All relationships need nurturing, attention and communication. Your spiritual life is your guiding force, it is the unseen realms of inter-connectivity and perspective, it is where we feel resourced and guided. Creating a physical space such as an Altar, firstly acknowledges that your Spiritual life has prominence in your life; it acts as a reminder to take time to tune into ones higher selves and to start to bring a daily relationship to our Spiritual lives.
Everything about creating an Altar holds significance and needs presence and attentiveness so that ones intentions can be heard. When we take time to honour our hearts desires, our gratitude’s for what’s good in our lives and a space to reflect, ask and receive guidance from within we are living a Spiritual life. It is the physical manifestation of an nonphysical relationship.
Your sacred Space is where you find yourself again and again – Joseph Campbell
Like any relationship, it starts with a beginning. I like to clear away what no longer serves by literally clearing a space and the surrounding area. Looking to how the space around me is, creating order, cleanness and space. This can also be a space outside in Nature. This allows an opening for the new to enter. Then I smudge the space with sage to create a clear energetic space using a feather (bird) that holds significance for me. Then to gathering objects, work with meaning and symbolism, every object needs to represent something. I like to work with the Elements (Fire, Earth, Air, Water), crystals, prayer, statues or ornaments holding symbolism, fruit, essential oils, materials, paper to write on, quotes, my intention written on something and anything else that feels significant. Just this process alone starts to show you what you value and want to cultivate more of in your life. It is a process of becoming clear about your intentions and awareness of what supports and feeds your life.
- Clear The Physical Space
- Smudge the space and yourself with Sage.
- Gather your Objects
- Crystals, candles, blessed water, plants and nature, essential oils, photos,
- Paper and pen, scared cards, musical instruments, bells etc… be as creative as possible, there is no rules. Use colours as significance.
Fire – Incense, smoke, candles.
Earth/wood– crystals, sand, dirt, flowers and greens
Water – Bless water, change frequently on your altar space to keep movement and clarity.
Air – feathers, smoke, sage.
Set your intentions.
An intention is important because it shows us how incredibly powerful we are.
I believe intentions are the single most important act of free will that we as humans can make. With intention, you set in motion a request, a choice to have everything in you modified so that you can taste and experience your dream for yourself. Intentions differ for each person and may change with time as we redefine and fine tune.
- Become Time orientated Consider the seasons, astrological significance, what stage the moon is in. Connect to Mother Nature.
- Consider the Directions. Arrange your objects being aware of the locations and directions (North, South, East, West).
EAST
East represents Spring and symbolizes victory, success and power. After a long winter, the renewed sense of life emerges. The color is red and it symbolizes protection. Red beads were used to call forth the red spirit for strong love relations, to heal from illness and to pray for longevity. Animals of the East are birds in flight such as the owl, hawk and hummingbird. Words are offered to the East so they may fly and soar with Spirit.
NORTH
North represents winter and also a sense of trouble, hardships and sadness. As winter is the season of waiting and surviving, the Cherokee word for North literally means cold. North is the color blue. The animals representing the North include white buffalo, moose and bear. These animals are a reminder to be patient with the seasons.
WEST
West represents Autumn and the final harvest as the end of a cycle. The West is black and it represents the death of summer’s cycle. The animals of the west include the beaver for teamwork to prepare for winter and the snake to remind us of how to shed our old skin for transformation.
SOUTH
South represents Summer and is a time of great abundance. The summer holds fertility, passion, growth, joy and peace. The color is white. The animals of the South hold the lesson of strength, courage and pride. The eagle with her keen sight and the wolf, proud to be part of the tribe.
ABOVE AND BELOW
There are three more Sacred Directions: up above to the stars is yellow, down below to the earth is brown and the center is green. The place of self or the “sacred fire” of the self which is the centre of all paths. The medicine wheel holds meaning to life, death, birth, aftermath, rebirth and the sacredness of place along the path.
As you begin to place your objects on the table, space, ground start to slow down and tune into your intentions and the significance of where you place each object, why you have chosen each object and why it needs to be placed where you have placed it. You are setting the scene; you are calling in the medicines of all these objects and what they signify so meditate as you work. Use your intuition and marry it with your intentions, you may want to use an object as a gift to Spirit, nature or something.
- Prayer -Open the Space, call in your guides anything you believe in and give thanks, ask for the space and yourself to be protected and then ask for your needs, intentions to be met. Remember this is your relationship with Spirit so speak from the heart, relax your body, be still, and take your time. Speak gratitude’s and acknowledge and give thanks for what is working in your life. Gratitude is powerful medicine for manifesting with. Again be present to this experience as your sending your prayers into the universe.
- Decide how to use your Altar. Is it a daily, weekly, monthly check ion, how often do you alter the altar, do you create a set of things to do at your altar, prayers, gratitude’s, using oils, mediating, affirmations etc…
The most important thing is to make this creation fun, enjoyable, heart cantered and fulfilling. It is a space that will hold you through choppy waters and celebrate you in times of success. As you feed your Spiritual life, it feeds, guides, protects and realigns you. There are no rules only guidelines, so explore, experiment and be inspired and connected.