image credit Clifton John Galasinao
Creating an Altar or Sacred Space
Creating and maintaining an altar can be a simple and effective way of shifting our focus from an outer world of doing to an inner world of being. An altar is any surface or area dedicated as sacred space that provides for a focus of spiritual intention. An altar doesn’t need to be fancy or ornate. Simplicity can actually help you to create focused intention.
Our intention for Soul Bridging is to create a place of rest, replenishment, delight, and discovery – in that way Soul Bridging itself could be considered an altar for Michelle and I. We carefully choose what contributes to it, in order that it holds the highest vibration possible. Through the energy of our intention we support connection, both for you internally through your personal work, but also through connection to wonderful and ordinary people doing soul work in the world.
Michelle and I want to share our personal altars with you in hopes that you will do the same. Let’s start a conversation about how we create sacred space in our everyday lives!
Michelle’s Altar
I have several altars in my home. Each of them hold sacred space that always reminds and calls me to remember who I am, and who I am called to be.
The altar in my creative workspace has a cloth from my Grandmother which represents all my ancestors. Placed on the cloth are two clay pieces; one, a woman representing the Divine Feminine and the other, a hand representing the Divine Masculine. Between them is a small basket that holds small gemstones that I use to offer prayers and intentions. I am committed to uniting these two energies within me.
Behind the cloth is a braid of sweet grass. Said to be the hair of Mother Earth, it is made of three braided strands representing love, kindness, and honesty, known by some as walking the Beauty Way. With the sweet grass is a sage stick. Sage medicine purifies and dispels negative energy. Quan Yin, the Goddess of Compassion, is to the left and she holds the door of compassion open always for me. On the right is a horse , a very important energy in my life – my journey with the horse invites me deeper into self discovery around true power, presence, friendship, and an indescribable love. Above my altar space I have placed my drum. It represents a renewed connection to rhythm and relationship that transports me in to greater connection to all that is.
My candles represent Spirit and serve as a reminder of my eternal connection to the light, as well as my commitment to continue to transform my darkness and bring the light to those places.
May you be inspired to create your own altar.
With love, depth, and beauty;
Michelle
.
Therese’s Altar
My altar space is a very simple table in my workspace at home. A statue of Quan Yin, the Bodhisattva of Compassion, is seated on a violet silk cloth with a candle behind her. Violet is the energy of bringing heaven to earth, and the candle is symbolic for bringing light into the world. Quan Yin carries the divine feminine (Sophia) energy of wisdom and loving kindness. I chose her to be the centerpiece of my alter to support me in being kind. I have a quick nature and this can be experienced by others as abruptness and impatience. Quan Yin’s presence serves as a reminder for me that I must always work through compassion and kindness to bring light into the world. Beneath the silk cloth and the alter are crystals that I sometimes use during meditation.
Next to the alter is my meditation space and burning bowl. During times of anxiety or stress, I will write my worries, fears, or unfulfilled hopes on a small piece of paper and place it in the bowl. When I am ready to let it go, I take the bowl outside and release them with fire.
We hope you will share your altar story. Sacred practices inspire others and your story may inspire someone else to make room for the sacred in their lives.
Love, light, and blessings;
Therese
Create Your Own Altar
A personal altar can be very easy to create. Choose a quiet space – a table, shelf, room, or even an area in nature will do. As you establish your altar space, it is important to set an intention that the space will be used to hold the energy of the divine. Light a candle, or burn incense to sanctify the energy of the space. As you select objects for your altar, choose meaningful items that represent, for you, your focused intention. They will serve as a regular reminder of what you are attempting to accent in your life. You may choose to cover your altar with a cloth, select a color or texture to the cloth that is symbolic or representative of intention. As you place the objects on your alter, focus your intention and infuse them with the power of your thoughts. Don’t be afraid to change your altar items over time. When new changes and challenges present, bring them to the altar for focused intention and inspiration.
What I want – what I’ve always wanted - is simple. I just want everyone around me to be happy. That’s all. This is part of what made walking the Camino so joyful. Julie, my traveling companion, is happy. There’s nothing I need to do to take care of her or to make her happy – she comes that way. And, like me, Julie is also happy when those around her are happy
The symbol for Capricorn is the mountain goat. Sure footed and steady he climbs the mountain of either material achievement or spiritual enlightenment, depending on his level of consciousness. Either mountain demands discipline, commitment, and an ability to focus on the goal. To use the energies of Capricorn
I never expected the theme of my time on the Camino to be joy. In fact I was preparing myself for grueling long walks that grew monotonous over the weeks and that would require me to dig deep into my resolve as I battered harsh rainy weather and longed for the comforts of home. There definitely were times that were hard and I was in pain with blisters and feeling sorry for myself, or tired. But that was such a small portion of the whole trip. By far the overriding emotion was joy. And the greatest discovery was realizing that I had the capacity to feel that much joy.
December 22 - January 19 Ruling Planet: Saturn Natural House: Tenth Element: Earth Related Areas of Life: Wisdom, Responsibility, Endeavor Key Words Authority ~ Ambition ~ Cautious ~ Hard-working ~ Organizing ~ Practical ~ Responsible ~ Serious ~ Structure ~ Tradition The Capricorn Glyph Capricorn, our 10th sign of the zodiac is represented by the Goat, or the mythical “Sea Goat”. The glyph could be considered one of the most unusual of the 12 signs, appearing as a representation of a mountain goat on top and a fish tail on the bottom. In the ancient world, the goat was considered an animal with a strong will and the capacity to live in high places. The fish tail is the contrast, representing what is hidden below the surface. Both of these blended together reflect the nature of the sign. Practical and hardworking Organized, practical, and hard-working, our Capricorn natives are those we know we can count on to get the job done. They have a tremendous sense of responsibility and will do whatever it takes to achieve the necessary outcome. These folks are more than willing to put in extraordinary effort, reflecting their determination and ambitious nature. To many Capricorns, [...]
When I think of Sagittarius I can’t help but envision a magnificent stallion galloping full out across the prairies, the rider full of energy, enthusiasm and optimism, destined towards his next adventure. Our mythological centaur, represented by half man and half horse, visually springs to life with rider and horse dashing forward, seemingly as one.
Winter and the Winter Solstice, in particular, is a time that asks us to go within and find a still point there. A point of light. The light may be difficult to find right now, within ourselves or within our world, but this is our task, to hold steady in that light and radiate it outward to a world in need. It’s been a difficult few weeks for many of us and it’s been a challenge to find our center amid so much division and separateness, but surely this is what we are being asked to do. To hold steady, to shine our light, to not give in to despair or hopelessness. We are not helpless. We have the power to affect the world situation and we can invoke the energy of Sagittarius to help us.