What is an Alter?
An altar is a place where you display your sacred tools and gather items that are meaningful, symbolic, and represent the dreams and visions you have for yourself and your life. Oftentimes people use their altar as a place to sit and meditate in front of, as it represents a level of consciousness that we are seeking to connect with.
Why Creating an Altar?
There are many reasons you might have for creating an altar. There is no limit to what, where or how you can create it. It can be simple or elaborate and will most definitely change as you grow your spiritual practice. It’s a great way to let yourself be creative. Here are a few reasons to build one (or more than one):
- It helps to focus our intention on what we are trying to create
- It helps to connect and maintain our relationships with our guides, helping spirits and ancestors
- It helps us to remember significant moments on our spiritual journey
- To thank and acknowledge the elements that support and protect us
- To celebrate the different holidays and cycles of nature
- It holds the space for us to connect, center, and gather ourselves to
- To beautify a space. The soul loves beauty and art.
What To Put on Your Altar?
There is no limit to what can be displayed on an altar. You can ask yourself what is your intention in creating a place of ritual and chose items accordingly. Or it can be theme related (see below for theme ideas). You can make an altar entirely around one subject or it can be a mix. Here are some elements that are usually found on one:
- Items representing the cardinal directions: East, West, North, South
- Articles representing the elements of nature: Fire, Air, Earth, Water
- Trinkets representing your guides & guardians: animal helpers, angels, religious figures, guides, fairies, Goddesses, etc.
- Colors representing the different chakras and their meaning
- Crystals and gemstones: for protection, intuition, grounding, clarity, love, etc.
- Symbols: pyramid, hand of Fatima, music notes, heart, the all-seeing-eye, etc.
- Manifestation crystal grid and mandalas
- Healing tools
- Plants
Where To Place Your Altar
You can place your altar anywhere. However, the placement might differ depending on your intention. If it’s an altar to beautify your home, anywhere may do. If the intention is to pray and meditate at your altar, you will want to find a place that is quiet and secluded.
You could also have an outdoor altar.
If you are using an altar to manifest certain aspects of your life, it could be helpful to place the altar where the energy would be the most appropriate. You can look into Feng Shui principles. You can also use a Feng Shui Bagua map to guide you. Stand in the front door, facing in:
- The area by the front of the house is related to career and life path
- Diagonally to the left, is the area of skills, knowledge, and wisdom
- Diagonally to the right, is the area of helpful people, spirituality, and travel
- To the left of the house, is the area of family and health
- To the right of the house, is the area of creativity and children
- Diagonally to the back left, is the area of prosperity and abundance
- Diagonally to the back right, is the area of relationship, love, and marriage
- To the back of the house, is the area of fame and reputation
- The center of the house is about balance and well-being
Cleansing and Charging Your Altar
It’s good to keep your altar energetically clean and to charge it regularly. How can you do that?
- Sage or burn incense over and around the altar with the intention to cleanse it
- Sound frequency through a singing bowl or bells
Charging:
- Pray and/or meditate at your altar
- Chant mantras at your altar
Altar Themes
Here are a few ideas you could build an altar around:
- To increase:
- intuition and connection to the Divine
- creativity
- abundance and prosperity
- relationship and love
- fertility
- For healing as well as opening and balancing some or all chakras
- Gratitude altar
- Religious or spiritual altar
- Shamanic / Wiccan altar —> to maintain a connection with your spirit helpers, guides, and tools you acquire during your meditations
- Ancestor altar to honor your family and who has transitioned
- Nature altar