What is an Altar
An Altar is a sacred place that you go to connect with the Divine and your Spirituality. It is typically assembled on a small table or platform embellished with meaningful items to assist in helping you connect to God, Spirit, Higher Self, Spirit Guides, Angels, Deities, etc. It can be a place to meditate, sit in silence, sit in gratitude, pray, give offerings, perform a ritual, reflect, or contemplate. It’s a personal sanctuary you can visit when you’re feeling stressed, upset, anxious, disconnected, or ungrounded. All in the comfort of your very own home!
Benefits of an Altar
An Altar creates harmony, inner peace, grounding, and connection to Spirit. You can feel the positive energy emitted by your Altar just by walking past. It will literally raise your vibration and alter the energy of your entire home and the people in it. An Altar can be seen as a highly energized and activated sacred portal to the Divine or Spirit Realm as a means to gain clarity, wisdom, self-realization, or inspiration. Due to the special energy in this space, prayers or manifestation of goals, and your deepest desires are amplified.
Where to place your Altar
Place your Altar anywhere in your home that will offer privacy and peace when needed. A bedroom, den, or private garden are great locations. Although, your Garden Altar will have to be compatible with the outdoor elements.
What to put on your Altar
1. Pictures, statues, symbols, or ornaments of spiritual teachers, ancestors, deities, ascended masters, etc. that you would like to honor, connect, and receive guidance from. Some examples would be a Mother Mary, Jesus, Mary Magdalene, Lord Ganesha, Gods, Goddesses, Fairies, Mermaids, Dragons, Animal Spirits, Arch Angels, etc.
2. Earth Elements: Plants, flowers or objects from nature. Anything including shells, flowers, sticks, rocks, gemstones, crystals, feathers, leaves, or pinecones that you have picked up along your travels that have a special meaning or significance. These items are a form of grounding and connecting to the Earth. They hold the energy of oneness; that we are not alone, we are safe, we belong here, we have purpose, and we are all connected.
3. Fire Elements: Candles or votives.
4. Water Elements: A chalice or bowl of water. Seashells.
5. Air Elements: Incense, musical instruments such as a drum, harmonica, Tibetan or crystal singing bowls, or chimes. A feather.
6. Oracle Cards: Oracle Cards can provide guidance and inspiration to help you along your journey. There are so many Oracle Decks out there to choose from. Hold the deck of cards in your hands close to your heart. Ask them a question that is of a concern. “Universe, what advice do you have for me at this time? What do I need to learn? What is my purpose? How do I fix this situation? What is my role in this situation? Show me what I cannot see.”
7. Prayer Bowl – This can be a bowl, box, or chalice. On a piece of paper, write down your wishes and prayers for the heavens. This is particularly most powerful to do on a new moon. Set your prayers and intentions you would like to manifest into the prayer bowl to be burned on the following full moon.
8. Journal – Handy for writing any thoughts, revelations, ideas, feelings, or epiphanies that come to you.
9. Mala or prayer beads.
10. Meditation cushion and blanket.
11. Smudge and smudging fan. Energy Clearing Spray.
12. Crystal Wands or any other energy work tools.
These are just a few ideas. Really, the world is your oyster. Anything that brings you a sense of peace or connection will do. Your Altar can be as cluttered or as simple as you want it. Personally, I like mine FULL of goodies.
What to do at your Altar
1. Place a meditation cushion or chair at your Altar, depending on the height.
2. Clear your space. Space clearing can be done in many different ways. You can smudge with Sage, Copal, Palo Santo, or Sandalwood. These ones are my favorite. Be sure to smudge your Altar objects and yourself as well. There are energy clearing sprays if you don’t like the smoke. You can also clear your space by using Reiki symbols or using vibrational instruments such as bells, drums, or singing bowls. Or you can clear your space trough intention or prayer by calling in your Spirit Guides and Guardian Angels. You don’t even have to know who they are. They do and they are waiting for you to call on them.
3. Sit down and get yourself into a comfortable position.
4. Take at least 3 deep breathes in and out to release any stress or tension. Let your body and intuition guide you as to how many you’ll need.
5. Set your intention. Your intention could be to clear your mind, to access inner peace, to connect with a spirit guide or a deceased loved one, to find an answer to a pending question or dilemma, for inspiration, to ground, to send prayers, to perform rituals, to sit in stillness, to reflect, or meditate.
How to take care of your Altar
1. Visit it often. Remember that you have created a sanctuary to disconnect from the sometimes craziness and chatter of your outer world and mind. It’s a place where you can go to reconnect or realign with your soul and soul’s purpose, God, Spirit, your higher self, spirit guides, angels, deities, etc. It’s your personal sacred place to meditate, sit in silence, pray, give offerings, reflect, contemplate, or just be with the self.
2. After each visit, send it love and gratitude for it’s beauty, tranquility, peace, and connection to Spirit and Earth that it provides.
3. Keep it clean, dusted, and clear the energy as often as needed.
4. Add or remove objects as needed. Switch it up with the seasons or when big changes or shifts happen in life. Let your intuition be your guide.
Ultimately there are no specific rules or right or wrong when it comes to creating your Altar and what you do with it. It’s yours to explore and evolve as it may. The purpose is that you find a sense of coming home, grounding, peace, and rejuvenation after visiting your personal Sacred Space. Our souls are calling us home and wanting us to remember our true nature and purpose. In a world that is so uncertain and chaotic, it is so important for us to go inward to find peace and to discover our own truth and limitless potential.
Andrea
xoxo
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