what is on your home altar?

[ramona_quimby]

We moved overseas recently and I am feeling like, more than anything, my soul is missing home. I miss having a spiritual place to meditate, retreat to, etc.

So I've decided to create a home altar for our family. I want some ideas from all you spiritual mamas for what to put on the altar. What do you have that is meaningful to your family on the altar?

[Arduinna]

A bunch of us were just discussing that very thing on this thread :-)

http://mothering.com/discussions/sho...threadid=18378

[ramona_quimby]

Oh! lol That's a great thread. Thanks for showing it to me, I'm on here so sporadically that I missed it!

[DebraBaker]

We are Christian but I have a season's table in my home.

Right now I have a collection of shells with small dollhouse Waldorf dolls playing amongst the shells.

Soon I'll start collecting gourdes and pretty leafs and the table will change with the seasons.

You might want to have some things that remind you of your home because it sounds like you're hungry for familiar places.

I hope I didn't intrude but you didn't mention any specific belief system. I really enjoy this little place in my home.

Debra Baker

[Meiri]

I have a tabletop fountain in a Big bowl in the corner of my counter between the sink and the wall. If anything it's a Motherhood altar with a Goddess on a curved peice of glass, a mother and daughter clay sculpture and mother breastfeeding an older baby clay sculpture on various bits of shale above the water.

Listening to the water has a calming affect on me...when I remember to focus on it.

[sunmountain]

I just started mine first a few months ago, I have...
*a statue of an asian woman holdin a "guitar", i don't know the real term for it, dh bought it for me at a garage sale, it's beautiful
*a small carving a friend of mine made of a old man's head
*a magic card
*my celtic cross incensc burner
*a small round tile for the candles.
I light the candle and place it, then I light the incense and the smoke caries all of my wishes out the west-facing window. I have some plants on the same windowsill, really a shelf dh built, and it's a great meditative spot in my home.

[LaLaLuna]

I've been trying to find a place to put an altar for ages...our house is really tiny and really cluttered (working on that). What I finally realized is that I have had an altar all along! the windowsill over my kitchen sink catches all kinds of little pretties that have some kind of grounding or spiritual connection for me So I cleaned it all off, washed everything including the window and banished the stuff that didn't really belong there. now I have an assortment of beautiful rocks, a small cobalt bottle, a large green bottle (the color of beach glass) with a sunflower in it (have decided this will always hold some seasonal bit of greenery) and a couple tiny glass vases a close friend made me. She made me a lot of marbles too, which I will put up there in a jar as soon as I find them. Hm- wonder what it is about rocks and glass? I'm a fire sign so you'd think I'd have something firey-er. Maybe the glass because it takes fire to make?:

I haven't put anything meaningful to my family on the altar because it feels so personal to me. I think I'll put some thought into creating one for the family at large.

What will you put on yours, Ramona Q?

[sunmountain]

According to the principles of feng shui, glass is a Metal element with Water and Earth properties. Colored glass slows down chi, glass in general helps chi flow smoothly, it's reflective qualities speed chi up. So it depends on how you use it, and the specific qualities of your personal collection. Since yours is by a window, which let's in chi, you need reflective glass to reroute the chi out to carry the energy to where you want it. Hope that helps, I'm really just an amateur.

[LaLaLuna]

Originally posted by sunmountain
According to the principles of feng shui, glass is a Metal element with Water and Earth properties. Colored glass slows down chi, glass in general helps chi flow smoothly, it's reflective qualities speed chi up. So it depends on how you use it, and the specific qualities of your personal collection. Since yours is by a window, which let's in chi, you need reflective glass to reroute the chi out to carry the energy to where you want it. Hope that helps, I'm really just an amateur.

SUnmountain- that is really interesting! Are we drawn to the things the energy in our homes need? WOuld I want to keep reflective glass in thew window to route chi in or to keep it from flowing out? I know next to nothing about feng shui... but it could be a really useful aspect of altar keeping, I think.

[DebraBaker]

LaLaLuna,

Sometimes we're naturally drawn to that which we need but I must say my major challenge (fengshui wise) is to clear the clutter.

I'm not even a pack rat but clutter builds up like dust and is representative of baggage we carry in our lives.

I have noticed an association between clearing my clutter and freeing up my life in general.

....But it doesn't come naturally.

Debra Baker

[sunmountain]

Yes, clearing the clutter is definately a challenge, one I am not particularly good at overcoming, either, I might add

My books say nothing about altars, so I would just go with what feels right where you are. Switch things around, add some moving objects to keep the chi moving, you don't want your wishes to stagnate there! See what feels the best and stick with it. I would think water, at least pictures of it, would be auspicious, to flow the chi outward.
Hope that's helpful

[ramona_quimby]

Hmm, thanks, everyone! This is all food for thought. I think the first hurdle in our household is to find a home for our altar. We have a cramped apartment. My dh has started meditating in the hallway. : That just will not do for me. I need a space that is quiet, away from the flow of energy, and clutter-free.

I want to put wood and earthy things on my altar b/c I deeply miss nature. I rarely go outside anymore b/c of the heat here. A wooden buddha, a bowl of rice as offering. Incense, of course. A small candle. A flower. A linen table cloth.

I'm thinking about photos of inspiring people -- our zen teacher, Thich Nhat Hanh, Mother Theresa. Also some photos of people who have given us life and to whom we are grateful: our ancestors: parents, grandparents.

Things to symbolize our family...I'm not sure about this one, but I want something in this category. A picture of the 3 of us together, maybe, or something more abstract. Maybe collect some of our hair into a little wooden box or something. I'm not sure.

Thanks, you guys!

[texasmama]

I have a picture of all my babies brothers and sister. I also have the other tools that represent the elements and the god/ess.

We light incense and candles almost every night.

Sophie was brought into this world in circle. She attends open circles and events with us.

Karen