Do you have an altar or a Sacred Space for your meditations and Sacred Practices?
HOW TO CREATE SACRED SPACE: BUILDING AN ALTAR
Altars have been used by humans in many religious ceremonies and sacred practices for worship, prayer, offerings, and sacrifices throughout history. Altars are still traditionally a place of veneration, honor, and respect for your spiritual path, and a perfect place to hold your sacred rituals.
First, identify a place that you can devote as a Sacred Space. This is a place just for you, where you can meditate, pray, write, chant, and practice your daily rituals without distraction. Having a Sacred Space creates comfort, discipline, and adds an element of reverence to your daily practices.
An altar is a dedicated space, typically a small table or shelf, covered by a cloth, along with objects that are special to you. You may want to have items on your altar that represent the FOUR DIRECTIONS and/or the FOUR ELEMENTS. Many people change their altar for different seasons, holy days, or themes. You can put anything you like on your altar. There is no right or wrong way to do it. The only requirement is that it means something to you. It is best to keep your sacred space clean and uncluttered.
Collect your favorite things, make an altar that is beautiful to you, and have some fun with it!
Some common features are:
- Incense or herbs to burn for cleansing or purifying, and representing the element of Air (East)
- Feathers can also represent the element of Air (East)
- Candles, representing light, the sun, or Fire element (South)
- Shells are perfect for signifying the Water element (West)
- Crystals or Stones represent the Earth element and other magical properties (North)
- Flowers (in water) are also common on altars for their beauty as well as representations of Earth and Water. (North and West)
- Photos, Art, Journals, Sacred texts, Oracle cards, Prayer beads (Mala or Rosary beads), and anything that has a spiritual significance to you!
Already have an altar or Sacred Space?
If you already have an altar, you may want to clean it, reorganize it, or completely recreate it to bring in fresh, new energy and intentions for the new year!
Namaste
