i have always been fixated with altars and sacred space and i love looking at the way people create different ones and how personal they are to their owners.

so just for fun what do your altars look like if you have or use one? i have added some picks of some of the altars i have dotted around. some of the panting i did myself and the spiral lord and lady i made to

Hee hee, here we go again!

Last time Thinair accused me of shopping at Ikea!

Or was it Habitat?

i've never actualy been to those shops but any way.

Here's mine at Yule last year......


Altar Pic

Dangnabbit !!! Can't get the photo to show so will have to put a link !!

I change the crystals and Runes with the season, and put flowers etc in front of it.

You might find this thread on altars interesting - quite a few pics!

I've just de-cluttered mine in readiness for Sahmain. The candle was my swap from Filli for the circle swap.

Heres mine picture taken today. The altar is the top of my music shelf, and changes often depending on season and what i have collected recently.

i dont have a formal Alter in my house as such,i have a space where i have things that mean something to me,this includes candles and a small stone circle made from stones i have collected when im out and about,its on my dressing table at the moment as that is the only cat proof place i can put it,now the cats are getting older and settling down i am going to have a proper alter in the house
i am in the process of doing a a Green Man embroidery and when its finished this will take pride of place as the background piece
i also have an alter in my garden that i put out offerings on,although it sometimes takes on the appearance of a glorified bird table,and the squirrel love to mess about with it,no pics im afraid as i dont have a camera at the moment

There's loads of really cool pictures of people's alters in this thread

wow some really good photos in that thread,i loved Julais video of hers,i am now inspired and have realised that pretty much any flat surface will do,i have a place in mind that the cats wont destroy,when my daughter comes back with her camera i will post a photo

You can see one of mine in my gallery HERE it's just the top of my book case, I use the cauldron as a small fire pot more than anything else.

Warlock, I notice that you have a lot of pictures of hindu gods.

Do you work with Ganesh? How do you find that works for you? Have you had any probems with mixing cultures/religions?

Or are they simply just pics you like?

I ask because I have a very close relationship with ganesh and I know that it has proved more than interesting for me.

TAK

This is my altar. Things to represent most of the deities I work with on here. Things to reflect the local area and of course, family that has passed.

Ooo those amber beads are fabulous !! <envy emoticon>

thank you

I really like your offering plate in your gallery pics. Very nice woodwork

Els.

I think your alter is really beautiful. It really appeals to me for some reason. Thanks for the pic.

Awww thank you

Thanks ! It came from :

Herne's Crafts

Herne is a friend as well as a good craftsman. I particularly like the plates and the board games. I have a wooden rune set made by him as well which is really lovely.

I wonder if the credit crunch will affect the way people's alters look...? Do people who have more money have more crystals and status on their alter, do people who have less money have more hand-made items and natural pieces?

Sometimes I wonder, if you added together every item on an alter, how much it would come to. Who has the most expensive alter?

Me prob.

I could easily put over £500 worth of crystals on that thing in just 5 crystals.

As most of my bits and pies are either found or made by me, mine will be cheap.
the only real expense is candles and as most people know i love candles I do receive them as gifts. They might not be the right colour but hey a candle is a candle.

the most cost is my small plaque of the triple moon phase and that cost £3.99.

Its also suprising what you can pick up in charity shops. (candles)

My most expensive items were the statues of Thor, Odin, and Freyr bought from here:

Viking Trader

I do absolutely love them though. They are so solid and heavy and based on real archaeological finds I have one crystal that I paid £80 for after much lusting after it in the shop. It's not part of my altar though. Other than that everything is either found or inexpensive.

Edit: thinking about it I've spent more money on jewellery (Thorshammers ) and tattoos so I think I go more for the transportable and permanent than the altar space - interesting

That's a good point however even if I did have money, I would still prefer an altar of natural finds and things that I have made. For me that has more meaning.

Possibly the plate or the horn are the most expensive items on mine and the plate was a wedding gift from the Heathen that introduced my husband and I

She has also agreed to officiate at our Heathen wedding next year in Denmark YAY!!!

