Dear Pinkies, please welcome back Mojo Mentor and Pink Lovemuffin Extrordinaire Megan Monique Harner, here today with today’s Mojo Monday exercise and an inspiring piece about her profound experience with home altars. In honor of today’s MojoLIVE session about gratitude, we give thanks to the Universe, not only for the obvious blessings, but for the challenges that help us grow. Bows of thanks to you, Megan!
For as long as I can remember I have always been curious about religion and different acts of faith that bring you closer to God and yourself. I remember my mother looking at my strangely when I was little because I told her I would love to have my very own therapist. To me, having a therapist wouldn’t mean that I was trying to find out what was wrong with me, but it would allow me to view myself from an angle I had not yet seen.
Every year that gets added onto my life is another year in whichI learn more about who I really am, and about things that do or don’t work for me on a spiritual level. Recently I was introduced to home altar building through one of Lissa’s Owning Pink posts with a video from the Home Altar Building Workshop she led with Carmela Carlyle.
The concept of building a home altar was exciting to me although but was unaware of what revelations I would actually experience. I didn’t want to go into building my home altar blind, so I asked for a tool to help guide me through this process and was led to a book, Altars: Bringing Sacred Shrines Into Your Everyday Life by Denise Linn. At first I was taken aback by the word “shrine,” but decided to put my previous judgments aside and give it a go.
This book was just what I needed. It explained what altars are, how they help you, and how to build them. It also gives a vast number of examples of all the different kinds of altars you can build for different occasions in your life. Or maybe you have been struggling finding a way to combine all of your ‘slashes.’ Believe it or not, there is an altar you can build to help integrate the many talents of you and have them all work together in a sacred balance.
Creating Your Altar
Step 1: Decide What Your Altar Will Represent
It is important that your home altar represents who you are and what you live your life for. Whether you are wishing to transition something new in your life, find a new career, a new passion, meet a new significant other, or bring peace to your home, it is important that you are clear around your intentions so that the altar is at its most powerful. You can test this after the altar is created by sitting near the altar as if you were about to pray or meditate, and feel with your heart the energy it is conveys. You will know intuitively if you have completed your space.
Step 2: Pick A Location For Your Altar
The location of your altar is another important decision. Finding the space for your altar is just as important as the objects upon it. Make sure you choose a location that speaks to you — a place where you feel comfortable, safe and secluded. A high-traffic area would not be ideal for a meditation space. If your altar symbolizes bringing wealth to your household, you would place it in the far left corner (as you are looking into the room from the doorway). Love and marriage altars would go on the far right wall; fame, the wall opposite the doorway; career, somewhere near the door; self actualization, the near left corner.
Step 3 Choose Objects For Your Altar
I encourage altar building because it is a fabulous way to express your inner most desires, all the while having a blessed, sacred space for prayer and meditation. Depending on what kind of altar you create, you might include a variety of objects, all symbolizing different things. Bells- carry your past mind into your soul, Garlic- offers protection, Apples- health and vitality, Copper- transformation, Jasmine- beauty and joy, Octopus-ancient wisdom, Cedarwood-relaxing, Green- healing and balance, White- purity, and the list goes on and on. The object doesn’t necessarily need to have a textbook definition – you can create the symbolism yourself.
Where My Home Altar Took Me
It wasn’t until recently that I actually began praying. After creating my home altar, prayer took me to a whole other level. It was as if, when I created my altar, I made a place just for me and God. When I go there, I am attentive and express myself clearly.
I encourage you Pinkies to journey into creating your very own home altars. If you are unsure about what-all it entails (this post barely grazes the surface!), I would recommend purchasing Altars by Denise Linn. She will tell you all you need to know to create your perfect home altar.
Happy journeying Pinkies! Have a great Mojo Monday.
Sacredly yours,
Megan
Tags: altar, altars: bringing sacred shrines into your everyday life, denise linn, God, home altar, meditation, megan monique harner, prayer, sacred, shrine, symbolism, think pink
I hope you Pinkies enjoyed the read! I had fun writing it. My home altar has become such an important part of creating my day. Don’t hesitate to ask questions!
PS. The jar in the back of the photo is what I use to write messages of gratitude. I fold up the paper and place my ‘thanks’ in the jar!
Gorgeous altar! I particularly love the mirror….
