~@~Pagan Mamas Autumn Altar workshop!~@~ - Page 5

[Aubergine68]

Ok, I have a couple of questions:

1) For those of you who have (or want) kitchen altars, exactly how do (or would) you use them?

2) What *do* you do with intentions for your community/wider world beyond your home and family -- elections, thwarting the power line construction through your neighborhood, world peace, bringing rain in time of drought, attracting grant money to the charity you support, whatever. Where do you put these wishes and how do you work (spiritually) to manifest them, if you do? I'm still struggling with this one. Maybe I've been too inward-turning for too long?

[CariOfOz]

1) For those of you who have (or want) kitchen altars, exactly how do (or would) you use them? Usually when I go into the kitchen to cook, I light the tealight I have there. Here is one of my favourite Hestia invocations (can't believe I still have this bookmark ) It's short & to the point. I have a little dish (ok it's a glazed soap dish hehe) and I'll often leave an offering of some of the herbs from our garden that I'm using in the meal..or some other ingredient that won't attract buggies. I also use my kitchen altar as a tool of mindfulness. When I go in to load the dishwasher, clean counters, mop floors and all that grand stuff.. I light my candle and the altar area is the first place I tidy. It's small, on the windowsill, so it takes just a second, but it reminds me that this mundane chore that I really don't love, is essentially keeping my temple in her honour

2) What *do* you do with intentions for your community/wider world beyond your home and family -- elections, thwarting the power line construction through your neighborhood, world peace, bringing rain in time of drought, attracting grant money to the charity you support, whatever. Where do you put these wishes and how do you work (spiritually) to manifest them, if you do? I'm still struggling with this one. Maybe I've been too inward-turning for too long?For me, I might write some affirmations and place them on the altar, or even burn in my little cauldron to send them off to do their work. But the REAL way to do that work is to put our money where our mouth is, so to speak, and get out there and be part of it! Volunteer, make noise, help how you can... and do it with INTENT.

[saphire]

I've been so distracted I keep forgetting to post.
Cari, thank you for taking the time and effort for this workshop for us- you know these things get referred back to for ages!

Since we've only been in the new house about 3 months and lots of new neighbors are coming through I don't have any alters up. I have plans rolling around in my head though

[CariOfOz]

Originally Posted by saphire

I've been so distracted I keep forgetting to post.
Cari, thank you for taking the time and effort for this workshop for us- you know these things get referred back to for ages!

Since we've only been in the new house about 3 months and lots of new neighbors are coming through I don't have any alters up. I have plans rolling around in my head though

You're welcome! It's not nearly the grand experience I envisioned... but I didn't count on tryin to get pneumonia again and spending so much time SICK

Best get those altars up now chicky... best have the neighbors go into this knowing you're weird, instead of them thinking 'my god has she gone weird since they moved in' lol

[saphire]

Originally Posted by CariOfOz

Best get those altars up now chicky... best have the neighbors go into this knowing you're weird, instead of them thinking 'my god has she gone weird since they moved in' lol

No kiddin'

[aweynsayl]

that's awesome.

[Aubergine68]

Originally Posted by singin_angel

Mine are coming along and changing at the moment. Altars have become an important part for me to let go of the group I was with and feel like I am on this path for myself in a way that is authentic to me.

Just wanted to thank you for this thought, singin angel, from way back in the beginning of the thread.

I did get clarification on that altar dream from back in post 74, if anyone wants to look it up and it resonates with this quote in my mind

The dream was about decluttering/sorting through spiritual ideas. It is not quite as simple as Christian vs. Pagan, but the children's books I was getting rid of in the dream represented elementary ideas and spirituality within a framework of the prescriptions of doctrine and authorities, that tend to infantilize me (not quite the best word, but all I can think of.) The old book with the garden plan that I was delving into represents a spirituality based on nature/gardening and exploring old ideas. So, for me too, the creation/use of altars is leading me to the idea that "I am on this path for myself in a way that is authentic to me." I am a spiritual grownup. Woo-hoo!