Excluding the statuette, the rest of the things on mine probably come in at less than a fiver in total. Most of them are hand made or collected, and they have a special meaning as they come from friends or have been picked up on trips.

Hi all,

This is my altar at the moment.

A bit sparse I know, but I'm not heavy on ritual, so it serves as a place to meditate, connect to nature (when I can't get outdoors), or just as a spot in the home that's a little bit special and gives me some spiritual elbow room in my daily life. As such I am opting to keep it simple and maintain a natural feel. The dish contains holly, yew and ivy, which reflect the current season.

Cheers,

DM

Being a totally chaotic cluttery person i liked this very much. Essential and calming. If i could manage to have an altar i'd model it on this i think.

I agree - it's lovely !

I like it, its very Zen

Thanks guys, I'm glad you like it

DM

Our Samhain alter this year:

[attachmentid=1634]

me too ,i think its lovely

this is a very beautiful altar and so simple i love it so much

Yule '06
[attachmentid=1635]

Its Lovley

Yes, MD's altar looks so neat and tidy.
I'm not really messy but mine never seem to remain uncluttered for more than one day !!!

i love this its really earthy and colourful i especially like the sheep they are cute

I don't have a permanent altar, just one I put up as and when required. I collect lots of bits when I'm out for walks down by the sea, or in the woods. Charity shops are great places too for finding odds and sods. My altar is a tiny table in a corner of the smallest box room in the house...I have to shift lots of stuff when I want to set it up...then I have to keep the cats out...

The photos are lovely. One day when I shake of the Queen of Computer Dorkness tag I shall post some photos, but don't hold your breath!

hi all my altar cost about a fiver to make and a trip to the local woods, it is a circle which i painted my own mandala on from normal household paint. i then found three solid legs from the woods close by and carved marks of my god and goddess on and also other runes and bits and bobs. All in all although it cost very little to make but the efford and patience put into the piece makes it very special to me, will get some pics sorted when i can get my blasted camera to work

best wishes

I have an altar and a shrine. The altar is a purpose built cupboard on wheels, with an extending top. I only use the altar on 'high days and holidays' but the shrine I use every day. I haven't a clue how to add photos to websites so I'm afraid you'll just have to try to use your imagination! The shrine is two shelves, one above the other but slightly offset, like an equals sign = but the bottom line is moved over a bit. On the top shelf I have four statuettes of Isis, two king cobra candle holders and two smaller glass tealight candle holders. On the bottom shelf I have a trinity statuette of Isis, Osiris and Horus the younger, next to that I have a small blue glass vase full of artificial flowers that I change each week, a blue ceramic dish of pot pourri, a larger statuette of Isis in Her role as protector; wings outstretched, a censer for burning incense, four small statuettes of Isis, Osiris, Geb and Nut, then a statuette of Horus the younger as a hawk, a statuette of Anubis, a girdle of Isis knot, a scarab beetle and an assortment of crystals depending on what I am asking Isis for that day. My altar is similarily set up, but only when I plan to use it, then it's wheeled out into the middle of the room and the cloth is changed for a ceremonial one. I then dress the altar with whatever tools I'm going to be using, a statuette of Isis that is only used for the altar and nowhere else, candles, censer on a chain, crystals, etc. As I said, I use the shrine every day, but the altar, that's kept for really special times, when only the best will do. One day, when I can work out how to show you some piccies, I will do. xx

I don't have an altar at the moment. It was taken down due to redecoration and lost it's spot. Need to have a thought about where to put it.

Something to do for the new year.

Regards
Singe

[attachmentid=1683]

This is our seasonal table, although it has more on it now, mistletoe, ivy etc from the Yule Ritual at my home, plus more candles and odds and sods that I've added.

Sol.

This was my Yule altar.

[attachmentid=1684]

Q

Now this is my kind of alter Queenie!!! Absolutely stunning!! It draws you right in!