Sacred Altars

An altar can hold space for our spirit, it can honor and create visual and energetic anchors for us as we practice caring for ourselves in deeper ways. They can be a visual reminder to us that yes, our inner world matters and yes, it deserves care, reverence and attention.

I began making altars on and around my art table in my bedroom during the pandemic when I was going through a very difficult time of transition in my life. I would go out on walks and find little pieces of nature I wanted to bring home with me…feathers, pieces of birch bark, stones, birds nests…some of those I would create art with in other ways like my fabric meditation books but many I would just want to have around me, like friends or quiet companions. I began placing beautiful pieces of cloth down on my table and putting those gathered pieces of nature on top of it, along with candles, cut out words, crystals…anything that I felt drawn to place together.

They began to appear on my window ledges and bookshelves in my bedroom too. At first I didn’t call them altars, they were just gatherings of what I found to be beautiful and inspiring. But eventually I realized that they were altars, sacred spaces to hold me steady, to anchor me to the deeper parts of me and the natural world, to help me feel a sense of peace and calm while internally I felt so much anxiety, fear and turmoil.

I recently began creating spontaneous altars for each of my Reiki clients before they arrive for a session at my healing space. I will begin to get intuitive nudges or whispers about what to include for them including colors, fabrics, crystals, sometimes oracle cards, sometimes other objects like feathers and stones. I will feel guided to place them in certain places and will get intuitive messages connected to them but won’t know if they truly resonate with the person until they arrive and we begin talking. The amazing thing is, what I am guided to choose always has a connection to something about them! It is such a fun healing and creative practice to share with people.

I also read a quote on an oracle card that said, “Adorn your body like an altar.” and I thought that was so beautiful! Since then, I have been inspired to often do that for myself and for clients before sessions, wearing certain colors and patterns, certain jewelry and what I am guided to wear always ends up holding some deeper meaning and connection with the client that supports them in some way.