Altar Practices for Ritual and Connection: Calling Your Fullest Self Home

Rooting ourselves into our magical practice can take lots of forms. Dedicated time for meditation, investing in workshops and books about things that peak our interest, and creating bonds with like-minded community are all ways to invest in your pleasure! Another way to root yourself to your magic is to create a physical space to come home to by setting up an Altar.

Altars can fit in your pocket, or take up an entire building! They can be up for a few hours, or permanent installations. Every culture has a unique Altar practice and relationship to these sacred spaces. Altars are a place for spirit to land, a physical manifestation and invitation for your intentions and magic to arrive.

The most important part of crafting your Altar space is infusing it with your magical intention - invite in your creativity, your ancestors, and be guided by your intuition!

Think of your Altar as a soft landing spot for all those that love you unconditionally, and be intentional about tending to that space as if you were tending to an esteemed guest.

Crafting an Altar is a reflection of your sacred magic. These spaces capture your hopes, dreams, and intentions with physical symbols and adornments.

What would it be like to craft an Altar in your home that's a reflection of your fullest, blossoming self?

Would you speak loving words to it, look at it adoringly, share photos with your friends, dust and tidy it when necessary? By tending to your Altar, you are in direct, hands on relationship to your magic!

Nourish and tend to your altar (and in turn yourself) through these 3 practices:

Feed your Altar:

Make sure your ancestors, energies, and spirits are nourished in the same way you would nourish your sacred body. Add a cup of water, a small piece of chocolate, or whatever else is calling you on your Altar as a devotion and dedication to your Ancestors, your past, and your future self. Indulge in the same treats too, the magical container you live in needs to thrive on pleasure and treats too!

Pour your ancestors and yourself a cup of this grounding tea.

You'll need:

6 parts raspberry leaf

4 parts chamomile flower

2 parts rose petal

1 part ginger root

Combine your ingredients in an airtight jar. Steep 1-2 teaspoons in hot water, and sweeten as desired.

Clear your Altar:

Just like our energetic bodies need an occasional clearing, so to do our Altar spaces. Find a time that feels like an energetic reset for you - perhaps a new or full moon, the changing of the astrological energies, or the start of a new season - and dedicate time to clearing your space. Remove all your items, dust, wipe everything down with moon water or a magically infused cleaning vinegar, ring a bell or play some clearing music, burn a sprig of lavender or rosemary, and set yourself up with a refreshed altar!

DIY Infused Cleaning Vinegar

You will need:

Large jar

white vinegar

lemon peel (just the yellow part, no white pith!)

Intentional Botanicals

1. lavender / rosemary for clearing

2. rose for self love

3. mugwort for divination

4. jasmine for sensuality

Add your botanicals and lemon peel to a clean jar. Top with white vinegar, and store in a cool dry place for 1-3 weeks. When ready to use, strain. Then combine 1/2 infused vinegar with 1/2 distilled water (or water that has been boiled and cooled) and use to clear your surfaces and glass! Careful with wood, or any sensitive fabrics.

Adorn your Altar:

Adornment magic can extend and flow from your body to your space and back again with ease. When building an Altar to call in your fullest, most blossoming self, what kinds of adornment items call out to you?

Try:

1. Decking the surface with flower petals, swapping them out for fresh petals or bouquets every few days.

2. Setting your items on a special altar cloth

3. Add photos of ancestors or friends who make you feel seen and supported.

4. Add candles for color magic or ambiance

This space is yours to craft, create, and explore! Tag us in a photo of your altar adornments on Instagram!