All About Altars: Sacred Spaces for Contemplation
Creating an altar is a beautiful practice that can deepen your spiritual connection to the Divine, your Guides, your Higher Self, or whatever subject you choose.
Whether it's adorned with mantras, crystals, oracle cards, candles, or symbols that hold personal significance, an altar serves as a tangible representation of your spiritual journey and beliefs.
The flexibility of altar purpose and creation is also noteworthy.
It's not confined to any specific religious or spiritual tradition; rather, it's a reflection of your individual and unique path and what resonates with you personally.
This allows for a wide range of creativity and expression.
The subjects or themes for altars are endless; your own health, to honor your inner child, to honor an ancestor or loved one, for meditation, for manifesting abundance, to bring in love, etc.
The physical act of tending to an altar can be a meditative practice in itself, this is one of my favorite things. This allows you to foster mindfulness and intentionality every day.
There isn't a right or wrong way to make an altar, but a major component is that your altar has to please you! It has to resonate with you otherwise, what's the point?
You can place your altar inside your home or outside in nature, on a small bookshelf or inside a suitcase. It can be on a window sill or on top of a dresser.
These sacred spaces serve as a visual reminder to pause, reflect, and reconnect with the Divine or whatever higher power you believe in, even amidst the business and chaos of daily life.
Once you've created your altar you get to decide what you do with it. My favorite practice while I sit near my altar is expressing gratitude, but other options are meditation, connecting with your Guides, journaling, singing, and setting intentions.
Your altar/s can evolve and adapt over time as your spiritual practice deepens and changes.
Ultimately, whether you use an altar for spiritual worship, as a visual reminder to reflect, or simply for symbols that hold personal significance, the essence of an altar remains the same: a sacred space for contemplation, reflection, and connection to the spiritual realm.
