The word 'altar' means 'high' in Latin. Altars are a sacred space used for connecting with the spirit world for a particular purpose. They may be described as a type of portal between the physical and spiritual worlds. You may use them to connect to the spirit world in different ways, the most common of which include honoring ancestors, harnessing energies of a cosmic cycle (like an equinox), meditation and rituals for which you seek strength and wisdom as you tackle your magnum opus (ie a large and important work of art, music, or literature, especially one regarded as the most important work of an artist, writer or light worker).
Have as few or as many altars as you need. Either way, the more energy you give to an altar, the more powerful its effect in connecting you with the spirit world. Over time, you may not even need to be physically at the altar in order to feel the energy of the spirit world. Essentially, you will eventually carry it with you in a spiritual sense.
This post explains how you may set up an altar and prepare for its ceremonial use. Clearly, not everyone has the resources to be elaborate. Consequently, work with what you have and you can still enjoy success.
Steps for setting up an altar
Get pen and paper to commit to each step, especially if you are still inexperienced.
1. Be clear on your intentions / objectives for the altar of a single ceremony. This will help streamline your preparations. Who or what do you wish to invite? Altars are commonly dedicated in the following ways.
- ancestors
- astrological events. (See examples like the Autumn equinox, new moon)
- spirit energies
- specific gods
- your magnum opus or other major work projects
- (recently) passed loved ones
- specific rituals (psychic cord cutting, calling upon the ancestors, libations, burning bowl rituals, etc)
- Write it down on your ceremony's agenda as a descriptive name for the ceremony that incorporates all of the intentions.
- Thanksgiving to the ___ ancestors
- "New moon transition ceremony: with 5 elements and ancient ancestors aligned with my personal transformation goals of the x chakra and revolution"
2. Select a private space for the altar that others, like guests, children or pets will not see and or interact with in any way. Also consider matters like safety. For instance, if you will burn candles, avoid spaces with fire hazards like curtains, wooden shelves above or even wind. This simply keeps the energies contained and uncontaminated. If possible, set up the altar in such a way that allows you to face the East (or Northeast). The rationale for this direction is that the light and the second coming of Christ arrives from there.
- Some people build altars inside the often forgotten space below staircases. They convert these spaces into rooms that are kept private with doors that are locked or hidden.
- Spiritual cleansing typically involves smudging (with cinnamon sticks for instance).
- Banishing prayer: Abbe Male Spiritus
- large stones
- raised wooden structures.
- trees
- a table cloth - or - leaves from large leaved plants to demarcate the specific shelf among many in a wooden cupboard, section of a large table or section of a tree's roots. Large leaves I like include those from bananas, breadfruit, lilies (water, plantain), elephant ear, monstera deliciosa, etc.
5. Consider and plan for the suitable duration, upkeep of your altar and even disposal of items.
- If you maintain an altar over a season, let us say that spans beyond the few days that flowers can last and those flowers are important to the altar's significance, set an alarm or remember otherwise to routinely replace the flowers.
- Do not leave food on the altar beyond a safe limit. After all, altars should be sacred and deserve more reverence. Blessed or not, the food can cause health problems. If they can, some people burn food shortly after rituals. Since this food is an offering, it is not for your consumption. However, you may place items like fruits and vegetables in the compost. I placed whole apples at the base of the roots of some potted plants.
- Some people burn their 'burn lists', art work or other things they created during ceremonies.
6. Collect and place commemorative elements that are specific to your current objectives or season. When possible, use natural surfaces. Example(s) of purposes for an altar.
- For the Autumn equinox, you can make symbolic objects like a broom whose symbolic elements you gathered from nature.
- For Gideon situations, use either symbols of or real upheld flaming torches, upheld horns, (broken) clay pot and or the number '300'.
- For calling upon the ancestors, use personal belongings, traditional objects or symbols of those ancestors.
- For libations, have the liquid (typically water or wine) and the space into which the liquid will be poured.
- For psychic cord cutting, tools like ritual knives and brooms.
- Scriptures or other texts that are relevant to the altar's intention. Reading materials open to relevant page(s), text hung or written around the altar, blank paper & pens for activities, etc. Example(s)
- poetry to spirit energies, hermetic principles, patterns of the trestle board, mantras from a mystery school, biblical scriptures, burn list along with heat resistant container.
- A very readily visible agenda for the ceremony. At the head of the agenda is the name of my ceremony (which incorporates the intention or intentions).
- Ceremony name; cleanse (space, altar, self), magick circle, invitees (4 or 5 elements, ancestors, etc), ritual introduction / explanation (to put you in the right frame of mind), ritual
As a side note; there are no fixed rules when creating an elemental altar. There are no “perfect” elemental tools. Remember that, every object on Earth contains a blend of multiple elemental energies. That said, choose tools that are meaningful to you and serve the objectives of your ceremony. My list below are therefore suggestions only.
- Air (object set in the East corner)
- a candle, candle holder & or flowers for the base of the candle that are colored (yellow)
- a feather
- smoke
- incense (sage, frankincense, etc)
- bell (if you do not have incense)
- Fire (object set in the Southern corner)
- an athame (ie a ritual knife)
- a candle, candle holder & or flowers for the base of the candle that are colored (red)
- crystal (sun stone)
- incense
- Water (object set in the Western corner)
- a candle, candle holder & or flowers for the base of the candle that are colored (blue)
- glass of water. The water may be blessed.
- sea shells
- Earth (object set in the Northern corner)
- a candle, candle holder & or flowers for the base of the candle that are colored (green or brown)
- coins (like copper pennies)
- crystals (ie healing crystals)
- Physical objects from nature. If your altar is outdoors, you need not splurge as much with these.
- corn (typically a symbol of harvest)
- fresh flowers
- herbs
- potted plant
- rocks
- soil
- seeds
- Spirit
- ancestors, images and or names of those ancestors. You can call upon them during your ceremony by saying, "I wish to connect to ...."
- your child self, images. This is especially if you are doing shadow work with your child self.
- Deities
- Offerings to the spirits
- Food that your ancestors (and you) love. Consider using foods that you can open and leave on the altar without creating health or other hazards.
- Wine or water. Read about libations
- Flowers
- Your artistic work
- Gifts for your ancestors on special days like birthdays and other important days
CONTENT RELATED TO SETTING UP AN ALTAR
- Working with ancestors 101. Why might you want to call upon ancestors? Are they all good and safe? How should you do call upon them?
- Series: Meet the Ancestors (an introduction to some noteworthy ancestors that include Marcus Garvey and the Kush kandake Amanirenas)
- Learn about the African tradition of offering libations at the altar.
- Creating a magick circle while calling upon 4 (or 5) elements and calling upon cosmic energies
- Autumn equinox
- Jerusalema song
- Banishing prayer: Abbe Male Spiritus
- How to do a psychic cord cutting ritual
- How to make a smudge stick
- Autumn equinox
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