Does anyone want to discuss pagan altar construction? What about altars for children? Do you give them their own space on your altar? Or let them have their own?

What do have on your altar? Do you have one dedicated to a certain God/Goddess? Do you change things around for the seasons or Sabbats? Do you give offerings?

My hubby and I each have our own. I do give offerings and I'm getting ready to dedicate a seperate one to a Goddess I'm working with lately.

I am kind of a "baby" Pagan so I am still establishing things for myself and my family, so I am really looking forward to hearing what other folks say. I have one altar in my bedroom, it has some things that my father gave to me (he's still alive, but these were statues that he got when he was a sailor), which are meaningful to me, but would not be otherwise (like the African fertility goddess- since I am neither of African decent nor trying to conceive). I have one of those "candle gardens"- a plate with some river rocks surrounding 3 candles, a couple incense burners, etc. I have been using the top of our entertainment center as a family altar for the holidays (we usually put decorations up there so it seemed a natural carryover). I can't wait to get the family altar ready for Lammas- we will have some things from the garden to use, and that is especially exciting for me. I like to celebrate the full moons with the kids, but I haven't yet been able to figure out (or have time for) new moon celebrations. I want to use the ideas for Circle Round, though.

I was wondering for those who change their altars- how long you leave them up, and how far in advance they change them for holidays. Do you do it just for the actual night/day, or do you leave it up for a whole week after, set it up several days early, etc. I guess creating the altar would make a nice part of the ritual, but I hate to take something pretty down right away.

I have an altar in the bedroom. DH built it. Some things stay on it permanentlly: a triple Goddess statue, an owl for Lilith, a skull for Kali and a tree for Asherah. Those are the Goddesses I work with the most.

Then other things change, depending on the season, the holiday or the work I am doing. For example, while I was pregnant there was a Santeria pregnancy charm a friend had made me and an offering to Demeter.

I switch out offerings/symbols for the Sabbats... flowers, wreathes, other symbols as appropriate. We usually decorate the altar the day before.. and leave the stuff until the next change. Unless we are doing a ritual in between, then I change it for the ritual and leave it until the next change.

Also our crystals. athames, skrying bowl, incense burner and a deck of tarot cards stay up there at all times.

Those sound so nice you guys.

I choose when to put up and take down seasonal stuff based on lazyness (lol when I get around to it) and on what is happening locally. Our seasons here don't always correspond to the typical dates.

My dh and I were talking about this the other day. When we get into our new place I think we are going to be putting together a family altar. We have never done one before and I am getting some neat ideas from this. I am looking forward to hearing what others say as well. :love

I love the idea of a family altar too. We don't have one now, since dh and I have seperate ones. But I would love to set one up in our living room or even outside would be beautiful for our family.

Here's some links to some online sources, It's so hard to not get everything they have though, lol

http://www.sacredsource.com/

http://www.gryphonsmoon.com/Catalog/dryad/index.html

http://www.herrsculptures.com/

Arduinna, Thanks, those links are great. I wanted to go shopping!LOL. It makes me excited, can't wait till we get all settled so that we can start to make one. Very cool.

We usually have a nature table for the family, mostly the children keep it up ...when it is time to change seasons then we offer the natural things (except beeswax and special stones, things we reuse) to the Goddess of the garden. One year they were excited bc the Goddess decided to sprout a plant from an old gourd .

In my bedroom lately i have had a Quan Yin / Mother Mary altar. Their energies feel so close to each other, so comforting and compassionate ...i have been reading my Tarot cards almost every night (going through some rough stuff and need daily guidance) Each night i tend to the altar and place the cards/s there.

I also have my Owl shrine , and other various totem animals. I switch and change things often depending on which Goddess i am working with. I often work with Kali and have a colorfull tapestry that i hang when i am in the throes of some deep transformative work.


Blessings, Kelly

hi...
I have a kitchen altar (got the idea from "cooking like a goddess") and a main altar in the living room. What is on them changes seasonally, but not always in a timely fashion ;)

We're working on one for our bedroom...

I don't have statues on any of them, but tend to use a lot of found objects. I keep a little cauldron on the main altar as well as a set of three candlesticks in varying heights. I also have a little glass vase full of crow feathers. My kitchen altar usually has a small pot of herbs on it...it also keeps the cats off!

My most elaborate altars definitely occur around Samhain (my favorite of the sabbats).

love,
Christina

This is a great topic!!!!! My Millenial Gaia (Celtic Connection) arrived today, dh bought it for my birthday, she is SO beautiful. As 'new' pagans we are still building up our altars, but on the counter between the kitchen and living room is the family alter now with Gaia, a big chunk of amethsyt crystal, various stones, a bowl of moon blessed water with a rose crystal and a red and green candle. We add in things for the Sabbats and drawings from the kids. In the bedroom so far just candles, crystals and my incense burner and a small pentacle pendant. Dinner time, got to go.
Blessed Be
Amulet

Arduinna,
you're evil for postin gthose links, I found some things that I just HAVE to have! We set up out family altar for lammas today- it looks so nice and th ekids really liked helping.

