Are you desiring a sense of continuity and peace in your life and home? If you are feeling out of balance and lack harmony, an altar in your home will create a sacred space for you to visit daily. Building an altar in your home is an invaluable resource for your spiritual journey. Beloved, this article will educate you on the reasons an altar will benefit you and those in your home as well as equip you with tips on how to create one in your home.
The Importance of a Personal Altar
An altar invites us to reconnect with the deepest parts of ourselves, for an altar is a window to the Divine. It opens the channels of communication to the world of Spirit. An altar offers us a space where we can ask for guidance and strength, express gratitude, tap our inner magic, set intentions, offer blessings and meditate. By creating an altar, we connect the physical and the spiritual worlds. A home altar is not a necessity, though it does remind us to connect with Source throughout the day.
How to Build an Altar in Your Home
To locate your altar, find a space in your home that is private and where you will be comfortable spending time each day. You can place it in a meditation or yoga room, but I do not recommend placing it in the bedroom for this is the place for rest and romance. If it must go in the bedroom, place a screen around it as it can be disrespectful to have sacred items facing towards your bed.
If your home has no private area, your altar can be placed in a special cabinet that can be enclosed. Your garden could also become the site for your altar, thus inviting you outdoors to spend more time with Mother Earth. While sitting at your altar, it is best to face East, the direction of the sun’s rise, which signals new beginnings.
When creating your Altar, set an intention as to the purpose of the altar. It may be for connecting with your higher self, for abundance, love, or healing, or it may be an altar related to all of the above. As you create your altar, keep in mind the left side is the feminine side, the receiving side, and the right is the masculine and the giving.
When assembling items for your altar, consider a table and table cloth, spiritually symbolic spiritual things, candles, charms, incense, a magic wand, sacred texts or pictures that inspire you, and perhaps oracle cards to draw from when you are looking for guidance.
Also important are the five elements:
- For Earth, add crystals, stones, sand, dirt from a site sacred to you.
- For Wood, add flowers, greens.
- For Fire, include a candle or incense.
- For Water, add purified water, blessed water in a bowl.
- For Metal, try metal items such as a statue, singing bowl, bells.
- For Air, use incense, sage or sweetgrass, and a feather.
Remember not to overcrowd the altar as this can create a cluttered mind, just as an altar that is too bare can represent a lack of direction in your life.
Changing the arrangement of items weekly and adding fresh flowers will keep the energy flowing. Dust and wipe down the area around your altar, and use fresh candles, for burnt-out candles could reflect that your energy feels that way in your life. Light your candles, incense, or sage regularly to keep the passion alive and flowing in your life as you visit your altar daily—and with love.
How to Create a Traveling Altar
If you love to travel and like the comfort of having some of your sacred items with you, you can also create a travelling altar. Simply pack up a few ritual items in a small bag. You can also create an altar as you travel by adding special things that you find on your journeys such as rocks, feathers, leaves, and tokens you purchase. To keep the vibration high and clear on your altar, include only items you love and feel in alignment with you.
Integrating an altar into your adventurous or busy lifestyle is easy and will add so much value to your journey!
Before You Go
I encourage you to create an altar that speaks to you on an incredibly personal level. Altars can serve as a place to find solace at the end of a busy week, to seek wisdom from your guides, and refill your cup with inspiration for the journey ahead. Do not get burdened with comparison. Remember, your home or travelling altar is a personal testament to what speaks to you, gives you joy, and pairs with what you would like to manifest in your life. For more inspiration for your altar, follow along on Instagram or Facebook. I hope to meet you there soon!
Love, Amanda
