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| Author: Posted: Sep. 8, 2002 | This Page Viewed: 7,025,041 |
Question of the Week: 97 - 2/2/2003 What Natural Objects Are On Your Altar? Do you have sticks or stones or shells on your altar? How did you come by them? What do you use them for? Do you go by the traditional correspondences in using your ritual tools (colors, gemstone properties, elements, etc) or do you let the object ‘tell’ you what it is to be used for? What is your favorite magical/magickal gift or tool from nature? Why? How do you set up your personal altar(s)? |
| Reponses: There are 103 responses posted to this question. | Reverse Sort |
| Items On My Altar... | Feb 3rd. at 5:43:52 am EST |
| Silver~ (Maryland) | Age: 48 - Email - Web |
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Two Polar Bears and in between them a crystal bear with a red heart. Behind that a picture of a pair of wolves. Dried Peace Rose, Moon Incense ( given to me by Wolf Witch for my birthday years ago :o) One White Candle, one Yellow Candle, on Pink Candle in a silver candle holder. Two decks of Tarot Cards, Oooops make that Three decks..Water, Part of an Ostrich Egg made into a necklace ( also given to me ) ... Oils...and CD's to play what feels 'right' at the moment.. |
| Let's See... | Feb 3rd. at 7:15:25 am EST |
| john (pa, usa) | Age: 46 - Email |
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A plain hazel wand (hand cut and carved) , Yarrow stalks that I collected in the wild (for the I Ching) , and my most prized possesions; A block of sacred red pipestone and hair from the white buffalo, both presented to me after a sweat lodge in Arizona last year. I haven't started the pipe yet, I guess I'll know when it is time... I prefer to use natural, hand made objects whenever possible. |
| Sentiment Rules | Feb 3rd. at 7:20:51 am EST |
| Moon (New York) | Age: 41 - Email |
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The one thing I have on my altar that i cherish is a large conch (sp) shell that belonged to my Grandmother. She was a wonderful influence on me in my childhood. She taught me many things, among them to love nature, books and music. She taught me to be patient and kind and she still walks with me every day despite her death in 1976. To me, the shell is a reminder of all she gave unselfishly to my heart and soul...certainly the best gifts one could ever expect to recieve from another person....nurturing gifts that have lasted my lifetime and that, hopefully, I have passed on to someone along my journey. |
| ... | Feb 3rd. at 7:48:51 am EST |
| Ravenseye, Mafdet-Athtor (Miami, Florida) | Age: 15 - Email |
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I don't use much of traditional anything on my altar. Whatever seems to call out to me ends up somewhere on my already crowded nightstand. Personally, I decorate it with beeswax candles, amethyst and onyx, and a few statues of the Egyptian deities. Aside from that, it depends on the season, and whatever flowers I can find outside my house. My favorite gift, so far, is this beautiful blue stone with white speckles. I haven't identified it, but it calls out to me somehow. |
| My Altar | Feb 3rd. at 8:02:41 am EST |
| The Hollow (British Columbia, Canada) | Age: 21 - Email |
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I keep many natural objects on my altar: a small vile of water (I am a water sign and this grounds my sign to the altar) crystals, polished stones (amethyst, jade, etc, used for a connection to the earth and an unspoken power) shells (I collected them from the local ocean shore, another connection to my water sign) feathers (lost from birds and collected by me) a horse tooth (from the jaw bone of a long dead horse [persumably dead of natural causes considering how far from civilisation I found it], which I found in the middle of the bush on a hiking journey) dried rose petals (purely sentamental) I allow the objects to tell me how they should be used and keep my altar in my bedroom, permantly set up on a low table covered in black cloth and backed by a large black scarf decorated with red roses and a collage of a weeping woman and ravens (symbolism of personal importance that I find hard to explian) . My cats, however, do from time to time come by and knock things off or over on the altar which means I constantly rearrange it rather than leave it static. I only set my altar up in the bedroom b/c my apt. has no room anywhere else. |
| Natural Altar | Feb 3rd. at 9:43:38 am EST |
| Carleycatt (Westlake Louisiana) | Age: 27 - Email |
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On my Altar I keep water in a the pitcher of my coven's tray, although I am not part of a coven at this time. A small bowl of sea salt, shells and crystals. A small bowl of dirt, Yes dirt :) Some flower petals and herbs, and feathers. I try to keep a balance, and usually have a white candle burning. If anyone has any ideas on better balancing fire, Let me know. I have tried a few things but haven't found them to keep me centered as well as the candles. I'm sure I have forgotten something? Although I can't think of what it is right now......? Love and Light, Carley Catt |
