sacred space for the spirit

Blessed Samhain

Fri, 31 Oct 2014 07:20:29 GMT

Posted by: arliss

Salt lamps on the rear corners--one electric, one candlelit. Owl and cat candle lamps, amber glass and iron votive holder on the left front corner, cut-out cats pottery candle pot on the right front corner holds a screen for botannicals and resins to heat over the flame.

( Read more... )

Tags: altar, samhain

comments

Mabon 2014

Thu, 25 Sep 2014 21:00:03 GMT

Posted by: arliss

The altarcloth is a glittered length of oakleaf print fabric from the seasonal/decorative aisle. The copper plate holds Russian sage, lavender, sage, and lemongrass from the garden. An old basket with a twine-mended handle holds pumpkins and apples. Light and dark balance at this point of the year, and sun and moon tealight cups anchor the front corners. Salt lamps, electric on the left, tealight-lit on the right, light the back corners. The spheres are rainbow fluorite, champagne calcite, fused and clear quartz.

The stag’s head brooch is propped at the foot of the running stag tile pillar stand. A two-wick pillar candle was sprayed lightly with adhesive, rolled in coffee (you can also use plain cocoa or ground cinnamon), then the excess rubbed off, to give a "dirty," aged look. The cauldron on the tripod holds an incense mix of resins and botannicals.

You should be able to enlarge the pictures by clicking on them

comments

Lughnasa 2014

Tue, 05 Aug 2014 20:46:27 GMT

Posted by: arliss

Lughnasa always seems like the twilight of summer to me. So rather than harvest colors of yellow, orange, and red, I tend to shades of violet, purple, greens, and greys. Spheres are champagne calcite, clear and fused quartz, and rainbow fluorite. The white pillar candle has grasses and leaves embedded in the wax, the purple pillar has a pair of tiny seahorses, shells, and sea oats. The bisque candlestick has painted harvest grapes, the stone candle cups are carved, one in quatrefoil piercing and a scroll carved border under the lip, the other in an owl and tree design. The grasshopper on the incense tray fiddles into the warm night, uncaring that cold winter is coming and he will have nothing stored to eat. A sweetgrass braid circles the stone bowl of oats, and handmade ribbon pansies circle the base of the goddess bowl.

comments

Midsummer 2014

Sat, 21 Jun 2014 20:33:15 GMT

Posted by: arliss

Midsummer solstice altar. The altarcloth is probably the most joyous fabric I’ve ever seen. It hung as curtains in the bedroom my kids shared as babies, and in my library dormer in the old house. Rather than pastels of doggies and kitties and bunnies, we played, “Where’s the turtle?” “Where’s the grasshopper?” “Where’s the teeeeny little blue butterfly?” “Where’s the ladybug?” “Where’s the bee?” and “Where’s the lizard?” The colors are vibrant and happy, and what better than joy to bring to Midsummer? The undercloth is a dresser scarf embroidered by my mom, edged in lace tatted by my grandmother. Blue butterflies, even on the incense tray, for summer. And lizards and turtles and ladybugs and bees.

Oats and sprigs of Russian sage from the garden as offering, salt in the lidded carved stone pot, chalice is green agate glass cast with a dragon coiled around the bowl. Champagne calcite, rainbow fluorite, and natural clear quartz spheres, forged metal tripod stands for the floating candle and fused quartz sphere, and the Gaia bowl to hold slips of paper with intents or promises or wishes written on them.

Apologies to any who've seen this entry elsewhere. Feel free to scroll and ignore. Or, if you have pictures of your own altar, please consider sharing them with the comm. And Merry Midsummer!

comments

Ostara 2014

Fri, 21 Mar 2014 05:09:46 GMT

Posted by: arliss

Ostara altar. Mini basket with Cadbury mini eggs in offering, champagne calcite, clear quartz, and rainbow fluorite spheres, Egyptian glass room scenter trimmed in gold, amethyst glass chalice with clear barley twist stem. The antique amethyst glass vase with gold stripes and the egg-shaped votive are from my mom. Silver-washed copper baby cup with rabbit figural handle holds more mini eggs. With all candles lit, I love the leaf shadow cast by the green frosted glass votive cup behind the Gaia figure.

