Altars: How to Create a Sacred Space

Altars are a sacred space you can set up in your home to enhance your spiritual practice! They can be as elaborate or as simple as you want and can be in any room in your house. As you begin to use your alter you may find that even just being in its presence will have a calming effect on you.

What to Put on Your Altar:

When you are beginning your altar you may want to sit in silence and ask yourself ” What wants to be in this space”. You may be surprised what you are called to put there! Rule number one of altars is there are no rules! This is your space and whatever feels aligned for you is what should go on it. Some like to include items from the four elements of nature- fire, air, water and earth. So to spark some ideas for you let’s dive into some common items you can put in the alter:

Special Items:

This would be items that are sacred to YOU and have special meaning in your life. Items that make you feel joy or inspired when you see them. Some examples may be photos, childhood trinkets, a gift someone you love made you, a souvenir from your favorite trip, a note from a loved one.

Elements of Nature:

I also love including pieces of nature on my altar. From seashells to plants to flowers you can’t go wrong with this representation of nature. Shells symbolize water (water element) and the moon which helps you to become more expressive and calm. A feather (air element) is also wonderful on an altar and represents spirit and freedom. Flowers represent joy, growth and expansion and depending on which flower a more specific meaning. Some people also like to include twigs and branches to symbolize the grounding aspects of nature.

Crystals:

One of my favorite things to include on an altar is crystals! While each crystal (earth element) has a different meaning and purpose you can’t go wrong with whatever precious stone you are drawn to. For a little guide of some of my favorite crystals check out my blog post here.

Light:

Having light on your altar (fire element) is a beautiful way to welcome in spirit. For centuries it has been believed that candles help connect the physical world to the spiritual world. It is important that your candle is organic and natural and doesn’t have any artificial scents or chemicals in it. I use a plain candle and I bring in scent with my altar diffuser. I use essential oils such as adaptiv, lemon, lavender, balance and serenity depending on what I am trying to call in. We have a beautiful altar kit that these oils in it and a diffuser which you can purchase here.

Spiritual Representation:

If you feel connected to any spiritual symbols they are a good addition to your altar. Whether it’s a buddha statue, cross or Star of David you can place these as a nice focal point. Affirmation cards, prayers and mantras

How to Set up Your Altar

First you’ll need to decide what room to put your altar in. Mine is in my bedroom as this is the only space that’s remotely private #momlife. Then you’ll need to choose what you use for your altar such as a small table, cabinet, shelf or nightstand.

You want to keep your altar clean as this is your sacred space and many see as a metaphor for your life. As a place of manifestation you want to ensure its neat, dust free and beautiful to you! So if you are feeling out of sorts one thing you can do is clean and rearrange your altar. I also like to sage it and diffuse wild orange when doing this. This will shift your energy and send out a signal to the universe that you are ready for change.

How to Use Your Altar:

One way to use your altar is to use it as a place where you can connect with the divine/the universe. Whether you meditate, pray or do yoga to make this connection it can all be done next to or in front of your altar. You can also perform any rituals you like to do (full moon, new moon etc) with your altar. Having this physical space to do these rituals infuses extra meaning into them. If you need some ideas for rituals check out this blog post!

Another way to use it as a manifesting tool! You can put pictures or a vision board of thigs you want to call into your life on your altar. Using objects that represent what you want in your life are also great such as a heart shaped rock or rose quarts for love.

http://instagram.com/lightandlotusThe most important to remember is that this space is for you and can come to mean anything you’d like it to! Let it be a space that you come back to that provides peace and meaning in your life. I can’t wait to see your spaces! Tag me on instagram so I can see them.