Originally Posted by CariOfOz

1) For those of you who have (or want) kitchen altars, exactly how do (or would) you use them? Usually when I go into the kitchen to cook, I light the tealight I have there. Here is one of my favourite Hestia invocations (can't believe I still have this bookmark ) It's short & to the point. I have a little dish (ok it's a glazed soap dish hehe) and I'll often leave an offering of some of the herbs from our garden that I'm using in the meal..or some other ingredient that won't attract buggies. I also use my kitchen altar as a tool of mindfulness. When I go in to load the dishwasher, clean counters, mop floors and all that grand stuff.. I light my candle and the altar area is the first place I tidy. It's small, on the windowsill, so it takes just a second, but it reminds me that this mundane chore that I really don't love, is essentially keeping my temple in her honour INTENT.[/COLOR]

Thanks for the detail here. I often listen to library cds of meditations/affirmations/wisdom literature while doing the scut work.

Mindfulness... need more of that. I had a nasty-but-could-have-been-soo-much-worse kitchen accident last week, involving a pressure canner and a moment of extreme stupidity, and I am now working on healing some rather extensive 2nd degree steam burns on my arms. Also resolving that I will never do anything involving heat in the kitchen without lighting the candle and saying intentions for success and safety of my project. I do something like this every time I drive....maybe this will help me to define who/what my intentions are directed to. And make me a better cook ETA I'm good with earth, water and air, but need to develop a better relationship with the element of fire!

Every night before I fall asleep, I think about the dream altar and mentally light the candle and lay an intention before I sleep -- some nights I do it physically, but not if dh is already in bed, don't want to wake him. Anyone else do this? Use their altar mentally/ in visualization?

I am very happy with the dream altar -- feels like a way to open up my intuition that is safe. Feeling safe is important -- had an ongoing experience as a teen of sleep paralysis/feeling under psychic siege, especially during sleep. The way I'm rambling, I'd probably go onto talk all about that, but I have little ones waking up from naps and needing snacks...

[aweynsayl]

yay authenticity!

eta: i tried like 14 times to say something about this, but kept deleting it... lol. so me. sigh. long, long before camp, i'd been really not connecting with my altars... mainly cause i felt they werent "real" (and partly because of not being in my own home right now)... tried doing ones i felt were "real"... surprise, those didnt connect at all, but then in my frustration, i went back to ... how to say-- not "trying" to be "something"... and, hey presto! not sure that makes sense to anyone, or even me, lol... but there. i said it.

ouch burns (yes, never do anything in the kitchen without candles lit, imo. hugs! hope you get better soon!!!!)

[CariOfOz]

Sorry I've been neglecting you mamas again. I'm feeling VERY sorry for myself at the moment, I'm on my fourth round of antibiotics for this pneumonia (yes, on to stronger ones now) and I'm feeling like I will never be well. I can't even call my older boys, as I can't.stop.coughing! It's hard for me to have a 3minute conversation with dh even.

Originally Posted by aweynsayl

eta: i tried like 14 times to say something about this, but kept deleting it... lol. so me. sigh. long, long before camp, i'd been really not connecting with my altars... mainly cause i felt they werent "real" (and partly because of not being in my own home right now)... tried doing ones i felt were "real"... surprise, those didnt connect at all, but then in my frustration, i went back to ... how to say-- not "trying" to be "something"... and, hey presto! not sure that makes sense to anyone, or even me, lol... but there. i said it.

None of my altars resemble the typical 'real' wiccan/pagan altar... there's no strict orderliness (ie, no goddess related items on the left, god related items on the right.. pentacle here, yadda yadda) I've tried doing an altar like that before and it just felt wrong wrong wrong!

[aweynsayl]

Originally Posted by CariOfOz

Sorry I've been neglecting you mamas again. I'm feeling VERY sorry for myself at the moment ...
I've tried doing an altar like that before and it just felt wrong wrong wrong!

oh, sweets. you're not neglecting us! i think at this point this thread is the longest running camp ever! which is only appropriate.

yeah, i hear that... only for me, it wasnt even by rules of someone else, it was my own, lol! i have this weird thing (well, i think it's weird) that i seem to do best when i just let go and follow what comes. any time i try to think of some theme or something i think i want to do (now, this is all things, mind, not just altars, lol) it either falls flat or crashes and burns. it's sort of anoying because i feel like i cant "make" something happen, but i do love being flowey... i'm ..."working".. heh... on embracing that, rather than feeling annoyed by it.