| I Love Reading What Others Have On Their Altars.... | Feb 3rd. at 10:23:12 am EST |
| amberphoenix (Spartanburg, SC) | Age: 46 - Email |
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I have a nice wooden Altar as my, 'main' altar. I has 2 small drawers on front for storage..I have personal items such as: a rose quartz, moonstones, small sea shells, a special bird feather I found, various flowers depending on the season, acorns and a pinecone a blackberry vine dried orchids my candles, a container of water obtained during a magnificent Thunderstorm, various other items as I feel the need, it changes by season.. My most cherished item is a large red stone I found when I lived in the countyside. Now that I live in the city it brings me comfort..I miss the forest.. I also have an altar dedicated to the Goddess Yemaya, with sea shells, her colors, sea glass, and a decorative plate with the scene of the ocean and playful dolphins swimming and a siver candle in a crystal holder. My other altar is one dedicated to the Goddess Kuan Yin, I have a very nice statue of Her and a small bowl of water which represents her and a small bamboo plant that my daughter gave me for a Mothers Day. I feel all my personal items are magickal to me and they help me to feel close to my Goddess and God. They give me great comfort.. BB Phoenix |
| Depends | Feb 3rd. at 11:00:04 am EST |
| watrfae (the 'burbs, MD) | Age: 24 - Email - Web |
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What Natural Objects Are On Your Altar? Do you have sticks or stones or shells on your altar? How did you come by them? What do you use them for? --- currently my altar has become *very* stripped down, just for the holiday. I do always have water and salt on my altar though. During the summer there are often fresh flowers, and found sea shells on my altar, and in winter you can usually find pine cones and acorns there as well. Do you go by the traditional correspondences in using your ritual tools (colors, gemstone properties, elements, etc) or do you let the object ‘tell’ you what it is to be used for? --- usually I find the traditional correspondences work for me. What is your favorite magical/magickal gift or tool from nature? Why? --- a giant sea shell my mother found for me in hawaii, I'm a 'cancer baby' so the sea has always been my friend...and having something 'found' for me just makes me feel connected How do you set up your personal altar (s) ? ----- it depends. I usually have a simple set up with 2 candles, a calice, cauldron, athame, and incense holder. Depending on whatever spellwork or holiday is going on there could be more (a painting, a book, jewelry, flowers, offerings, etc..) or nothing at all. |
| My Altar | Feb 3rd. at 11:19:20 am EST |
| clio (York PA) | Age: 30 - Email |
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My dresser top has many natural items there (perhaps too many sometimes) : Figure of reclining Chaac Mool carved from a solid block of turquoise (the reclining Chaac can be found atop one of the Mayan pyramids at Chichen Itza, Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico) . Handmade clay statue of Kokopelli (I didn't make it. Someone else did *S*) . Minerals galore! Flourite (Chaac Mool holds the smaller of my two pieces) , four pieces of amethyst (all of which nestle around Kokopelli's base) , 15mm labradorite sphere, green calcite, chrysocolla, rough turquoise found in the bed of an arroyo outside Ajo, Arizona, and a smooth rock I found on the shore of South Bass Island, Ohio two summers ago (this rock has a hole in it, water bored no doubt. I found a tiny perfect shell that day which nestles in that hole perfectly) . Feathers galore (in a fetish pot and mugs) . Red fox skull found on the Gettysburg battlefield. Strip of inner bark from a pine tree with a hardened blob of sap stuck to it. My wand (cherry wood with an amethyst and quartz crystals wrapped at the top) My pentacle (painted pine wood) Seashell with a bit of charred sage in it. Piece of driftwood (found last summer) shaped distinctly like Poseidon's trident. Teeny piece of white coral, found the same day I found the driftwood. If I had more room, I'd organize better... |
| My "Natural" Setup | Feb 3rd. at 2:07:25 pm EST |
| Pluto 6 (Denver, CO) | Age: 40 - Email |