LOL Khris, I know how you feel. Can I have one of everything??? Please!!

I read about your Lammas stuff on the other thread, sounds beautiful!

Sigh. Need to manifest more money to procure altar goodies. We have a family one, one for myself and a nature table for Isabel.

My personal one has statues of Ganesh, Kali, and Shiva. A Buddha. Reiki calligraphy I've done. Candles I've blessed with various Reiki symbols. Stones that are from sacred places. And I want to build a collection of goddess sculpture.

My main family altar is my mantle over my fireplace. The decorations change with the Sabbats, the change happening just prior to the holiday. Right now I still have the Lammas display, two sheaths of wheat crossed and tied with a green and silver ribbon and with late summer silk flowers stuck in it. I also have Sun and Moon candlesticks, a large Amethyst and a large Flourite. Sandicast remembreances of pets gone to Summerland, and pinecones brought in by DD. During the time between Beltain and Sahmain I have wreaths wrapped with greenery the other half of the year I have beaded snowflakes up. I also have my own atlar in my loft but it tends to stay an esbat display, since that's how it is used most

My dh and I put together a somewhat permanant altar on a wall shelf in the living room. I put a collection of old books between a special rock he found when he was very young, and a good sized amethyst crystal. The books are from my childhood and my mother's childhood: Charlotte's Web, fairy tales, Misty of Chincoteague, Huckleberry Finn, etc. Arrayed around them are representations of the male energy: Shiva, Buddha, a goat statue, a sun. Also a real horseshoe from his grandfather's farm, and several Dancing Bears (little Grateful Dead sprites).

On a nearby wall are two paintings I made of merpeople, a male and a female, surrounded by frames covered in gilded shells. The male holds a trident (phallic symbol), the female holds a box.

I don't have any other proper altars, but as I am a packrat and love to collect, I have some neat things arrayed around the house. My favorite goddess is actually a local African diety statue. She is called Eximansa, and she stands over 3 feet tall. She is seated, and nursing her baby. She has a big broad head to show the breadth of her love for her baby. She has cornrows, and tattoos on her face and breasts. I love this representation of a nursing mom, as I am somewhat tired of the technicolor rennaisance Mary/Jesus ones you see all the time.

Behind her on the wall, is another African sculpture. It is the head and shoulders of a mother, with a baby on her front and a toddler peeking out of a pack on her back!

We have a greenish candle shaped like Buddha on the headboard of our bed, which is a large shelf. Shells are arrayed on either side of him. Above on the wall is a pastel copy I made years ago, of a Dante Gabriel Rossetti painting. The subject is Beatrice, perhaps you've seen it. She is sitting seemingly in ecstasy, hands cupped to receive a poppy from a crowned dove. In front of her sits a wall with a sundial. Behind are 2 figures, one dark in shadows near a well, one bright in a pink robe, with a fruit tree. Between them and beyond, a vision of a celestial city (my interpretation). It is a very mysterious painting.

The best types of altars with children around are the kind they creat themselves. we have lots of littel collections of rocks and leaves and whatever else we pick uo while we are outside. we also have pictures of loved ones and favorite crystals and other knick-knacks. there is a great book called the seasonal tableau. It has instructions for making seasonal fairies and other little people throughout the year. Paganism is not about what color candles you burn or what chants you know. It is about living in harmony with nature and honoring her when ever you can. Goddess Bless

I feel soooo much better now! :love I've never had the horizontal space to commit to an altar ~ or so I thought! I've got all my sacred pieces with candles and insence on my bedroom table, the kids have a dresser, covered with rocks, flowers, crystals, etc... I guess I just need to change my vocabulary!!

I just made a cool discovery, the ex-DH of my bestest friend always called me Fryana. Not having much meaning. Until now! I've discovered Freya, my new favorite goddess! I may just be the perfect combination of Freya and Diana ~ and he just thought it sounded funny! :rotflmao

:grouphug Thanks gals!

Our altar (well, it's actually mine but I think DH kinda digs it and DS. well...he want's everything on it.) It is a shelf/mantle wich DH made and bgean as our *fireplace* in our apartment. The Permanent objects are a print of Mother Earth, an ceramic candle holder which holds each seasonal candle, my moonstone and a ceramic bowl which holds water (if i ever have my act together when it rains I catch rain water in it.) Also is a ceramic image of Kuan Yin who holds a photo of my son. Everything rests on a crochet doily which my grandma -who is in the spirit realm now gave me. Then, I rotate with images of goddesses whom I am celebrating, honoring or praying to at the time. Also rotating are crystals and stones, again seasonal, or celebrational. I also rotate our nature art according to the season or celebration.

