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Author Topic: Question about Altars  (Read 2681 times)

shadowsiren

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Re: Question about Altars
« Reply #15 on: September 08, 2016, 06:03:11 pm »
Quote from: Izzie414;195301
Hi,

I've set up an altar for The Morrigan. It consists of pictures of Her and Ravens, and a single candle. That's it. I'm tempted to run out and buy a few things like feathers and onyx stones, but money is tight right now. Do you think The Morrigan will like her altar as is? It it the devotion of the follower that matters more than the material stuff? I'd like to think so. Your thoughts?

 
Like others have mentioned I think it is very much the devotion and intent that matters less than the "stuff" (for a shrine, anyway).

I am still very new to actually having shrines (about 2 months now) and at the very, very beginning it literally consisted of nothing but a single candle. In the time since then my shrine to Brigid has filled out a bit more - a pillar candle holder that I stumbled on by accident one day while out running errands. A thin, blown glass vase to hold flowers/plants (fake, because I have cats that think that all plants are delicious delicacies) that I change with the turning of the seasons. A crystal-esque bowl I found in Walmart of all places that I use for offerings. Scented candles that make me think of Her that I light as daily devotion. As soon as I saw all of these things I just *knew* that on my shrine was where they belonged and I still feel empty spaces (for lack of better explanation) where other things are supposed to be.
I imagine that it will change and evolve quite a bit over time.

My shrine to Bast, on the other hand, is still in the "nothing but a candle" stage. Largely, because I get the distinct impression that she doesn't care one way or the other if I actually have a shrine to her (she's here to stay, regardless, and has always been here) but that if I do build a shrine to her she has some very specific ideas and requirements about what and where etc. I haven't, unfortunately, had the time to devote to looking into this specifically as I'm still easing into that everyday flow/ reading anything I can get my hands on stage. (I suspect some - most? - of it is very UPG but I am very curious to see what historical and Kemetic sources have to say on the matter).

tl;dr - devotion is definitely more important, shrines will evolve over time... pretty much what everyone else said :whis:

R03e

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Re: Question about Altars
« Reply #16 on: September 23, 2016, 01:00:16 am »
Quote from: shadowsiren;195971
Like others have mentioned I think it is very much the devotion and intent that matters less than the "stuff" (for a shrine, anyway).

I am still very new to actually having shrines (about 2 months now) and at the very, very beginning it literally consisted of nothing but a single candle. In the time since then my shrine to Brigid has filled out a bit more - a pillar candle holder that I stumbled on by accident one day while out running errands. A thin, blown glass vase to hold flowers/plants (fake, because I have cats that think that all plants are delicious delicacies) that I change with the turning of the seasons. A crystal-esque bowl I found in Walmart of all places that I use for offerings. Scented candles that make me think of Her that I light as daily devotion. As soon as I saw all of these things I just *knew* that on my shrine was where they belonged and I still feel empty spaces (for lack of better explanation) where other things are supposed to be.
I imagine that it will change and evolve quite a bit over time.

My shrine to Bast, on the other hand, is still in the "nothing but a candle" stage. Largely, because I get the distinct impression that she doesn't care one way or the other if I actually have a shrine to her (she's here to stay, regardless, and has always been here) but that if I do build a shrine to her she has some very specific ideas and requirements about what and where etc. I haven't, unfortunately, had the time to devote to looking into this specifically as I'm still easing into that everyday flow/ reading anything I can get my hands on stage. (I suspect some - most? - of it is very UPG but I am very curious to see what historical and Kemetic sources have to say on the matter).

tl;dr - devotion is definitely more important, shrines will evolve over time... pretty much what everyone else said :whis:


Besides what everyone else has been already saying; if money really is as tight as you mentioned getting stuff as you go is a good idea. You could always make something too; whether a drawing, food, drinks, figurines.

Almost a year ago I have finally figured out my deities; Cernnuous and Loki, I have done research on them as well as found other blogs. There are inconsistencies of the information perhaps due to the fact that not everyone with blogs does proper research. Due to Many Pagan traditions being over shadowed and lost there are a lot blanks in their histories.

Cernnous is a Celtic God and considering the Celts did not have a written history, which I wish they did, not much is known. What is suggests he is a Jack of all trades mainly with fire, hunting, and nature. His altar was much easier than Loki's. I have decorated Cernnous's with candles/incense, rocks, and a deer antler. The antler I got from a garage sale.

Loki's shrine doesn't have much. I have heard he is the God of fire, but that is uncertain so I given him candles. I heard he was a bearer of prayers, information that is not consistent, but I decided on offering a cup which I decorated. I even put in prayers on a slip of papers, but haven't done that in a while. There isn't much on Loki, but an epiphany on the fact know that most modern Pagans (Neo-Pagans) don't adhere to closely with traditions.

Between the limited knowledge of traditions taboo stigma of Paganism many worship have to be done in private and quietly. Some do not have the luxury of having big altars. There are just some means of decoration/offerings such as goats/sheep that would not work today. As of now I have settled with prayer/meditation at their shrines with the idea that I would be giving them my time even for five minutes. Sometimes I still feel guilty for Loki's smaller shrine, but only when I"m thinking about it. I know the right object will show up some day. I try to alternate between the two when meditating.
« Last Edit: September 23, 2016, 01:05:46 am by SunflowerP »
R03e

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Re: Question about Altars
« Reply #17 on: September 23, 2016, 01:07:15 am »
Quote from: R03e;196567


 
A Reminder:
Hi, Ro3e,

We don't mind long posts here, but to avoid having a hard-to-read  wall-o'-text, hitting "enter" twice every few lines adds some white  space and makes it easier to follow - I've edited yours to add those  breaks, but it's a really good habit to get into yourself.

They don't have to be the "proper" place for paragraph breaks (we're  interested in readability more than technicalities), or a complete  change of thought - some thoughts take a lot of lines and need to be  broken up into sub-thoughts - as long as they're there.

This isn't a formal warning, just a reminder.  No  reply is necessary,  but if you have questions or need clarification,  please feel free to  contact a member of staff privately.

Thanks!
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