Dedicating Sacred Space at Home
Practical and Spiritual Ideas for Pagan Altars and Dedicated Rooms
Creating sacred space in the home is vital for those who practise the myriad forms of Paganism, and can be as festive or as low-key as desired.
Whether your home is a three-bedroom condo or a shared apartment with three other roommates, having even a sliver of dedicated sacred space to honor the Gods and Goddesses is vital for any Pagan's spiritual well-being.
Creating a Customized Altar
Altars can be created from just about any flat surface, be it a tree stump, a cubicle shelf or even a dinner table centerpiece. However, having a dedicated piece of furniture in the home, preferably with space for ritual item storage, can help many Pagans have a place to focus their daily affirmations, reflections and rituals.
Building an altar from scratch can seem like a near impossibility for Pagans with visions of stately designs and adornments. Here is an easy way to create one without a lot of carpentry skills while adding some flair:
Using two waist-high bookcases, screw in small wheels to the bottoms of each shelf to allow easy access inside. Fill the shelves with all of the ritual items normally kept tucked away and swing the bookcases shut, front to front. The otherwise unsightly backs can be painted with inspirational art or can also be covered with enough cloth, preferrably in colors in tune with the upcoming holiday. Then, adorn it in preparation for the upcoming holiday or ritual.
Ideas for Alternative Altar Adornments *
If privacy is at stake, simply adorning the top of the altar with a secular theme for the holiday will honor it beautifully. For example, a festive yule theme could include a wreath of evergreen and holly, centered with a bayberry scented candle. The elements can be represented as decorations, especially tree ornaments, within the wreath. Also, creating a Pagan version of the Christian Nativity Scene can easily be incorporated, replacing tiny figurines of forest critters in place of the usual cast of characters. It can prove to be a delightful addition to any home, all without raising too many eyebrows from unassuming roommates, friends and family members.
A whimsical approach to a secular altar would be to use small toys and figurines to represent the elements (Earth, Air, Fire and Water). Spongebob Squarepants can handle either West or East, depending whether or not he is wielding his bubble wand, and Shrek seems to hold his own in North just fine. Of course, either The Human Torch or The Ghostrider would be happiest in South! Other characters can be of course be used, depending on one's particular interests and imagination.
Ideas for Extra Items
Some Pagans have many more ritual items than could ever possibly be used, so either giving them away as gifts or displaying them as art, even in Aunt Maggie’s plain view, are good solutions. By placing oils, stones and perhaps a small athame inside a shadow box picture frame and then using a portion of a well-worn altar cloth as the backdrop, beautiful pieces of inspirational art can be hung. In fact, if that many more items are indeed available, an extra art piece can be created, blessed and given as a gift in itself. Extra altar cloth material can also be made into a decorative pillow or two. If two or more large yet varied pieces are available, cut them into pieces and sew them together in a patchwork fashion. Then hang it up in the dedicated room as a tapestry.
* For those seeking more traditional ritual items, view this list here.