DS and I have then, as a separate entity have created a nature table which holds whatever nature happens to come our way. Way cool - one month we found 4 amazing bird feathers - which I've never in my life found before. Haven't yet discovered the meaning and message I was getting. A bluejay, a red-tailed hawk a nuthatch (I think) and a Dove. So Incredible cool! This month is ocean month and our nature talbe is covered with shells and sand (as wellas our apartment) and a bowl ow water.

What great fun it has been reading what everyone else does!
Blessings,
Joyfulliving

I just started my altar last night. I cleared off the desk in my bedroom that I inherited form my grandmother. On it so far I have a glass bowl with water and floating candles (made the candles myself). For now I have 3 white ones to honor God, Sophia and Christ. I am using small ceramic chimney for insence. I also have a petwer sun bowl (actually a candle holder) with sea salt in it.

I want to add a Lunar Modonna plaque, a Sophia deity statue and a set of praying hands that were on my grandmothers casket. There were 4 sets of removable hands, one on each corner. They were made to come off as a token of remeberace. I need to find or make a wooden stand to put them on.

I found another great site for altar items. Check this one out, but hold onto your credit cards!!!

http://www.talariaenterprises.com/

If we ever get our walls finished and our art collection up, the whole house will feel like an altar.:p

As it stands now, the blind corner by my kitchen sink is my altar. The base is a squared stone from the demolished pool I worked at through college. I was fortunate to find it left behind when the site was cleared, and I tramped through ALOT of mud to get it too. I have some other stones that were either gifts or found, a couple of Mother statues: one nursing, other playing with her little girl; found feathers; and for Fall some leaves in various stages of color change. I also have a bowl from the Empty Bowls supper we went to once and a homemade(by someone else) chalice-like clay cup.

The mantel DH wanted so badly and put up would be another, but he keeps using it to put things on!:(

DH keeps putting stuff on my manetl-Altar as well!!!!! to name a few - nail clippers, grape stems, pencil sharpener. He puts stuff up there sort of absend-mindedly when he want's it out f DS's reach so I'm very understanding as it is the only truly out-of reach place anymore in the living room. ;)

Joyfulliving

My Daughter (age 3) has her own altar. She puts it where ever she pleases. It is made up of an old drink coaster with sea shells imbedded in it, a tea light candle, a small wooden stick incense burner, & a Pentacle. She also has Sculpy representations of God/dess. & yes, she loves to make little ones all over the house. She is not able to leave a pinecone outside. (We are trying to tell her that the squirrels would really like it if she left them outside for them to eat!!!) Anyway, yes, I think that my house is really an Altar in itself.

OK, I am loosing track of this tiny message, it is late, & I am tired!!! ZZZzzz...

Look forward to getting to know you all!

Blessed Be Rhie

:rotflmao :rotflmao
I have to laugh at all of our dh's leaving their crap on our altars!!!!
I honestly thought it was just MINE.....I can't wait to let him know he is not alone, nor am I in my "nagging" him to find his own space!! I deliberatly leave him bowls, baskets, little plates etc to put his stuff in and he still leaves it on our family altar or the kid's nature tables!!!
We try to do a seasonal nature table and just kind of keep adding to it as objects find us.
I have not gotten into the swing of celebrating the sabbats and moons since before the baby, sooooooo that is an intention I have for this year.
And thanks aLOT ARduinna for the killer shopping pages....
Hey, I know, we can all use this as intention for manifesting more money and abundance for our altars and families!!!!
blessings
Deb

:rotflmao :rotflmao
I have to laugh at all of our dh's leaving their crap on our altars!!!!
I honestly thought it was just MINE.....I can't wait to let him know he is not alone, nor am I in my "nagging" him to find his own space!! I deliberatly leave him bowls, baskets, little plates etc to put his stuff in and he still leaves it on our family altar or the kid's nature tables!!!
We try to do a seasonal nature table and just kind of keep adding to it as objects find us.
I have not gotten into the swing of celebrating the sabbats and moons since before the baby, sooooooo that is an intention I have for this year.
And thanks aLOT ARduinna for the killer shopping pages....
Hey, I know, we can all use this as intention for manifesting more money and abundance for our altars and families!!!!
blessings
Deb

For all of you who have spouses who put things on your family or personal Alters, I have to ask this. Is the spouse Pagan as well??? Would seem not. And does your spouse think this is a phase you will grow out of??? Would seems so.

