So You Wanna Make an Altar? Start With This One Key Ingredient

Hello Friends!

Over and over again, I’m asked about one of the most personal (and in my opinion, powerful) foundations of a spiritual practice: the altar.

The topic of altars is highly subjective and will vary from person to person. But there is really only one thing that matters when you’re making an altar.

Intention.

Where attention goes, energy flows. Your altar is basically a giant blinking light screaming to the Universe — Hellloooo! I’m here! Pay attention to me! Which means your altar holds more power than you think.

So here are six tips on creating an altar space that will actually work for you.

In the broad scheme of things, an altar is a space we intentionally create to foster connection and practice ritual. This is most often done by collecting items that carry emotional significance, a sense of importance, or energetic memory.

Here are few examples of altars you might unknowingly have in your home:

• A table top filled with family photos is an altar toward love and shared human connection.

• A shelf filled with trinkets or mementos is an altar toward the past, memories, and nostalgia.

• A mantlepiece that showcases art or meaningful possessions is an altar toward your style, home, and personality.

The key ingredient does not contain a speck of religious ideation — instead it speaks to intention. When you intentionally gather objects, these items become more than just “stuff.” The energy you feel toward this “stuff” creates its own vibration, and this is where the magick begins:

• You walk by the grouping of family photos and feel love for those closest to you.

• You pick up a trinket and recall a happy memory.

• You dust your mantelpiece with a sense of pride for your home and its reflection of you.

Now, imagine if you created an altar surrounding a super-specific intention, one of your own desired choosing. Imagine how powerful that would be.

If you’re interested in creating a connection to Spirit — be it to your guides, ancestors, a deity, or your higher Self —creating an altar is an important first step. But not all altars are created equally. Here are a few common examples of different spiritual altars:

Deity or Devotional Altar - This altar is dedicated to a certain deity, such as Hekate, Lilith, Buddha, etc. Items are placed here to honor the deity, and given as offerings through rituals, devotion, and prayer. In return, you ask for guidance, knowledge, or assistance.

Ancestral Altar - This altar is dedicated to your own blood and bone, those in spirt from your direct lineage. Items placed here can honor your heritage, while also providing a direct connection to your ancestors. In return, ancestral spirit guides often provide peace, protection and guidance in return. (Stay tuned for more about ancestral work, I’ll definitely be writing more about it as we approach Samhain!)

Spell Altar - This altar is specifically meant to bring about an intention through ritual and spell work. Offerings are chosen carefully to help further your intention and are ultimately meant to create desired outcome. This altar may also serve as a working space for your rituals and spells.

Household Altar - This altar is meant to honor your house spirit, or in a more general sense, can be a way to show off your style, personality, and decor. The aforementioned mantlepiece is a perfect example of a household altar. (Check out my recent post about house spirits for more information.)

Meditation Altar - This altar is a safe, quiet space to practice meditation. This is sort of a “sub-altar” category, because most often people will naturally use their altars as a space for centering and reflection. However, if you meditate on the regular, creating an altar around it can help you stay focused and aligned with your practice.

Seasonal Altar - This altar is dedicated to Mother Nature and can be used to honor the passing of the season. It is often used to celebrate various sabbats, like the recent Mabon/Autumn Equinox. However, a case could be made that your autumn decorations or Christmas decor from Home Goods are seasonal altars. Below is an example of one of my Yule altars, which looks notably Christmas-y :)

Now that you know the type of altar you want to create, you have a very important question to answer: where do I put my altar?

In regards to location, your altar can be anywhere. My altar space is located in a corner of my office. I store all of my supplies on several shelves that I use interchangeably, while a set of nesting tables that I found at a yard sale allows me to set up and take down altars easily. (For fellow thrifters out there, creating an altar is a perfect excuse to go shopping!)

However, your altar might be a located on shelf, a desk, or even the kitchen table. All that matters is your altar’s location feels safe, peaceful, and personal.

Lastly, you will likely want to put your altar in a space where you spend a fair amount of time. Most ritual work requires lighting candles and you never want to leave a burning candle unattended. (Trust me on this — I’ve left the house and had to run home many a time due to a silly little tea light I left burning on my altar.)

When choosing items to go on your altar, intention matters (as it always does). Although I’m not going tell you what to put on your altar, here’s a non-exhaustive list of common altar items:

• Candles

• Crystals and rocks

• Flowers, leaves, pinecones (anything from the natural world)

• Incense

• Family keepsakes or mementos

• Photos, cards, pictures, images

• Figurines

• Trinkets

• Tarot or oracle cards

• Cauldron or fireproof bowl

• Dried herbs and flowers

• Oils and potions

• The list goes on and on

How much time you spend at your altar depends on your unique practice and the purpose your altar serves.

If you’re brand new to this, my suggestion would be to start slowly. Allow yourself to get into a rhythm — find time to check in with yourself at your altar, whether it’s daily, weekly, or monthly. You can use this time to meditate, journal, pull Tarot or oracle cards, honor the Moon cycle, or simply practice awareness. Even if you do nothing more than clean your altar, you’re still dedicating time and energy to a space that is just for you.

As you tend to your altar, pay attention to what it feels like to be in the space. This could be as simple as noticing to the scent of incense you like best or which crystal you constantly reach for. It could be journaling the messages, downloads, or feelings that pop in during your meditation or centering.

My hope is, eventually, you’ll begin to recognize how your vibration changes when you are at your altar space. This small shift holds meaning than you think — you’re cultivating a connection to your most authentic self, your core self, your highest self. And that is TRULY powerful stuff!

If you’re interested in understanding the importance of altars from an astrological lens, look to your 3rd House. The 3rd House rules communication, short trips, and day-to-day life, but it also rules Goddess rituals. In fact, in traditional astrology the 3rd House is known as the “House of the Goddess” because of the sacred nature of daily ritual and self-nourishment.

If you have planets in the 3rd House, these planets will provide more information as to what type of altar you may want to create. For example, I have both the Sun and Venus in Leo in the 3rd House, and I find both vitality (Sun) and pleasure (Venus) from my altars. Writing about altars is also a medium for self-expression, a notable Leo keyword.

If you don’t have planets in the 3rd House, fear not, look to the sign and house location of the planetary ruler and that will give you more information.

If all of this is going over your head, and you’d be interested in a more in-depth explanation on the connection between the 3rd House and ritual, comment below!

With Love,

Jersey
Pine Tree Magick

P.P.S. - My books are now open for October! As a heads up, I am beginning to phase out written readings— book one soon before they are gone! www.pinetreemagick.com