How to Create and Use a Sacred Spiritual Altar at Home

YYour how-to guide on creating and using a sacred spiritual altar at home, like where to have it, what to put on it, and how to use your altar.  

Dear Spirited Earthling,

A sacred spiritual altar is a dedicated space within your home that is set up for spiritual purposes and practices. Your altar can include a collection of symbolic and meaningful items that are arranged with the intention of creating a sacred and spiritually charged atmosphere. The purpose of a sacred altar is to provide a focal point for meditation, prayer, rituals, and other spiritual practices. Your altar is a place you can manifest in, heal in, and feel safe in.

“An altar is like an airport where spirits take off and land.” ~ Steven Chuks Nwaokeke

How to Create a Sacred Spiritual Altar at Home

TThis is your how-to-guide on creating a sacred spiritual altar at home, answering the common questions people have when creating and using one.

Where to Have Your Spiritual Altar

Your altar is a sacred space and should be somewhere that won’t be disturbed. It should be a place where you can be in peace. Having a mindful space in your home is an easy mindfulness practice to start doing today.  

Your mindful sacred space could be in a part of a room that you can relax in, an entire room, or in your garden. This space will become charged with positive energy, and you will feel it more over time as you sit there.

What to Put on Your Spiritual Altar

Our human connection to the four elements runs long and deep. Bringing these elements to your spiritual altar is important. Include symbols of the five elements – water, fire, earth, air, and spirit.

• Water has healing and reflective energy and connects to your intuition. Symbols for water can be a glass of water or tea, a bowl of water, a shell, or something blue.

• Fire opens creative and sexual energy, and also brings the energy of strength and protection. Symbols for fire can be lighting a candle, a piece of wood, a wand, a heat source, a dagger, or something red.  

• Earth is the feminine energy of grounding and security. Symbols for earth can be a crystal, rock, bowl of dirt, a plant, or something green.

• Air is the masculine energy of wisdom, knowledge, and clarity. Symbols for air can be a feather, sage, incense, bell, sound bowls.

• Spirit connects our self and soul with source. Symbols for spirit can be a mirror, a photo of you or ancestors.

Making your altar beautiful to you, attracts high-vibration spiritual energy. Other things you can put on your spiritual altar at home can include:

• Sacred items that have feelings of love, peace, and inspiration for you.

• Sacred texts like the Bible or Bhagavad Gita.

• Prayer beads like the rosary or mala beads.

• Deities / Saints in the form of photos or figurines.

• Photos of you, family, teachers, gurus, spiritual figures.

• Cards like oracle cards and affirmation cards.

• Offering bowl for offerings you may want to present, like flowers or food or herbs.

 To activate your five senses, add something for each sense:

• Appreciating the beauty of your altar is amplified each time you see it.

• Incense, candles, and essential oils trigger your sense of smell.

• A bell or drum, or playing special sound frequencies, connects your sense of hearing to the space.

• A blanket used only in this space, or holding crystals and prayer beads bonds you to the altar through touch.

• Drinking a glass of water or herbal tea while at your altar initiates your sense of taste.

You can move things around your altar as you feel the need to. Or you can keep your altar in the same configuration always.

Keep a journal and pen next to your altar.

"Your sacred space is where you can find yourself over and over again." ~ Joseph Campbell

How to Use a Sacred Spiritual Altar at Home

Creating a ritual around your spiritual altar at home is important. This is your sacred space. Foster good energy at your altar by treating it with care and respect each time you spend time here.

1. Ground Yourself

Grounding yourself calms your mind, body, and soul in a way that opens your sacred space each time you sit at your altar:

·       Take a few slow and deep breaths, you can put one hand on your heart and one on your stomach.

·       Practice breathwork.

·       Burn sage or Palo Santo to cleanse and ground.

·       Ring a bell.

·       Light a candle.

·       Say a prayer.

2. Set Your Intention

Setting an intention at your spiritual altar is a powerful practice that helps you focus your energy and attention on a specific goal or purpose.

Why are you starting this sacred ritual at your spiritual altar? You can spend some time in quiet contemplation, meditation, or prayer. You can speak your intention aloud or silently in your mind. Visualise your desired outcome and feel the emotions associated with it. Use affirmations with words that state your intention has already been realised. For example, "I am grateful for the abundance in my life." Express gratitude for the blessings in your life and for the support you believe you'll receive in manifesting your intention.

Your intention could be seeking clarity on a situation, asking for guidance, needing help finding peace and letting go of something, or journaling in a safe and healing space. 

3. Start Your Sacred Space Ritual

Invite the energy and power of the four directions and five elements into your sacred space. Ask your angels, guides, a specific deity, and the Divine Spirit to join your space and be with you here.

Whom you ask to join is up to you. Some days you may be drawn to some elements more than others. And sometimes you may call on all the energies. There may be a deity that you are working with and will call on, and there may be phases where there isn’t one you call on specifically. Trust your intuition as to which energies you need at that time.

4. Take Action

Different intentions can call for different actions. Think of practical steps that align with your intention that you can take. Commit to acting on opportunities that will realise your visualisation. Journal without judgement. If you feel the need to move your body, move it – new energy is filling your body.

Resources that can help include journal prompts for dreams and goals, and setting out goals and related actionable steps.  

5. Say Thanks

Give gratitude to your angels, guides, deities, and the Divine Spirit who were with you in your sacred space. Thank the universal energies for supporting you. Be grateful for the blessings and guidance you receive.

“If you need some change and some clarity, go to your altar.” ~ Robin S. Baker

Things to Keep in Mind After Your Sacred Space Ritual

Journaling afterwards can be a helpful practice. It can help you process anything you want to let go of and what is not serving you. You can process things triggering you, holding you back, or making you feel insecure. It can also help you express your gratitude, explore your inspirations, and love your life. You can focus on the blessings you have and write you’re your dreams and manifestations.

If you are drawn to a specific element during your ceremony, think about interacting with that element more in daily life. When you are drawn to water, make sure you are hydrating, take a bath, and wear blue. When you are drawn to fire, light candles and spend time in the sun. When you are drawn to earth, take walks in nature, walk barefoot, garden, and hold crystals. When you are drawn to air, light incense and smudge sticks, ring a bell. When you are drawn to spirit, look at yourself in the mirror and give yourself a hug, talk to your ancestors, and pray.

Your sacred spiritual altar at home is a beautiful space that attracts and manifests positive energies in your life. This sacred space is for inspiration, guidance, healing, and protection. It is a place that can be what you need it to be.  By repeatedly holding space at your altar, you can feel a sense of calm each time you see it and especially when you sit at it. May this how-to guide on creating and using a sacred spiritual altar at home help you create and use one today.

"Each place is the right place--the place where I now am can be a sacred space." ~ Ravi Ravindra

Spirited Earthling is more than just a blog – it's a gathering place for kindred spirits drawn by an interest in self-discovery, the appeal of self-care, and a desire for a deeper connection to the world. Written and created for curious minds and spiritual hearts seeking meaning in everyday life, this blog aims to help you curate your wholesome personal growth with free weekly ideas and affordable resources for sale.

As you navigate your personal growth journey using the words and ideas shared here, consider sharing this blog with someone looking for inspiration or motivation on their own journey. We are all spirited earthlings, and can lift each other together with mindful, connected living.

Thank you for being part of this community.

Best wishes, warmest regards

Jordan

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