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New To The Path: Is Witchcraft for Me? - Seeker Questionnaire - Study Grove - Energy Working - Center & Ground - The Chakras - Personal Shields - Charging Objects - Spellcasting 101 - Casting Circles - Tarot Reading - Pendulum Dowsing - Making Altars
Creating a Personal Altar
Have you ever considered creating a personal altar in your home? An altar can be a beautiful and powerful companion to your spiritual work, intensifying your experiences, accelerating your progress and increasing your enjoyment, while helping you focus your intentions.
What is an altar?
Checking a dictionary will tell us of tables where sacred objects are placed or platforms that we face while worshipping. We know that an altar is a blessed place, often a part of a particular religion with its own rules and belief systems. We know that altars can be powerful centers of energy for ceremony and ritual.
A traditional religious altar may serve a congregation or a household. At the heart of this service is each individual's experience of the Great Mystery through the symbols that are presented by the altar. Every encounter with an altar is in essence a highly personal encounter, unlike any other, a two-way flow of spirit between the individual and that person's experience of the Divine. As we sit before our personal altars, we enter into a relationship with a magical portal in time and space where the most powerful aspects of ourselves are revealed and where we gain greater understanding of our places in the universe. When we choose to create a personal altar, we are making a commitment to bring our spiritual search home, to ground our journey in the mundane aspects of our lives, to place right under our noses a positive daily reminder of our spiritual quest.
How to begin?
What are the elements that are essential? There are no rules for creating a personal altar; you will simply find that certain layouts and rituals work better for you than others. Let your imagination run free. The process is a playful and intuitive one, much like the best moments of gardening or art. Only two elements are essential: your intention and a physical space. Let your creativity flow directly from your spirit. This is part of the lesson. As you look around your place with altar eyes, keep in mind that an altar need not be complex. The simplest arrangement in a small space can have a profound impact and be just what you need to work with at this time.
The simplest of altars might be a favorite vase filled with fresh flowers that change with the seasons. Add a single votive candle or a crystal arrangement, placing these items carefully on a special cloth, and you have begun to construct your altar. Your altar will evolve as you grow into your relationship with it, becoming as wonderfully complex and fascinating as you are. Ask yourself a few basic questions, then let your heart reveal to you how to proceed. Where will you put your altar?
Proper placement is essential.
Your altar will be a sacred space. You may have already found the place. Look around and see if you have a shelf, window ledge or corner of a table where you have been collecting "neat stuff." These little (or not so little) piles of goodies are often altars in the making; creating an altar is something many of us do all the time, even if we call it by another name. I have a friend who bemoans her lack of time and ability for creating an altar where she can meditate and pray. When I look, I see that her house is already full of altars! Everywhere there are collections of spirit-related stuff: rocks, shells and crystals line the window sills, and each table and countertop has its own fascinating and often dusty display of feathers, moss, driftwood, dried flowers and whatever else she may have collected on various nature hikes. Her bathroom alone has inspired me to drop to my knees in praise of the beauty of the feminine spirit.
If this sounds familiar, then your task may be to acknowledge these offerings of your spirit that you have already collected and to decide if you would like to formalize your relationship with them. Perhaps one of these informal "altars" would be a good place to begin. Or you could gather your treasures together and combine them in a new way, in a new place. My darling Mother has an altar in her closet, a space large enough for a little table, a night light and a cushion on the floor on which she can sit. A closet can be an excellent location for an altar if you have privacy concerns (and if you have large closets). Another option is the put-away altar, an altar contained in a box or basket. A wooden box with a lid works especially well, because the lid can be used as the surface where you arrange your sacred items during use. Another advantage is you can take this altar with you! A basket can be lined with a beautiful length of fabric, which then can be spread out as an altar cloth.
How will you utilize your altar? That will depend on your relationship with your altar. If you do a daily prayer or meditation, your altar could be created especially for this practice. Those of us who are into angels will arrange and dedicate our altars to our work with these heavenly guides. Perhaps you seek guidance through oracles such as Tarot cards or the I-Ching. Establish your altar as a sacred home for these tools. Aromatherapy? What could be lovelier than a concentrated arrangement of these sweet oils? If you channel allies, you will find your personal altar to be a powerful ground for working with energy and bringing new understanding into your awareness. Your altar is where you will place images of your spiritual teachers, your ancestors, your loved ones, a picture of your inner child. Consider creating an altar specifically for dreamwork or for healing a trauma. Many of us are artists; if so, let your art be present on your altar.
Use your altar as an immediate place to go for healing when you are angry, sad or depressed. And remember that an altar is also a place to give back, a place to express gratitude. Make offerings of flowers, seashells, fruits, etc. Place gifts on your altar for awhile before passing them on. Bless your new jewelry. Write notes to your Higher Self. Whatever your inner work may be, you will find your altar becoming a reflection of your heart chakra, balancing the energies of the practical and the sublime.
What objects will you place on your altar?
The things on your altar are very personal and have powerful meaning just for you; special items that evoke deep feelings of joy and connection to your Highest Self, to your spirit. Anything is OK, be it a teddy bear or a priceless statue. Objects from nature are popular, reinforcing our commitment to the planet and reminding us of our roots. Think of whatever you love: feathers, rocks, art, candles, bells, jewelry, incense, or your collection of gum wrappers. Many people design their altars on traditional understandings, such as the four directions/elements of the Medicine Wheels or the five points of the Wiccan Pentagram. These systems carry with them specific beliefs about how the universe works and our place in it. It is not necessary, however, to follow a traditional way. Let the energy of your altar be free. Let it breathe. Move things around when you have the inclination to do so. Develop a feeling of playful interaction. Celebrate the seasons. Give in to your desire to purchase that gorgeous piece of silk, that certain crystal, that strange little plastic statue of Worf. All of our spiritual paths are valid, and your path will be the one that manifests itself in beauty on your altar top.
How will you create sacredness? You may wish to consecrate your altar when you first create it or whenever you begin a new cycle. This is done with your intention. You might say a prayer, asking for a blessing for this altar. You may wish to speak aloud, dedicating this altar to a particular issue you are working on, remembering that there is power in speaking aloud. Call on your helper spirits, your spiritual teachers, and on the Highest Power of Good that you know. Let them know what's going on in your life and what you want. Knowing what you want is half the journey. Keep your altar fresh and clean and always treat it as a sacred space.
A personal altar may be just what you've been looking for, a quiet place of inspiration, your touchstone. Place all the loose ends of your life there and see what happens. Sit before your altar and listen to your spirit. It is our spirits that long for altars, that sing and dance, pray, weep and dream. You may find that your altar has magical powers. Or is it you?
Article Source
Content Copyright ©1995 Kathlynne Moonfire
Source: http://www.coolpage.com/aries/articles/altarp.htm
Kathlynne Moonfire is a writer, artist and student of all religions and philosophies. She considers herself a shamanist. She is writing a book on the creation and uses of the personal altar, and she has prepared a questionnaire on this subject. If you would like a copy, know of a really cool altar or just want to chat on the subject, write to Kitza@aol.com
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