:confused:

Blessed Be Rhie

Well, I also guilty of putting non altar items on the altars. Out of reach, or within reach of me. Dh does the same adn he is pagan, too.
Everything we use is sacred. Everything has its own sacredness imbued in it. Just by using it and loving it, it is sacred, thus any and allthings put upon the altar are all right.
Getting close to time for changing the altar.
Do you find sometimes to not have enough room? Things explode out around the house. IMbues each area w/ the sacred energy.
B*B*
h

found another interesting sounce of possible altar items

http://www.designtoscano.com/index.jsp

Forgot about this one. Oh the torture, lololol

reproduction oil lamps from about 300 bce

http://www.eganbronze.com/

Even though I have always collected meaningful stones/talismans/natural things etc., this is the first time I've intentionally put things together. I hadn't called it an "altar" before, but I guess that's what it is in actuality!

On my entertainment center top, I have (in addition to a lamp & some family pictures) a green candle for creation/creative endeavors (pregnancy), gourds & nuts to celebrate the season of harvest, a home blessing coin, a Sheila Na Gig I bought in Avebury, England; English coins & Euros in small sparkly piles, and white sage in a wide seashell that I burn each morning.

On my dresser top, I have two different collections.

One is an altar for my future babe(s). It's two beautiful empty picture frames bought with money from my grandmother (who is in ill health) that surround a purple "peace" candle on a black lace piece folded into a triangle (a lesbian symbol, originally used in the Holocaust, now being reclaimed as a positive symbol of endurance & strength), with two pieces of incense (from a pack I had lit one evening of amazing sex and romance).

Also on my dresser is a small circle of a seashell (picked up off the beach when I found out the day I was pregnant but miscarried days later), a perfect clear crystal, a goddess pendant, a piece of chalk rock from Avebury Henge in England, a small piece of rock with the picture of a standing stone that I picked up at Stonehenge in England, and a small angel statue that I stepped on in a parking lot at work a few years ago (thought it was curious, just sitting out there all alone in a parking lot - and then for me to STEP on it, I had to take her home with me).

I also practice some Feng Shui, the art of placement.

I really believe intentions and belief are strong things and to some extent, create our reality. That is what all these things mean to me... reminding me of special places, special people, things I want to bring into my life etc. They are all physical representations of prayers...

:hippie

Those oil lamps are SO COOL!

It just went on my Christmas wish list!

Neato!

:hippie

madison--

I liked your description of altar sacred objects.

Wanted to comment on the triangle symbol. I don't see it as a lesbian symbol, but a symbol for all females. i have a Celtic triquetra tattooed on my back, and a pendant of same. it is an inverted equilateral triangle, done in a knot design. it was a symbol for the Goddess. the info I have says witches would wear it as a secret symbol, when witches were being persecuted in Europe.

Also, the women of India call it the yoni. I found a great book on Traditional Indian jewelry, and there are so many yoni symbols worn. One photo is just wonderful, it shows a toddler and all she is wearing is a yoni pendant, hanging from a belt over her real yoni! It offers protection for this vulneralbe area from evil spirits. they are often decorated with flowers or the moon, for fertility.

Originally posted by madison
Those oil lamps are SO COOL!

It just went on my Christmas wish list!

Neato!

:hippie

eenie, menie, miney, mo.....how to choose?? I want the Ionian

So anyone getting ready to change their altar for the season?? Or are you waiting??

Because I get so incredibly excited for my Yule/Winter altar, I MakE myself wait until after Thanksgiving to change it. But you bet I'm thinking about it!!! Our whole apartment becomes a walk-in altar. I can smell the balsam and feel that prickly Holly already. Our white lights go up this weekend though.

Looking forward to hearing from the others!

Blessings,
Joyfulliving

here are some more altar item resources:

http://www.architectural-heritage.co.uk/indexes/architecturalhea.html

http://www.statue.com/index.asp?CartId=78-ACCWARE-91850CXLSO819

http://www.statues.com/

have fun looking, man I really want to win the lottery so I get some stuff from architectural heritage!!!!

Found this new book on Amazon

Goddess at Home: Divine Interiors Inspired by Aphrodite, Artemis, Athena, Demeter, Hera, Hestia, and Persephone
by A. Bronwyn Llewellyn

bumping

I;ve noticed some of the links have expanded their offerings, lolol.

bumping

We've got a permanent one in our room, and a one that reflects the Wheel of the year in the dining room on the table. The permanent one has my first Beltane crown, candles, a pendant of the Goddess that I made, and things that represent the elements. My kids will add sometimes to the seasonal one, and we build other ones as needed. Such as when my daughter's cat was struck by a car on the highway we built a memorial altar to his image and to the spirit of cats everywhere :) Kristi

:lurk:
Great thread. I may have to get an altar together myself. I have a meditation room upstairs. It would be wonderful to gather up my things and make an altar in there.
My witches circle gets together regularly and we always do an altar together with items from nature, figurines, etc. It's great fun.
Thanks for the thread!