updated altar

I posted awhile back about how I was having difficulties with my altars: Creating one that was functional as well as aesthetically pleasing, making it something I could connect to, and most importantly, finding a place to actually put it! After a great deal of rearranging I was able to carve out a corner of the bedroom, and this is how it has looked for the past couple months. I am pleased.

On the wall above are pictures of God and Goddess forms I've felt an attraction to. From left to right: Persephone, Hekate, the Star Goddess, Freyja, Thor, Artemis, Shiva/Shakti, Dionysos, Durga. Framed are pictures representing God and Goddess, male/female duality, and the cycle of the seasons.

This altar feels a lot more personal and "me" than the last one, and I'm really happy with it. I feel very comfortable sitting in front of it -- and now it's actually at a position where I can sit, finally! I like all of the little trinkets. The goddess candle made for me (and other coven members) as a Yule gift by the head priestess of our coven, as well as a stone she gave me during my training period. A found key. A small wooden Artemis figure carved just for me, for winning a candle-making contest that was held to honor her light-bringing aspects.

I still plan to work on it a bit more, but now it has room to grow organically.

altars, as they were, and thoughts on the future

My main altar, as it was back in May of 2007. It was pretty, but I didn't use it as often as I wanted to -- partially because I was feeling something of a disconnect spiritually, and also partially because it felt more ornamental. A friend suggested that I meditate on what gods and goddesses I really wanted to have a relationship with, and also reminded me that my altar is as much for me as it is for them. I think that was a big part of my problem with this altar... it didn't contain much of myself.

A separate problem is the position of the altar (on my dresser), which is a bit awkward since I have to be standing the whole time I'm doing something. I would like an altar that I can kneel in front of of just for comfort's sake, but have no place in the house to set something like that up. I've been working on changing this altar around (it's quite deconstructed at the moment), but I'm also thinking I might need to have some tools and supplies stashed someplace in the living room too where I can just set them up on the floor as needed. It's the only area large enough to have a full circle anyway, so I think that's how it'll be. The bedroom altar will have to just be for devotionals.




I love my Aphrodite shrine, however. It's good as it is. :-)