Body as Sanctuary: Altar Practices for Tapping Into Source

The witch's altar is a place for honing, tending, and returning to center. This altar is where our pleasure lives, acting as both an energetic anchor and a landmark in the wilderness—when an altar space is nourished, it nourishes us. When we need to come back to ground in our values, our desires, and our core magic, an altar offers both the shelter and the sanctuary we require to turn inwards and reflect without fear of treading too deeply into the woods without a guiding light. Much like a flower bed or a plot of rich soil, these magical spaces allow our magic to flourish, and like a torch, they illuminate the path ahead.

In the summer months, the altar is as much a witch's workspace as it is a place to bask, revel, and celebrate. This practice will look different for every magical babe, but dancing naked by candlelight, eating yummy snacks while journaling about a recent accomplishment, or offering yourself sensual self-touch with a favorite pleasure tool are all tremendously juicy options! The altar space is infused with our own individual magic—this is your place to bloom, babe—but an altar can also act as a sanctuary for guides, plant and animal allies, ancestors, and beloved dead. The altar is, at its core, a site of magical collaboration, and when we invite our guides to join us in this sanctuary to ground in a shared orientation towards pleasure, we tap back into Source connection.

During the abundance of the summer season, we can stoke this connection by intentionally spending time at altars in honor of our bodies, our abundance, our ancestral lineage, and our inner cycles.

Altar Attunement Ritual for Tapping Into Source

As summer rises in a crescendo of light, warmth, and full blooms, so too does our magic—and with it, an increased attunement to our surroundings, our bodies, and our connection to Source. One of the most profound impacts of summer and the deepening of the light is on the renewed vibrancy of our intuition. The call to tap back into source, come home to our bodies, and re-center ourselves in our juicy magic is never quite as clear as in the summer season. Use this altar attunement ritual to hone in on your body's messages, and revitalize the connection between your magic, your altar space, and your body.

You will need:

1. A cup of tea

2. A white candle

3. A body-safe ritual oil (Core or Deep Light works wonderfully!)

4. Your altar space

Plunk yourself down in your altar space when the light is bright, and your energy is high. Assemble all of your ritual tools before you. Before you begin, hold your ritual oil in your hands and close your eyes. If you're sitting in direct sunlight, bring your attention to the soft, reddish glow of your eyelids. How does your body feel in the presence of this altar you've created? If you've invited guides, ancestors, or spirits into this altar space, what energies do they offer to this sanctuary?

Uncap your ritual oil and inhale its scent—be as present as possible with your body's reaction to this sensual experience. What memories are rising to the surface? If you've used this ritual oil before, what is your relationship with it? If this oil is new to you, visualize the excitement and eagerness of the plant allies in the very bottle you're holding. Express your gratitude to them for their part in this magic, and for invigorating your body and altar space.

When you're ready, start by taking some of your ritual oil and applying it to the insides of your wrists—then dap a bit of that same oil on your white candle, and a bit more on the outside of your mug (not the inside, you don't want to drink your ritual oil!) Finally, light your candle, sip on your water, and close your eyes. Imagine the oil warming, dissolving, and absorbing into you and your magical tools. Visualize this warmth as a string of light tethering you to your magical sanctuary like the glowing roots of a tree. Thank your tools for sharing in this connection with you!

While you're still sitting at your altar, do some journaling about the experience of collaborating with your magical tools to connect back to yourself. How do you feel after your ritual? Know that there are no wrong answers here, babe.