Why build altars

Most believe this was primarily to prevent the altar from becoming an idol and to prevent pride over workmanship. The altar was to have no steps leading to it Ex There were to be no trees around it Deut Individual altars were eventually replaced by two separate altars, first at the Tabernacle and then at the Temple. At the Tabernacle, this altar was made of wood, overlaid with bronze Ex Ex , At the Temple, this altar was made of stone or earth, overlaid with bronze 2 Chr 1 Kin 2 Chr Visit your altar when you seek a connection to your loved ones or guidance from them.

Light your candle and focus your intention on drawing their spirit to you. Another type of altar is a ritual altar. This space is dedicated to performing rituals and spells that have specific purposes. As with an ancestor altar, every item that is placed on the ritual altar should have a specific meaning or function that is important to you. A stone altar table is a traditional focal point of a ritual altar. Place any herbs , stones , prayer beads or other items on your altar table.

Light an altar candle and place it on a pin candle holder while preparing for your ritual. A goal altar refers to an altar that is built for a specific intention. If you are looking for a new job or trying to attract the attention of a suitor, this is the type of altar you should consider.

Cover your altar with a green handkerchief when your goal is to improve your financial situation. Lay a black handkerchief on your altar when trying to remove evil or illness from you or someone you love. Add a health custom big al candle and some clear quartz tumbled stones to assist in the healing process.

Pray to a statue of Saint Lazarus , the patron saint of the sick. Your altar can be dedicated to any goal that you are trying to achieve. Adorn your altar with items that are somehow personal to you and that you find powerful and helpful. Before you know it, you will have several altars popping up for different purposes and not long after that you will look at every room you occupy as well as places outdoors with an eye to what about them is most beautiful, restorative, magical, and sacred.

Search for:. Let's Talk. What are they? Why would we want one? And of course, how do we create an altar for ourselves? Some of these include: Designated space — altars have to be erected or built in some way so they do require some space. I have seen altars in bathrooms, desks, and taking over a dining room table. If you do not have any space at this time for an altar but wish to have one then you can create a portable altar by making a shrine with a cigar box, mirrored box, or other container.

Distraction-free zone — once you have worked at your altar consistently you will find that you barely register distractions, and indeed some of the most sumptuous altars are in public places where there are many people. But in starting out it is smart to set yourself up for success and ensuring that you will be as little interrupted as possible during the time you spend at your altar is smart. Safety and respect — it is essential that you create an altar with an eye to safety, especially if you are going to do things like burn candles on it.

Likewise, if you have a permanent altar that is in your home and you share your home with others please communicate to them that this is a special and sacred place where you go to pray and that they should not touch objects on your altar, remove anything from your altar, or add anything to it, without your express permission. In your daily practice , you will want to decide what you do to designate communion for yourself. What do you do to call yourself back to yourself is the way that I like to ask this question.

It can be a short series of movements, it can be as simple as taking a deep breath, or it can be more complex, the point is to decide and then make sure that whatever you need to do it is present at the altar. Proper placement — much has been said about where one should or should not place their altars and, wait for it, not everyone agrees. I encourage you first and foremost to look at where you live. If you are planning on putting up an altar that will remain year round then first look at where in your home you can be least disturbed and distracted.

Cleansing and Preparing your Altar After you choose where you would like to place your altar as well as what basic material s it will be composed of, it is time to cleanse the space.

She stood guard at the entrance of a sweat lodge and served as a place to pray before entering. Alongside me, my own altar has slowly grown more a bit more ripe. My drums lean against it, ready to help take me where I need to go in order to restore balance to myself, to another person or to our community. My shamanic teachers always admonished me to keep my sacred space meticulous.

When I am stressed or things feel terribly out of balance, I will often go to my altar, dismantle the whole thing and carefully clean, speak to and care for each item while I burn copal or sage.

Then, piece by piece, I lovingly rebuild it anew. This process never fails to shift things. There are no rules. Choose what what delights you and honors your path and build with care. If you are familiar with the process of shamanic journeying , you could ask a spirit teacher to teach you about altars and how to begin. An altar can also be an anchor to the divine for a group during ceremony. That night, the spirits showed me that my heart, itself, was an altar.

That touched me so deeply. I was a walking, talking sacred space. My hand went to my heart that night and stayed, sensing the steady rhythm in my chest.