Thanks for making something that is sometimes so mysterious much more accessible. It’s really a simple thing to make a little place just for you and God. I loved that, too. Perfect:)
Love, Light and Enlightenment
~Dana
Love this post, Megan, and I also love your altar. Particularly the arrangement of feathers – what kind are they? Think a gratitude jar is a great idea – will need to add one of those to the sacred space that I’ve created in my bedroom. You can see it here: http://tinyurl.com/yz6ek58
Now, off to order up the Altar book…
Amy
xx
I have a similar vessel on my altar, Megan- a glass bowl into which I place pieces of paper where I’ve written down what I need to release. Even this morning, when all you Pinkies were on the MojoLIVE call with me, I wrote down “This moment with Pinkies” and placed it in a sacred spot while we were chatting just to take an ephemeral moment and memorialize it on my altar. Thank you Lovemuffin!
Megan, I so needed this post. I have an altar, but lately have just been using it as a spot to meditate, and the energy has become a little stale. I so appreciate the reminder to use altars as a MANIFESTATION tool. Looking at my altar now, I realize that much of what is represented has already come to be. Time to shake things up and keep that baby alive. I also so appreciate reading the meanings of the various colors and materials, and especially love the feng-shui energy of placing the altar in various corners of the room. I will be experimenting over the coming days, for sure.
Love and gratitude to you for your brilliance.
Joy xoxoxo
I too love the post and the pic.
Great Buddha.
Megan, This was such a lovely posting and picture sweetie. I love my home altar. I have been meaning to place a blessings box on mine, and you have encouraged me to get with it. I am going to find a special box this week. I’ll send you a pic.
Love N Pinkie Peace to You! <3
Fabulous Pinkies! So glad you all enjoyed the post.
The feathers on my altar I purchased from Hobby Lobby (a local craft store.) I loved them and their symbolism. They really completed the over all feel for what I was trying to create.
Lissa, when you say you use that bowl to write things you want to ‘release,’ can you clarify more on what you mean by ‘release.’ For some reason it isn’t clear to me and this idea intrigues me!
Joy- re-eventing your altar is just as important as creating it. Every time I feel less drawn to my altar, I re create it. Very important to keep the energy ALIVE! This will probably make your meditations more interesting as well!
Joy
I was going to say the same thing about my altar. I often will take everything off and dust it and take the cloth out and shake it off and then rearrange things to decide if they still want to be there.
Meg
Now that you’ve decided you like feathers on your altar, put an intention out there to find some left for you by spirit. I have some beautiful hawk feathers on my altar left for me among the redwoods where my heart lies. They are so beautiful and they remind me of the strength always in the air around me.
And Lissa – I just realized. I have some willow branches with them as well!
And I suppose it would suprise nobody that my altar is littered with stones. Mine and those meant to be given to others when inspiration strikes:)
Thanks for this great post, Meg.
Love, Light and Meaning
~Dana
I have feathers and stones all over my altar too! And Siena just contributed a little crown touched yesterday by Amma. And an oyster shell she found on the beach. It grows and changes all the time…
I had a wonderful reading this evening by a “Medium Michelle” http://www.mysticshift.com. And she said I would be working with an alter, and I never really knew anything about it before, so I was not sure what she was talking about, so she told me to look it up and learn more, and I went right to this site after I searched “Alters for Blessings”. What helpful information, I am going to try and find the book mentioned, but I am very low income, so I am hoping spirit will lead me where I need to go to complete this. I thank you for the insightful posting. I know spirit lead me here!! I want to learn more, this is very exciting.
Oh, honey- I wish you so many altar blessings. And please know that you don’t need money to get in touch with spirit. Set your intention forth and let the Universe lead you where you’re meant o go. Know that we are here to applaud you on your journey. Please join us and tell your story at http://www.owningpink.com/forum
Lots of love
Lissa
CindySue, if you wouldn’t mind emailing me your mailing address to MeganMH@gmail.com I will send you my book on alters. It is the very book I mentioned in the post. I have gotten my use out of it for now. Look forward to hearing from you!
XO
Megan
Megan, you LOVEMUFFIN. What a sweet offer to CindySue! Thank you for your gorgeous generous spirit.
Megan, you just inspired me! What if we start a book exchange on the Posse forum? Let’s do it!
That is awesome, I am smiling inside and out! What a gift. You all are a gift indeed. I can’t wait to read it. This is so new to me, and I know it is right because I am excited. *Hugs* and Love with a grateful heart. CindySue
I got it!! Thank You so much Megan!! It was a warm surprise, my daughter said it looked like I was opening a Christmas gift, I was so excited! lol Your gift will be paid forward. *hugs* CindySue
Glad the book made it to you safely! Enjoy the read Sweetie.