I do readings for people from many walks of life. Authors, those in various fields of medicine, law enforcement, retired teachers, tarot card readers. When in a reading consultation with me, the possibility of the clients setting up a candle burning altar or an ancestor altar could be suggested, depending on the nature of the subjects discussed in the reading. When the idea of a personal home altar is mentioned, I offer suggestions and sometimes websites to consider for understanding what an altar is and construction ideas. Some embrace the idea and follow through with the suggestion, because that is what a good spiritual reading is; tips and suggestions to enhance what you have and make it better. Whether you follow the spiritual advice is yet another thing.
A major roadblock to someone constructing their own personal altar space is the “How Do I Do It?” blockage. There are no hard and fast rules on what type of materials to use for your base (end table/vase stand/chest of drawers/wooden or cardboard box – with a tablecloth or other covering). Now let me pause and say that certain Deities that you might want to work with will have a traditional theme or higher expectations of servitude, and therefore could come with a list of Do’s and Don’ts for that Deity. For instance, most devotees of the Goddess Oshun/Ochun will know to taste the honey before pouring. If you don’t know this, I can explain it to you in your reading with me. More importantly, when constructing an altar for your spiritual path, it is more about working with your intuitive inklings more than anything else.
Your most natural example of an altar and the placement of items could well be found in your bedroom. I am not saying to place a spiritual or magical altar in the bedroom so please don’t – it kills the vibe for rest, sleep, and other private and personal things that happen in your bedroom. What I am saying is look in your doorway of your bedroom and look at the tops of the bedside tables or chest, the tops of the dresser, the shelves (if any) or the ledge of the window. What is there? Well, there are items related to you. For example, a woman’s dressing or makeup table is the most naturally created sacred space dedicated to her. There are potions and lotions, scarves, a necklace hung on a drawer pull or a small dish with earrings and other mementos of her life. There might be a scented candle, a bottle of cologne, a dried, faded flower in a bud vase from a long ago date or romantic encounter. All these things were placed there in love and remembrance of the occasion and as an indicator of the importance of the person – the actual owner – themselves. These areas of devotion are not exclusively feminine as men also have an area where they stash their used concert tickets, ChapStick, receipts, extra keys, the wayward bolt or screw, coins and other items that remind them of events in their life. When packing for our move back East, my husband unearthed a tiny Japanese vase he found at a garage sale at the time I was singing in “The Mikado” on weekends that year. It was an item that represented a memory of an event happening at the time of purchase. He also wanted my fan with my ‘cheat sheet’ line taped to the edge with a line of a song I sang that I simply could not remember for the life of me at the time.
So if you are encouraged to seek out a devotional space for a Deity, Saint, or Spirit, take a tabletop of your choosing, drape it with a cloth of your choice, and add something that resembles their image or serves as a reminder of their spirit and importance. You might not be able to get a statue of Joan of Arc, but you might be able to get a replica of a sword (something she wielded during her time of leading the army). You may also be able to go to a botanica or religious shop and get a framed photo. At the very least, print off an image on good quality paper or card stock and use for a focal point. Candles are for the most part de rigeur and you might want to add a small vase for flowers. Your next step might be to add a single wine or water glass for clear water and a saucer for sweets or other food offerings.
Other additions to your altar may be things that may have been an impulsive purchase that was sparked from a connection with that Deity. For instance, if you are attracted to the sea, then shells, driftwood, or a tiny bottle of captured salt water may be on your altar. You may have images or representations of animals on your altar, such as a feather or a tooth. Your altar is your space, and you can decorate it in whatever fashion that speaks to your heart.
You may have your altar in a space where only you visit or you may have it out where any visitor to your home can view it. At the house of my Oriate (a title for a priest in the Yoruba tradition), his altar for the goddess Oshun was the square coffee table in the living room. When asked why the coffee table, he said,’ Because she is the Queen of this house.’ Makes sense. The very large low piece of wood furniture, he had a table draping of silky yellow material, a large vase/urn for Oshun, a slender brass receptacle with peacock feathers coming out of it. A bowl of five oranges, candles, a vase with sunflowers in it, and it was stunningly bold and pronounced in the seating area for the many visitors he received at his home. Unless you understood what the meaning was of the items, you would miss the fact it was an altar. If you prefer a quiet place, that is fine as well, but it has been suggested to keep your altar from your bedroom as much as possible.
Experiment and build an altar that represents your closeness to your religious practice. It does not have to make any sense to anyone but you.