Apologies to those who may have seen this entry on other platforms.

comments

Tue, 11 Feb 2014 21:34:44 GMT

Posted by: arliss

More cross-forums postage. Please excuse and scroll if you've seen these before.

This is an altar that evolved last summer, not in formal observance.

1. The altarcloth is a vintage silk scarf of my mom’s—I don’t think she knew it was pagan. It has Pan in each corner with his pipes, and “Faun” and “Pan” in diagonal corners. One salt lamp holds a candle, the other lamp is electrified. The sand glass is a reminder of the inexorable passage of time. 2. You can see the labradorite blue flash in the lingam stone, and one of the phantoms in the quartz sphere. 3. Artist hand-cast bronze bear with turquoise eyes, always present talisman on my altar. Handpainted koi incense tray. 4. Clear and rose quartz chunks found on hikes, tiny amethyst cluster from a lapidary, two amethyst point quartz, four clear quartz double termini, three calving.

* * *
A recent full moon altar. Altarcloth is a length of fabric from the fabric store quilting department, overlaid with a Thai silk scarf thrifted for fifty cents. The tree and moon ceramic piece is a pie plate and stand. Clear quartz, fluorite, and fused glass spheres. The chalkware bear was found in an antique shop, the rabbit in a garden center. The scrimshaw owl was a gift. The antique silver crescent moon vesta holds ashes. The offering bowl is carved soapstone, the top of a potpourri burner with a crack that, though too small to see, leaks scented water or oil. It holds dry grains for offering very well. Depression glass chalice was my gram’s.

comments

Yule 2013, Imbolc 2014

Sun, 09 Feb 2014 05:22:20 GMT

Posted by: arliss

Another delayed post. Please ask if you have any questions.

Yule. Driftwood stands in for the Yule log, and also serves as a wand. A satsuma and walnuts in the Imari bowl as offering, and incense sticks in the miniature vintage Satsuma-style vase. Holly and ivy wreath, handpainted koi incense tray. The hourglass is merely a reminder of the passing of time, and The Hermit searches for truth and enlightenment. The handle of the candlesnuffer, a gift, is wrapped in wire studded with semi-precious stones. The chalice came from ebay, well-used, with my initial engraved on the foot.

Imbolc. The word comes from "ewes' milk"; ewes give birth to their first lambs of the year at this time. The earth begins to thaw as the ice melts and drips and streams start to trickle. During the dark months indoors we have written songs and poems, carved useful things like cups and bowls, and dreamed. Now it's time to wake. The Dreamer of Malta centers the altar, joined by a bear emerging from hibernation. The crystal taper holders felt out of place until I imagined them as frost or ice goddesses, and now they fit right in with the rough and matte surfaces. There's a chunk of labradorite, ordinary brown-grey of earth until it flashes blue. The inkpot is reproduction saltglazed pottery from Williamsburg, the quill is an Atlantic brown pelican feather I found on the beach. The fish incense tray and the double fish offering bowl are a nod to Pisces, my sign.

comments

mabon, samhain 2013

Sun, 09 Feb 2014 04:44:26 GMT

Posted by: arliss

Delayed post. I'll be glad to answer any questions you might have.

Mabon. Sun and moon candleholders anchor the front corners, signifying the balance point of the light, turning from light and going into the dark part of the year. Oats in the stone bowl, a collection of tumbled stones in the wooden leaf tray. The spheres are quartz crystal and pale yellow calcite. A friend gave me the painted stones, saying I had the traits of beaver, moose, and frog. Anubis escorts the honored dead, the antique silver crescent moon vesta holds ashes.

Samhain. Owl and cat candle lamps, iron cauldron of walnuts and an apple from local orchards as offering. Sparkly blue goldstone, clear quartz, and yellow calcite spheres, chunk of yellow calcite. Bowl of water for scrying, antique black cat match holder holds incense sticks.

comments

Imbolc 2011

Sat, 08 Feb 2014 11:35:39 GMT

Posted by: polariswynter

I just recently moved here to Dreamwidth from Livejournal. It's sad to see how quite both sites are, I really miss the connection that was once so easy to access over these sites, especially for those who prefer to communicate with others in more than 140 characters.

Anyway, tangent aside, this was my altar a few years back for Imbolc, honoring the shift in light. I've been in something of an altar building rut lately (along with a creative rut as well).