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A deep sedimentary rock core sample forms sort of the "anchor" of my altar. When I got my hematite rune set, I took out the blank rune, as it has no historical basis, and decided to keep it on my altar as a representative of earth, along with the core sample. I usually keep a bowl or my cauldron full of herbs on my altar, what kind just depends on what I feel is right. Right now I have my cauldron full of oak moss and some ginger. My favorite piece has to be my walking staff, which I use as a large wand. I'm not sure what wood it is. I got it about 4 years ago at a Renaissance Festival. |
| Nature Leads And Instructs, I Follow And Learn | Feb 3rd. at 3:09:16 pm EST |
| Starwalker (down east, NC) | Age: 54 - Email |
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There are always many somethings of nature on my altar (s) ... as I came to my beliefs and my practice originally, and more, from what the Elements have to say than from any book-learning. My altars (I have a central altar to the Lord and Lady located at the center of my dwelling space, and altars to the elements and directions in the appropriate places on the perimeter of my dwelling) almost always contain something of nature.. often stones, shells, plants (living as well as cut and/or dried) and parts of plants.. leaves, seeds, seed pods, etc. and things of nature... feathers, bones (thought I have had to mostly discontinue the use of these items ON the altars since the cats tend to run off with them) . The items are seasonal and both celebratory/thanksgiving in nature as well as evocative of themes I seek to empower... I am much more likely to follow my intuition than anything else, but I DO read and incorporate thing that I have read, if my intuition concurrs. As for correspondances, often my practice is in line with "tradition" (whose tradition??? I have noted variations!) and sometimes not. Being a practical, northern-bred and north-aligned Taurus "Does it WORK?" is my main criteria. |
| My Mother Earth Window | Feb 3rd. at 3:45:45 pm EST |
| Holly Heart Free (Wisconsin) | Age: 56 - Email |
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I have a large, deep-silled window in the main part of my old farmhouse, and I call this my Mother Earth Window to the world at large, but pagans gathering in my house know it to be an altar. I started it to encourage my grandchildren who are being raised in a Protestant home, to embrace and respect all things earth-connected. Anything that a child brings to this window sill is considered sacred. It gives us a chance to talk about what they have 'found', where it comes from, what it means, what part of the life cycle is it in. It's a wonderful way for children to learn. And it's not a bad thing for the Grandmother, either. We have had so many interesting things gifted to that altar-from nuts to berries (a good time to teach children to be able to identify plants before they put them in their mouths) , leaves, wonderful stones, feathers, nests, interesting sticks. Each item is examined and talked of. We learn what kind of bird this feather might be from, and from where on the body. We look up the bird in the book and learn about the nesting habits and types of food it eats. I now have several children that are intense 'rockhounds'. A shed snakeskin brought shivers to some children, but they touched it and found that it wasn't slimy. I try to bring a bit of the magical into each item without revealling my own earthly thoughts on faiths. Last year we had most of a turtle shell on the altar. Children were fascinated by the holes in the shell for feet and head. Amongst all the partial eggshells that visit us every shpring, last year a whole chicken egg found its way to the altar. And enterprising child, that one. Dead birds, frogs and body parts are encouraged to return to the earth, to become one with the soil again. It is a wonderful way to honor those spirits that have passed by planting flowers in this burial area. A wonderful way to learn renewal and rebirth. We've talked about the hollow reeds that Native Americans may have used, and what we migh use those for today. As an aside, these do change the taste of chocolate milk. Perhaps one of my favorite found objects were found just a few feet from one another. I was walking after a bad storm one morning and found a small wrens nest. It was of particular interest to me because woven in amonst the grasses were some small feathers from our chickens, and several red hairs from our Highland cattle. I was so amazed at the beauty of this nest, and the wonderful tight weaving the wren used to keep her children safe and warm, that I nearly stepped on the head with bill intact of a long dead bird. It was not the maker of the nest, being too large. That bird must have died and stayed in the tree until the winds blew it down. I have kept the skull inside the nest ever since. It's a beautiful sign to me of the wheel of life, bringing birth, death and renewal. I hope my grandchildren, and the others that visit us learn to respect the earth, to feel the need to protect her and use care with things that will go into the earth. |
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