{"id":889,"date":"2010-12-29T23:33:36","date_gmt":"2010-12-30T04:33:36","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/gleewood.org\/seeking\/"},"modified":"2020-11-07T15:44:51","modified_gmt":"2020-11-07T20:44:51","slug":"altars-and-shrines","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/gleewood.org\/seeking\/doing\/altars-and-shrines\/","title":{"rendered":"Altars and shrines"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

What’s an altar? How is it different from a shrine? If you’re confused by these and other questions, you’re definitely not alone. Here’s some help in sorting out the differences and what might be helpful practices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Doing:<\/figure>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Some working definitions:<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Many people get confused about the difference between altars and shrines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An altar is a ritual tool that holds other tools, and that helps you direct and anchor the energy of your working<\/strong>. That’s why so many altars are made either of wood or of stone – both materials make it particularly easy to turn the altar into an anchor for all the other energy work of the ritual. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Many religions use an altar as a central focus for worship and ritual – in part because it’s very practical. It gives you a place to put all the other stuff you use in ritual, so it’s right at hand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A shrine is a place where we honour a particular deity, spirit, or other entity. <\/strong>They’re common in a wide range of religions too – you can see fabulous Buddhist and Hindu shrines throughout Asia, many Catholic shrines to saints, and there are many other historical examples.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, a given physical space can be an altar, a shrine, or both, depending on what you’re doing. What does that mean in practice?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Altar:<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

When?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Many people choose to set up an altar only for the time they’re going to be working ritual. Otherwise, they pack the ritual tools away. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is also a very practical choice for people who don’t have a lot of space, who have small children (who may try and grab sharp, pointy, or breakable things without asking), or who may have people visiting who aren’t comfortable with a Pagan altar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Where?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Some traditions put them in the north (mine does). Some put them in the center. Some put them in other directions. If you’re casting a circle and the altar is at one of the edges of the circle, you can either walk around it (if space allows, like if you’re outside), or you can simply direct the energy flow to include it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Ideally, an altar should be something solid and made of natural materials (as you hope for other ritual tools…) However, if what you’ve got is highly processed pressed board, or a card table… well, make that work. You can set up an altar on a trunk, a box covered with an altar cloth, or any other flat surface.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I do recommend making it standing height (if you’re going to be standing up) or at least knee height (if you’ll be sitting in front of it). You don’t constantly want to be bent over to handle things on the altar and altars on the floor can risk candles falling or being knocked over.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What tools?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Again, this depends on the tradition. Common things to include are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n