remembering stories they told or things they did
• Dreams: They may visit in dreams (keep a journal by your bed)
• Synchronicities: Meaningful coincidences in the following days
• Intuitive hits: Gut feelings or strong impulses
• Signs: Repeated symbols, songs, or messages
• Other people: Someone may say exactly what you needed to hear

Practice: Keep a journal during Day of the Dead. Write down all insights, dreams, and synchronicities.

Ancestral Business Wisdom Practices

The Ancestor Council

Create a council of business ancestors you can call upon regularly.

Your Council might include:

• Your grandmother who ran a shop
• A great-grandfather who was a craftsman
• A mentor who passed away
• Historical figures you admire (Steve Jobs, Coco Chanel, etc.)
• Collective ancestors of your profession

Practice:

1. Identify 3-7 ancestors for your council
2. Create a permanent altar space for them
3. Meet with your council monthly (or when facing big decisions)
4. Present your challenge
5. Ask each ancestor for their perspective
6. Listen for their wisdom
7. Thank them and take action

Ancestral Healing for Business Blocks

Sometimes our business blocks are ancestral patterns we've inherited.

Common ancestral business patterns:

• Poverty consciousness ("We've always been poor")
• Fear of visibility ("Don't stand out")
• Scarcity mindset ("There's never enough")
• Distrust of wealth ("Money is evil")
• Overwork ("Work until you drop")
• Lack of boundaries ("Always say yes")

Ancestral Healing Ritual:

1. Identify the pattern you want to heal
2. Acknowledge it came from ancestors (survival strategy, not personal failing)
3. Honor why they developed it (it helped them survive)
4. Recognize it no longer serves you
5. At your ofrenda, say:
   "Beloved ancestors, I honor the pattern of [name it] that you passed down. It helped you survive. Thank you. But I no longer need it. I release this pattern with love and gratitude. I choose [new pattern]. Please bless this new way."
6. Burn a paper with the old pattern written on it
7. Plant a seed or light a candle for the new pattern

Honoring Ancestors Through Your Work

Ways to honor ancestors in your business:

• Continue their work: Build on what they started
• Use their wisdom: Apply lessons they taught you
• Tell their stories: Share their legacy
• Dedicate your work: "This is for my grandmother who..."
• Donate in their name: Give to causes they cared about
• Carry on traditions: Keep their methods or values alive
• Name things after them: Products, programs, or projects
• Create in their memory: Let their memory inspire your work

Day of the Dead Business Rituals

The Business Legacy Reflection

On November 2, reflect on:

1. What legacy am I building? What will I leave behind?
2. How am I honoring those who came before? Am I building on their foundation?
3. What do I want to be remembered for? What's my contribution?
4. What wisdom am I passing down? What will I teach the next generation?
5. How does my work honor life? Am I creating something meaningful?

Write your answers and place them on your ofrenda.

The Gratitude Feast

Traditional: Families gather to eat, drink, tell stories, and celebrate the deceased

Business Version:

• Host a team dinner or gathering
• Share stories of business ancestors and mentors
• Toast to those who paved the way
• Eat their favorite foods
• Celebrate the legacy you're building on

The Marigold Path

Traditional: Create a path of marigold petals from the street to the ofrenda to guide spirits home

Business Version:

• Create a marigold path from your door to your altar
• As you lay each petal, think of an ancestor
• Invite them to walk this path to you
• Symbolizes opening the way for ancestral wisdom to reach you

Year-Round Ancestral Business Practices

Monthly Ancestor Check-In

• Light a candle on your ancestor altar
• Burn incense
• Share what's happening in your business
• Ask for guidance
• Listen for wisdom
• Thank them

Before Big Decisions

• Consult your ancestor council
• Ask: "What would [ancestor] do?"
• Listen for their wisdom
• Honor their guidance in your choice

Permanent Ancestor Altar

Keep a year-round altar (simpler than Day of the Dead ofrenda):

• Photos of key ancestors
• Candle (light regularly)
• Incense
• Fresh flowers or plants
• Water (refresh weekly)
• Personal items

The Wisdom of Death in Business

What Day of the Dead Teaches Entrepreneurs

1. Death is transformation, not ending

• When a business dies, it transforms into wisdom
• Failed projects aren't failures—they're ancestors of future success
• Let old versions of your business die to birth new ones

2. Legacy matters more than success

• What will you be remembered for?
• Build something worth passing down
• Your work outlives you

3. You're part of a lineage

• You didn't start from nothing—you stand on shoulders
• Honor those who came before
• Pass wisdom to those who come after

4. The dead are not gone

• Their wisdom lives in you
• You can still learn from them
• They want to help you succeed

5. Celebrate life by accepting death

• Knowing your business will end someday makes it precious now
• Build with mortality in mind—what matters?
• Joy and death coexist

The Promise of Ancestral Business Guidance

When you work with your business ancestors:

• You access centuries of collective wisdom
• You're never alone in your entrepreneurial journey
• You heal ancestral patterns that block success
• You build on a foundation, not from scratch
• You create legacy, not just business
• You honor those who made your work possible

The Invitation

Day of the Dead reminds us that death is not the end, that our ancestors are not gone, and that we can call upon their wisdom whenever we need it. Your business ancestors—whether blood relatives who built and created, or spiritual mentors who showed you the way—are waiting to guide you.

This November 2nd, build your ofrenda. Light your candles. Lay your marigold path. Invite your ancestors home. Ask for their wisdom. Listen for their guidance. Honor their legacy by building yours.

They are not gone. They are here. They are ready to help.

Who are your business ancestors? What wisdom do they have for you? How will you honor them? I'd love to hear about your ancestral connection.