Posted by Judy Moon
Do you have an altar in your home?
I think the word “altar” for some, conjures up a religious, churchy feeling. It used to for me. It made me think of second grade and going to Stations of the Cross during Lent.
It can also mean just a raised area for worship. So a shelf with some meaningful objects can be an altar.
I personally have three altars in my home.
I have a “spiritual” altar – the top shelf of a book case in the Spirituality corner (I practice feng shui) of my living room that has some religious items, small Buddha statues, Kwan Yin statue, my moms rosary beads, a small totem pole my brother and grandfather carved, etc.
I have a “love” altar in my bedroom. On my bedside table I have a few special photos of my husband and I, some small stones and shells we’ve picked up together, a heart shaped dish that my jewelry etc. gets dumped in, always a vase of flowers and some candles. It’s the first thing that I see when I wake up in the morning and it reminds me that I am loved.
I also have the “main” altar. This is the Grand Poobah of my altars and it is the top of a glass case that holds all things groovy in my world. Things like seven decks of Oracle cards, chakra tuning forks, colored pencils and paints, my Animal Medicine cards – if it’s funky – it’s in this case. It is also in the room where I meditate so it became the spot to really create a sacred space. This altar is kind of a combo of the others – it has photos of loved ones, rocks, crystals and shells, a star fish, rosary beads from my grandmother for my first communion, my intention jar, lots of heart shaped things and gifts of love. When I sit in front of this altar to meditate, it sends the message to my brain – “hey, it’s time to get quiet now, it’s time to relax and surrender to a higher power”
Having an altar has definitely increased in popularity with more people doing yoga and meditating at home. Creating sacred space is more appealing to people now with how busy and hectic our lives have become. It is great to have a place to meditate, pray, or just admire.
I personally have these altars as a space to hold my treasures, and to reflect. An altar can simply be a space for things that are important to you. Honestly, I don’t even know if you would notice the “spiritual” or “love” altar in my home. The one I meditate in front of is pretty obvious, but the others are subtle but the intention and effect is powerful.
I encourage you to create an altar for yourself if you don’t already have one. It can be personal, religious, nature oriented, family oriented, what ever is meaningful to you. You can add flowers or light candles to acknowledge the presence of it. Size doesn’t matter, it can literally be a corner of a shelf or of your desk or in a garden.
Here’s a great video from Gabby Bernstein (another one of my girl crushes!)
What are you going to put on your altar?
