There are many reasons to build altars in your home (see my article 10 Benefits to Building Altars in Your Home for more information). One of my favorites is that it relaxes me and allows a connection to the divine in a way I had not experienced before I reconnected with my Native American roots.
So, how does one go about building an altar? It’s rather simple really. First of all altars don’t have to be complicated undertakings or even have large amounts of items on them. In fact some of my simplest altars with only a few items have garnered powerful results. You need to determine your own reasons for building an altar. Perhaps you are longing for a deeper connection with divinity. If that’s the case then you need to decide what symbols speak to you of the divine. For example, someone who is Christian might want to hang a crucifix above their altar, if they are Catholic perhaps a statue of Mary and a vase with a rose. Someone who is Wiccan might choose to have a pentacle, and their tarot deck there. It is entirely individual and up to you and your personal understanding of the divine as to what would go on your altar.
But what if you want to find a better job? Well, if it were me, I’d leave the symbols for the divine on my altar, but I might add a copy of my resume and a pair of earrings or other piece of jewelry that I wear to interviews. Now you may be thinking, why? How does this help me? It helps you by reminding you the divine is interested in your life and in helping you even in the mundane things such as finding a job. Altars create an energy around them and the home they reside in. By putting the things which represent your job search there you are in effect asking for divine assistance, and reminding yourself to verbally ask for it and, here’s the tricky part knowing you will get that assistance.
Maybe you are a writer looking for an agent or a publisher? You’re frustrated because you’ve been sending out letters, and queries and getting nowhere. Here’s a prime opportunity to build an altar, and a good reason for keeping one up all the time. Like the example before I’d leave the items representing divinity, and then add a printed copy of my manuscript or a back up disk of it. You might also add a piece of paper with the name of the agent you most want to work with, or the publisher you most want to pick up your book.
These are just a few examples of why building an altar is a good idea, but there is more to altars than just building them. There is also the time spent in front of them. Spending time with the altar you’ve created imbues it even further with your desires, and wishes for what you want in your life. It also gives you a chance to pray if prayer is something you do, or sing or whatever you like. Some people leave space on their altars to create crafts, do artwork or write. Whatever you do, the altar will be infused with the energy of what you hope to obtain by creating it. Likewise an altar that is built and then abandoned, or rarely used will take on the energy that what is there is not that important to you. That being said, don’t be afraid to create new altars when the situation warrants it, or to create more than one if your goals are many.
The art of building personal altars is a beneficial one, and I hope you find it as satisfying and helpful in your life as I have.
