Creating Altars
A couple of months ago, I wrote about creating altars. We engage in this process for each RiseWell retreat. For some of you, this is a continuation of a practice you’ve been engaging with for a while. For others, it is new.
Altars represent ritual. They represent a mindful, intentional and physical space where we can connect with what is important to us in a deep way. People have been creating altars for centuries. All world religions have symbolic objects and images that are revered and used for prayer and contemplation. However, altars do not need to reflect religious beliefs. They can be reflections of who you are in any given moment. Having tangible objects gathered together and reverently organized creates an actual location and a reminder of what is essential to us regarding our values, beliefs, aspirations and intentions. We can visit our altar at any time. We can create regular rituals to be with our altar. We can add to them, take objects away, journal about them and use them to help us access the energies that support us to live and thrive as the humans we most wish to be. Altars can reflect the energies of a moon cycle, season or any natural cycle, helping us to attune to natural rhythms. They can reflect meaningful life experiences like births, deaths, endings, beginnings etc. They can reflect both our outer and inner worlds and, by doing so, allow our experiences to be visible and feel more real.
An altar can be as simple as a beautiful candle placed on a piece of fabric that is meaningful to you, or a flower in a special vase. It can be as elaborate as a large tableau of objects, art, icons, artifacts, heirlooms, plants etc. that lives in a permanent space in your home. When I travel, I bring a few objects to create a pop-up altar in a hotel room or a friend’s guest room. Sometimes, I bring nothing and wait till I reach my destination to collect objects to create an altar that will support me in my new location, even if only for a day or two. Altars can be stable or fluid. I prefer fluidity so that my altar reflects the changes I am going through and can bring in new fresh energy.
You can work with an altar in many ways. Sometimes, I just light the candle (I always have a candle on my altar) and sit quietly. Sometimes, I pick a daily oracle, tarot, or one of my SoulCollage® cards to place on the altar for that day. Sometimes, I re-arrange my objects, clean them, or move some objects to other places in the house so I can see them better. If I am spending a lot of time cooking, I may bring a stone, a crystal or a card with me so that I can glance at it while I work.
Altars are sacred, but you get to make the rules about how you work with your altar and how your altar can work for you. Please join me for one of my free SoulCare Moon Cycle or Seasonal Cycle retreats, where we create and share our altars. The experience of sharing the special and unique objects you have chosen, as well as witnessing the objects that others bring, can be deeply nourishing.
