Altar Your Mind

I think it's important to have an altar set up to focus your practice. Many other non-pagan traditions use altars as well, so it's not just pagans that tend to keep them. They're great daily reminders and serve as a place where you can go to connect with the spiritual or divine. They can be really elaborate with lots of statues and tools, or they can be very simple and sparse depending on your situation. If you're in a place where you're uncomfortable letting on that you're pagan or, if you know it would be unwelcome knowledge, you can always make a shoebox altar. It's literally a shoe box filled with your stuff that you keep in your closet or under your bed, so that you can take it out and use it when you need it. Shoebox altars are also great because they're portable.

That being said, my altar needs some work. I've only recently just set it back up after not having had one in a few years. I think I'll end up moving it from its current spot, so I'm not going to get too involved with its layout until I know exactly where I'm keeping it. So far it's pretty simple. I tend to keep my working altar pretty simple anyway, because I feel like I can always dress it up more if the occasion calls for it. 

I'm also a fan of having one main altar where you do the majority of your workings, but also having multiple other mini altars set-up around your place. Maybe it's just a piece of your bathroom counter that's got a few sea shells and a candle, or maybe you've got a collection of statues arranged on a shelf somewhere. Those can be altars too, if the intent is there. 

So, as a part of that IDGAF thing I mentioned, here's a photo of what my altar looks like right now. 

Like I said, it's nothing spectacular, but it's something. I'll explain to you what I've got going on. On the floor is a small wooden sugar skull wall hanging I got last weekend (well, I guess it's been two weekends ago now). In the middle I have a rhodonite sphere, sitting on top of a slate pentacle. Directly above that is a bowl of sand for burning Japanese-style incense or resin incense on a charcoal, or small candles I don't have a holder for. Above that is a covered incense burner I use for burning traditional incense sticks. I have a framed print of a painting done by a local artist (and shaman) above that. To the right is a small metal chalice with a pentacle etched in it. Below the rhodonite sphere is a sweet grass soy candle, and below that is my athame. I've got a pinecone, tingshaws, a lighter, and a small glass bottle representing the four elements surrounding the stuff in the middle. 

This is what a typical everyday altar looks like for me - representation of the four elements, some candles, my athame, an incense burner, and some form of representation of deity. I'll usually switch it up if I'm doing something more specific or add more stuff when it's close to a holiday. 

Anyway, that's it from me for now. I'll probably check back with an altar update when I move my altar to it's more permanent home.