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by
Madisyn Taylor
If you didn't grow up with an altar in your home, having an
altar now may seem like an exotic and unattainable idea. Yet having an altar
does not have to be complicated or difficult, nor does it need to be based on
a religion or a set of ideas that don't seem to relate to you. An altar can
be a simple, personal expression of what you want to focus on right now. You
do not have to build anything or take up a lot of space. You do not have to
buy anything new or follow a complex set of instructions to create your
altar. All you have to do is have a general understanding of what an altar is
and the willingness to allow yourself access to this wonderful, ancient tool
of transformation.
At its most essential, an altar is simply a raised structure that serves as a
resting place for meaningful objects. It focuses the eye and provides a place
for contemplation and, if so desired, ritual. All of these elements can be
quite simple. One idea for a simple altar is a pot with a bulb planted in it,
set on a box. This altar to growth can act as a reminder to you that all
living things bloom in their time. A simple ritual might be to write down
dreams you would like to see come to fruition on scraps of paper. You might
place these scraps of paper in the box, or under the flowerpot, or in an
envelope you prop against the pot. As the flower grows, so will your dreams.
If you look around your home, you may find that you have already created
altarlike arrangements without even really thinking about it; this is
something we humans do quite naturally. A candle, a decorative box, and a
vase of flowers are just a few of the common household objects that lend
themselves naturally to the creation of an altar. Simply add intention and
intuition, and you have created your first altar. Remember that it isn't
necessarily about the objects you place at your altar--it is the time you
spend with it daily, taking the time to be with it for your sacred time.
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