An altar is any designated physical space, inside or outside, that holds a special meaning or purpose. The Latin root of altar, “altārium”, means “high”. It refers to altars traditionally as being a raised area of worship where people can honor their deities with offerings. Another meaning is "adolere", meaning “burn,” referring to the offering of burnt sacrifices.
An altar can raise the energy of your space and help you to focus your energy and daily rituals including prayer, meditation, divination, gratitude, and offerings to ancestors and guides.
In addition to home altars. there are many types of altars, including:
Outdoor Altars to honor nature because they can be thought of as a middle ground between earth and sky. A tree stump is a “found” outdoor altar since it is a raised surface you might come across anywhere. If the tree stump is on your land, visit this natural altar every day, observing how the forces of sun, wind, and rain change it over time. If the tree stump is not on your property, leave the objects set up for others to contemplate.
Flower or Plant Garden Altars set aside as a meeting place for the four elements: water (rain), fire (sun), earth (soil), and air (wind), elementals, and nature spirits.
Dream Altar can help you gather your dreams, look at them clearly, and learn from them.
Portable or Traveling Altar to take with you as you travel from one place to another. For a portable altar, choose a few things and store them wrapped up in an altar cloth or in a special box or bag. When it’s time to sit in ritual, take out your cloth or box and lay everything out.
Here are the basic steps for creating an altar:
Set an intention and choose the purpose of your altar.
Choose your space. An altar can be anywhere, and every altar varies in size and scope. Here are some things to consider: privacy, noise level, appropriateness, peacefulness, and whether the energy around the space is clear, bright, and welcoming.
Clean your space - literally and energetically. Be sure that the space is clean and clear. You can consider using sacred smokes, essential oil or sprays, sound, rattles, an crystals such as selenite or clear quartz. As you cleanse, picture the energy of the space clearing out and leaving a blank slate for your spiritual work.
Choose the items of your altar. Select anything you want! Common objects include candles, crystals and other stones; natural and found objects (shells, bones, and feathers); plants, flowers, herbs and spices; incense, essences, and essential oils; photographs; statues of deities, angels and totem animals; souvenirs, mementos, objects that represent the elements, elementals, and nature spirits; food, beverages, and sweets.
Set up your altar. Nature is very symmetrical and the Universe loves balance. Keeping that in mind, having an organized, symmetrical altar with a central focal point may help focus your magic.
Offer a blessing of gratitude and thanks blessing all items and aspects of the your sacred space.
Often, the four elements, as well as spirit, are honored in an altar. You can use plants, flowers, crystals or stones for the element of Earth, candles for the element of Fire, shells or a cup of sacred water (from a lake or river) for Water, and feathers or incense to represent Air. For the fifth element, spirit, you can use a mirror, a picture of an ancestor or something else that symbolizes spirit for you.
If you are unsure where to begin, set aside some "quiet" time and contemplate any of the following thought-provoking questions:
“What am I thankful for?”
“What gives me peace?”
“What healing or blessing do I need?”
“What inspires me?”
“What is magical in my life?”
“What makes me feel special?”
“What in my life excites me, gets my juices flowing, makes me feel alive?”
Building and maintaining an altar is a powerful way to cultivate a little sacred space in your everyday and be a reminder and a tool to practice regular self-care through a spiritual recharge.
What kind of altar will you make?
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