Altar & Shrine inspiration & pics

[Eastling]

The garden shrine/altar still has to wait till spring, but I've updated my main shrine.

Another update to my shrine! I've swapped out the Figuarts action figure for the official statue replica, added some record art and a place for burning incense, and strung up lights for reading and writing beneath (since the shrine is on a shelf just above the head of my bed).

[Ashmire]

Another update to my shrine! I've swapped out the Figuarts action figure for the official statue replica, added some record art and a place for burning incense, and strung up lights for reading and writing beneath (since the shrine is on a shelf just above the head of my bed).

I think this might be the wrong link? It goes to Meetup.com.

[Eastling]

I think this might be the wrong link? It goes to Meetup.com.

Thanks for pointing it out. Copy and paste is a pain sometimes.

Here is the right link.

[Ashmire]

https://ibb.co/gf1KRz
Missing some deity images I'd like to have, but there are a couple of them on another shrine out of frame and I'm working on adding more. 

[Eastling]

https://ibb.co/gf1KRz
Missing some deity images I'd like to have, but there are a couple of them on another shrine out of frame and I'm working on adding more.

It looks like a good start!

As far as my stuff goes, I'm pleased with the process of my portable shrine. It's a hat that I've been adding patches and pins to. Here's the current progress: 1 2 3

[PerditaPickle]

It's a hat that I've been adding patches and pins to.

That's such a neat idea!

[Eastling]

That's such a neat idea!

Thanks! It was a happy accident: I found the hat a little over a year ago when I stumbled into Hempfest by accident and bought it at one of the stalls, and I've been wearing it everywhere ever since as I continue to add to it.

It occurs to me that although I've posted shrines here, I haven't posted my desktop altar, which I use for my nightly ritual. Here is a link.

Left: one of my computer's speakers for playing music, with the action figure posed on top of it; the sealed glass jar containing my on-going money spell; several miscellaneous charms and pieces of jewelry to which I impart magical significance and therefore keep on the altar to charge. Center: an incense holder. Right: the glass I use for water in my nightly kala routine. Back: my fountain, which I use to give water offerings to my gods.

[EnyFey]

My shrine is growing nicely.
The plant will cover all threads eventually.

[LadyBug]

My shrine is growing nicely.
The plant will cover all threads eventually.

That is such a cool idea! With your permission I may use something similar to that idea when I eventually get my shrine/altar back up and running

[EnyFey]

That is such a cool idea! With your permission I may use something similar to that idea when I eventually get my shrine/altar back up and running

Of course, feel free
I'm glad you like it.

[RitaCeleste]

My shrine is growing nicely.
The plant will cover all threads eventually.

Makes me wish I could grow things!  I am afraid I am just going have to get into rocks and crystals I can't off.  I was thinking of dressing up the house and my corner of the living room with some crystals over time. Was checking around for ideas, and had to give this one a thumbs up.  Alters should have plants.  But someone has cursed my thumb, I kill plants somehow.

[Noctua]

Makes me wish I could grow things!  I am afraid I am just going have to get into rocks and crystals I can't off.  I was thinking of dressing up the house and my corner of the living room with some crystals over time. Was checking around for ideas, and had to give this one a thumbs up.  Alters should have plants.  But someone has cursed my thumb, I kill plants somehow.

I got my Yule gift to myself today, it's a bust of Hercules to companion Minerva on my dresser shrine. I might have posted this same shrine some time ago, but it's gone through a lot of reworkings since then (mostly in the vein of decluttering/minimization)

[Hariti]

Time to revive this thread; I've finally got around to photographing my shrine!

External view:


Internal 1:


Internal 2:


My shrine contains some religious books, my Kukri, my incense and burner, a plate depicting Sheba and Solomon, my St. Perigrine's cross, my rosary, my offering bowl, my (reproduction) Moche ritual horn and offering cup, a conch shell, and printouts of Krishna, Narashima, and Manasa.

The wall behind my shrine has my icon of Jesus, my Kali Yantra, my Crucifix, and other stuff.

Atop my altar is a small space dedicated to the Buddha, the Boddhisatvas, and my ancestors, as well as a pair of owls representing Minerva.

