Sacred Space: How to create an altar for spiritual practices
An altar serves as a visual point of focus for our spiritual practices such as meditation, any kind of energy work, setting intentions, repeating affirmations or journaling. An altar is a sacred space – a physical way to connect to the spiritual world. Creating an altar is therefore a spiritual activity too that’s best to carry out mindfully and with intention.
There are a couple of different approaches to having a sacred space in your home. Some people like having their sacred space in a part of their home on a more permanent basis. It’s often a room, an attic, or a corner of the bedroom where they always go to relax, or meditate and where they store their meaningful items. There are also those who prefer to create unique altars for each specific practice or occassion. They may not feel the need or have enough space to keep an altar in their house on a permanent basis. Then, there are those of us who might do both: have a “permanent” sacred space, and create specific altars for different practices too.
Before you start setting up your altar consider if it’s something you’d like to keep or if you’re creating one for a specific occassion.
How to create an altar?
There are several types of items that you can place on your altar so take any of the below points as suggestions. Follow your intuition and choose the items that you feel drawn to.
1. Altar cloth
If you’d like to place a cloth on your altar, consider using natural materials such as cotton, silk, bamboo fibre and wool.
2. Symbols of the 5 elements
Our altar can helps us connect to the power of five elemenets. If you’d like to include that in your practice, choose at least one symbol for each of the elements. Below are some ideas you can use, but don’t feel limited by these suggestions:
Earth element – it is considered to be passive, because it doesn’t “do” anything actively. It is an element of groundedness, nourishment, materiality, stillness, and potential. It can be represented by a rock, crystals, a dish of soil or salt.
Air – is the elements of communication, new beginnings, ideas and creativity. It moves quickly, changes often and is self-aware. It can be represented by an incense, feather, sage, handheld fan, a chain of tinkling bells.
Water – is an element of emotions and uncoscious mind. Water is gently, calming, and healing. It can be represented by seashells, a jar of moon juice, sea water, rainwater, rosewater, or simple a glass of tap water,
Fire – is an element of power, heat, strength and light. It is puryfing and it fuels our passion and fighting spirit. It can be represented by a candle, lighter or matches, a small sculpture shaped like the sun or other star.
Spirit / Ether – the element of pure energy, potentiality, infinity. On a classic yoga altar it can be represented by a bell as it’s associated with sound (throat chakra). Other possibilities include a symbol “OM”, or symbols representing the Universe.
3. Meaningful items
Choose any items that have a special meaning to you: a piece of jewellery, a book, photographs, sculptures, a piece of art, crystals, a deck of tarot/angel cards, affirmations, mala beads or anything else that you wish. These items that are meanigful to you have a specific energy about them that resonates with you. By placing them on the altar you’re bringng this energy into your sacred space.
4. Flowers
Fresh flowers breathe oxygen into our sacred space. They bring life into our practice and they symbolise health, and vitality. If you can, place some fresh flowers or potted plants on the altar.
5. Journal and pen
If you write as a part of your spiritual practice, you can place your journal on your altar as well.
6. Spiritual symbols
Choose any symbols or items that help you connect with your spiritual self: it can be a religious pictrue or a sculpture, a photo of your guru, a painting of a saint, mala beads or rosary beads, Mother Earth statue, offering bowl.
7. Any other objects that you feel drawn to
Final tip
Cleanse and protect the energy of your sacred space. You can do it by smudging sage or palo santo, using bells, chanting, and spraying water with diluted essential oils. Place protective crystals such as selenite, and plants on your altar to protect the energy.