Spirit, Memory & Truth: A Thanksgiving Guide for the Soul

Thanksgiving rolls around every year with its warm colors, big plates, and that annual puzzle of “Where did all my Tupperware lids go?” But beneath the cinnamon, the turkey, and the soft glow of family time sits a story that deserves to be told honestly — because healing never comes from pretending the wound wasn’t there.

And yet, even with the complicated history, this season can still be a time for grounding, honoring ancestors, blessing your home, and finding spiritual peace. Tradition doesn’t require blindness; it just asks for heart.

So let’s talk truth. Let’s talk spirit. And let’s talk about how to make this holiday meaningful in a way that honors where we come from and where we’re going.

The Real History: What We Weren’t Taught in School

The soft, childhood version of Thanksgiving — cheerful Pilgrims and helpful Native people sharing a perfectly roasted turkey — is more myth than memory. The real history is layered, painful, and often skipped over, especially the parts involving Indigenous suffering.

Here are the key truths:

1. The “First Thanksgiving” wasn’t a peaceful origin story.

The famous 1621 harvest feast between the Wampanoag and English settlers did happen, but it wasn’t an annual holiday, and it was far more complicated than the storybooks. The Wampanoag were dealing with massive losses from European-borne disease and entering uneasy alliances for survival.

2. The first officially proclaimed “Thanksgiving Day” by colonists was after a massacre.

In 1637, after English colonists massacred hundreds of Pequot people — including women and children — the colonial governor of Massachusetts Bay declared a day of thanksgiving to celebrate the victory.

This dark history is why many Native communities now observe the day as a National Day of Mourning, a time to honor ancestors and protest the ongoing injustices Indigenous people still face.

It wasn’t a harvest celebration.

It wasn’t peaceful.

And it wasn’t the beginning of America’s great family tradition.

3. Over time, the holiday transformed.

The Thanksgiving we know today was shaped centuries later — during the 1800s — as a national day of gratitude and unity. Abraham Lincoln officially declared it a federal holiday in 1863, during the Civil War, as a call for national healing.

So yes, the roots are painful.

But the branches grew into something different — and we get to choose how we honor it now.

Transforming the Day: A Spiritual Thanksgiving Rooted in Truth

Even knowing the real history, many people still gather today not to celebrate the violence, but to honor family, ancestors, gratitude, and the harvest.

Here’s how to keep it real, stay grounded, and bring spiritual meaning into the day.

1. Start the Day With a Gratitude Grounding

Step outside, breathe deep, place your feet on the earth, and say:

“I stand on history. I stand in truth. I root myself in gratitude and growth.”

This centers you in honesty and intention — no sugar-coating, just clarity.

2. Light an Ancestor Candle

Use a white or cream candle.

Dedicate it to the ancestors: yours, the ones of the land you live on, and the ones whose stories we refuse to let disappear.

Let it burn as you cook or prep the day.

3. Bless the Food in the Old Ways

Before everyone eats, do a blessing that honors the land, the hands who worked, and the people who came before you.

Something like:

“May this food nourish our bodies, may our ancestors be honored, and may our future be blessed.”

Short. Powerful. Honest.

4. Cleanse the Space — But Respectfully

Instead of sage (which has specific cultural restrictions in many Indigenous communities), use:

• Cedar

• Sweetgrass (ethically sourced)

• Rosemary

• Bay leaf smoke

Let it move through corners, doorways, and stagnant pockets of energy.

5. The “Harvest List” Ritual

Write down:

1. What you harvested this year

2. What worries you’re ready to release

3. What blessings you’re calling in next

Tuck the list under a plate, a candle, or a bowl of fruit for the day.

6. A House Blessing for Peace

Say:

“Let this home be full of comfort, full of peace, and full of protection. Let every heart here rest easy today.”

A simple prayer does more than people think.

7. Carry a Pocket Charm for Harmony

Slip a cinnamon stick or clove in your pocket to keep the vibe warm, grounded, and peaceful — especially if family gatherings are… you know, family gatherings.

8. End the Day With a Release Ceremony

At night, write down anything heavy from the day — stress, old family tension, or anything that lingered.

Tear it up or burn it safely.

Let the day end clean.

Final Thought

Thanksgiving doesn’t have to be a fairy tale to be meaningful.

We honor the ancestors by telling the truth.

We honor ourselves by choosing how to move forward.

We honor the holiday by grounding it in gratitude, healing, and love.

May your day be full of warmth, honesty, good food, and spiritual peace.

Just tell me the vibe.