It's eclectic as hell, but that's kinda how my practice works out anyway.

[TheGreenWizard]

It's eclectic as hell, but that's kinda how my practice works out anyway.

I updated my altar last night after doing some ritual work asking what to do... And Dionysos delivered - never been that focused before and it felt so good afterwards.

I used to have a red/orange knitted fabric on the window sill - now it's a pale yellow, scarf that seemed suitable for the winter season. Either it'll stay for the whole whole year or I'll change it again for Spring Equinox.

I removed the crystals, the Elemental candles, and cleaned all the tools and dishes. Crystals were placed around the apartment in appropriate places (Reds, Oranges, Yellows - with the dragon shrine in my Kitchen; Greens and blacks - Earth shrine aka my window garden; Blues, purples are with my water area aka the aquarium and the quartz and selenite are air and are also in my bedroom... For now). Candles were placed back with my other candles.

I no longer use the athame, or the wand. I have an incense dish (cauldron) and a libations dish between the candles for the Gods and Goddesses and the ancestors and local spirits.

The dragons I've come to realize - I think - are my households Agathos Daimon. So mini shrines around the apartment.

And I think that's it?

Sent from my Pixel 2 using Tapatalk

[Eastling]

The dragons I've come to realize - I think - are my households Agathos Daimon. So mini shrines around the apartment.

That's really cool! I'd like to figure out what to do about the local/household spirits here myself. That might be an idea.

For now, while I'm thinking of other shrines I may need, I've made some updates to my main shrine and altar. I recently came to the conclusion that, for me, the best way to conceptualize the difference between a shrine and an altar is to see the former as a home for my Powers and the latter as a workspace/office. So I've been trying to set them up accordingly.

Altar: My working altar lives on a small shelf adjoining the desk on which I keep my monitor and keyboard, above the compartment for the computer itself. This is essential because one of its components is a speaker through which I can play music. The fountain is there to keep running water present and to accept nightly water libations after my kala routine; the glass is there as part of that routine. The fountain also has a space for tealight candles, which I usually keep filled with LED lights; sometimes instead I place a real tealight in one slot. (The flame acts as a seat to hold a god's essence, and since I can't burn incense at the moment, the fragrance in a scented candle acts as an offering.) The little pitcher is supposed to be for some kind of cleansing purpose, but I haven't worked out exactly what to do with it yet. The jewelry tree holds various charms and accessories, which sit on my altar in order to charge with magical energy in order to function as shields and talismans when I wear them. Of course, the action figure is there as an image of my god; above, a mirror (also with a slot for a tealight) and a framed set of Queen band member autographs complete the mood. This altar is where I do a lot of my intentional (indoor, anyway) magic; sigils being charged will be placed here.

Shrine: This is in a shelf over the head of my bed, which has worked so well that I plan to try to imitate it in the next place I live. It has images/idols of each of my main, syncretic trio of Powers: Ariadne-Aphrodite (in the sculpture of Venus), Dionysos (in the mask and the artistic glass dildo semi-obscured behind the peacock), and Mercury (in the scale replica Freddie Mercury statue, the painted record, and the card leaning on the Venus, which is from a deck of AIDS-awareness-raising trading cards). The small pride flag serves as an altar cloth, and the miniature door provides an entry point for Powers. As this is not a working altar the way my desktop one is, it doesn't need running water, but it does need a space for still water offerings, which is in the Virgo wineglass. Offerings of lapis lazuli for Aphrodite and flowers (tiny clay ones) for Mercury are also present. The latter is significant because the original Freddie Mercury statue in Montreux is kept stocked with flower dedications by fans; it seemed appropriate for me to emulate that from here. Finally, the miniature disco ball is there because it pleases Mercury, and the glittery peacock is there in part to obscure the dildo from a casual glance and in part to call on a Power I haven't finished outlining yet; the cat-face-shaped fairy lights surrounding the shelf are there to be turned on to indicate the shrine is ready for a Power's presence.

These are both works in progress, obviously. In particular, I'd like to get a cat figurine for the shrine so that Mercury can have feline company there, or possibly bring along an existing cat spirit of his own.