What is an Altar?

Having an altar in your home is one way in which you can connect to the sacred and your spirituality on a daily basis. Here are some tips on how you can get started. Whether it’s sacred time, place, relationships, there is a human craving for that which is to be revered and respected. Having an altar in your home is one way in which you can connect to the sacred and your spirituality on a daily basis.

An altar is a sacred space or place that is used for ritual or honoring some aspect of the Divine. Altars have been used for millennia in religious ceremonies and holy architecture. Traditionally the site of a sacrifice or ritual, altars are typically associated with making offerings to god, goddess or Source. Each religious tradition has their own version of an altar. For example, in the Catholic tradition, an altar is at the front of the church and it is where the bread and wine are held. Altars represent a way to connect with your spirituality. Altars can be found in many places including a Buddhist temple, a home, a garden, a yoga studio, and many other places.

Your altar is an outer representation of your inner self. It’s a way of honoring yourself by having a place that is solely yours and represents your ideals. Over time, just entering into the space of the altar has an effect on your energy and mood.

The Setting of Your Altar

Altars are usually built or created on a flat or raised surface. Your altar could be on a small table or platform, but it could also be on a shelf or tabletop. Whether you make a small altar or a large one, keep your special space dedicated to its purpose. Place protective boundaries around the area, and keep it clear and clean of debris and clutter.

What Goes on My Altar?

Here is a list of items that you can choose to include on your altar but it is important to make it your own so this is just some suggestions to get you started.

1. Sacred Items
You determine what makes an item sacred. It could be a bracelet your young child made for you, or a handkerchief that was passed down from your great grandfather. If the item has significance to you and brings you feelings of celebration, peace, love, or inspiration, it’s a good choice.

2. The Five Elements of Nature
Some traditions suggest that you represent the five elements on your altar as a way of harmonizing the nature around and within you. For example, live flowers in a vase represent the earth and water elements, and candles represent the fire, air, and space elements.

3. Something for Each of the Senses
Feed your senses by providing “food” for each of them. Simply making your altar beautiful is a feast for the eyes, and a small bell or instrument creates sound that carries its energy to the ears. For smell, light a scented candle or incense, or use essential oils. Depending on your spiritual practice items of food might be appropriate.

4. Statues
Statues represent the qualities that you’d like to cultivate in yourself with statues of the deities. These statues can come from any religion or culture as long as they mean something to you.

Some popular suggestions are the elephant-headed Ganesha (the remover of obstacles), Saraswati (the Hindu Goddess of the arts and knowledge), and Hanuman for his devotion and love. In Tantric philosophy, the deities aren’t considered anything outside of you, but represent aspects of your own human nature. Quan Yin is the Buddhist Goddess of compassion, for example, and can help you manifest empathy and love within your own heart. Mary (mother, compassion and unconditional love) from the Christian tradition is a favorite along with Quan Yin. Whatever calls to you is meaningful.

5. Mala or Prayer Beads
Place your mala or rosary beads on your altar when they’re not in use. Hanging your beads on your statues keeps their energy sacred.

6. Yantras
Yantras are visual representations of deities and can help with meditation. They are patterns of geometric shapes and symbols that help focus your mind and represent specific deities in Hindu culture.

7. Oracle Cards or Pieces of Art
Place your oracle deck, or certain cards, on display on your altar. Small pieces of art that inspire and encourage you also bring positive energy and blessings to your space.

8. Sacred Texts
An important part of any spiritual journey is the study of the Self through sacred texts. Any text (like the Bible, A Course in Miracles, The Bhagavad Gita, or The Yoga Sutras) could have a special home on or near your altar. Make them accessible so they can be a regular part of your spiritual rituals.

9. Journal
Along with your sacred texts, you can have your journal and special pens on your altar. If writing is a part of your practice, keep a special journal that holds within it your blessed energy.

10. Photos
Photographs of your teachers, guru, children, or relatives helps to bring you into a state of oneness with those who inspire you and have helped you come to the current moment. By adding these photos to your shrine, you are celebrating your mentors, teachers, and the people in your life that have challenged you and made you who you are today. I include my past and present pets.

What Do I Do with My Altar?

Making the altar is an important part of the practice, but it is simply décor until you use it for your spiritual practice. With your intention, your altar becomes the special space at which you experience your personal rituals. Prayer, ceremony, meditation, and chanting will “feed” the items on your altar with powerful energy, which will in turn “feed” you each time you return.
One of the nice things about having a home altar is that it is an ever-present part of your experience, and each time you walk by it, you can receive some of its energy. It can also call to you to drop into moments of connection throughout your day.

Some people like an altar that changes with the seasons or the Wheel of the Year. It should be a focus of you and your practice. I also like small altars in different locations around the house for a special purpose or to remember someone special.

Your altar helps you stay connected to the intentions you set for your day and your life. Enjoy the process and receive more peace, calm, and love in every area of your life. Anything that helps you feel closer to your Divine nature is worthwhile, so be flexible, curious, and creative in how you curate the details. Let the sacred around you reflect the sacred within!