I used a lot of golds and warm whites. On either side is Nephthys and Aset working as guards. You can't see the inside well, but there's a pyramid in there with a scarab and a winged Aset, representing rebirth. There's also a considerable amount of amber on this altar too.

comments

Fri, 26 Oct 2012 22:02:03 GMT

Posted by: arliss

( Samhain 2012 )

comments

Sun, 29 Apr 2012 02:39:10 GMT

Posted by: arliss

Ostara 2012

Posting late, as usual. ( Image heavy under the cut )

Note: No one is posting here, and apparently no one is reading this comm. I encourage anyone who has circled this community to post. Otherwise it feels very much like shouting down the wind.

comments

Sat, 11 Feb 2012 11:28:36 GMT

Posted by: lyktemenn

( Simple space )

comments

Imbolc 2012

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 21:01:30 GMT

Posted by: arliss

( I'm fond of the altar cloth--a length of wet-looking mylar fabric that resembles spiderwebs, and blue, yellow, green, and fire-colored butterflies' wings shining through the dark of winter. The figure is The Dreamer of Malta--time for the earth to awake, as Bear mother has already emerged hungry from her den. Hand-carved wooden chalice with some bark left on, oats in offering, and a gecko on a leaf holds incense. <a href= )

comments

Sat, 24 Dec 2011 20:45:46 GMT

Posted by: arliss

( Yule 2011 )

comments

Sun, 16 Oct 2011 21:16:23 GMT

Posted by: arliss

( Altar space reorg, and Samhain altar )

comments

Wed, 12 Oct 2011 00:51:24 GMT

Posted by: harpers_child

This is in response to a recent question about having storage space above an altar. I recently moved back in with my parents and had to get my stuff either into a bedroom or have it in storage. The room in question is the smallest of the bedrooms in the house and was once my sisters's room. It hasn't been repainted in many a year which explains the hand-prints on the wall. The shelves were already in place, spaced appropriately for school awards and such.

I'm currently tight on space, but also wanted to have my altar as much a part of my daily space as possible. My computer desk where I spend a lot of free time is just to the left and partially underneath what's pictured. This explains why you can see my collection of monster high dolls which live on my desk.

Onward to the pictures.

( Read more... )

So that's my tight-on-space arrangement. I usually do any workings outside or in an indoor space cleared for a specific purpose. For me having storage above my alter is not a problem because I am mindful of what goes onto that particular set of shelves. Also, having to reach over other pieces of furniture to reach them means that nothing gets put there without effort. I hope this was helpful. I haven't done anything like this before and didn't know what other people would want to know.

comments

Tue, 11 Oct 2011 19:40:45 GMT

Posted by: arliss

( Question for the Comm )

comments

Sat, 01 Oct 2011 21:52:11 GMT

Posted by: arliss

( Mabon 2011 )

comments

Lammas 2011

Mon, 08 Aug 2011 18:14:55 GMT

Posted by: arliss

( I know Lammas is the first of the harvest, but it always feels like twilight to me, )

comments

Fri, 24 Jun 2011 23:34:25 GMT

Posted by: arliss

Midsummer Solstice 2011

( more )

xposted to pimp_my_altar, my lj, and my journal at Dreamwidth.

comments

Better late than never

Fri, 20 May 2011 02:50:13 GMT

Posted by: arliss

Beltane 2011

Ribbons loop around an amethyst glass vase of flowers and across the vibrant silk scarf.

A bunch of home grown and gathered lavender has purple ribbon wound about the stems. The white female figure is called "Stand".

Chalice is a French goblet of painted bubble glass. Brass figure of the Minoan snake priestess fronts the pillar stand. The butterfly is an Avon perfume bottle filled with water tinted with red food coloring.

crossposted to my DW journal and livejournal

comments

Ostara 2011

Thu, 31 Mar 2011 22:22:51 GMT

Posted by: arliss

( Before I get too far behind )

comments

Imbolc altar

Sun, 20 Mar 2011 05:11:34 GMT

Posted by: arliss

( Behind a cut to spare your page )

comments

Catching up

Sun, 20 Mar 2011 04:34:48 GMT

Posted by: arliss

( So remiss in posting timely altar pictures. I'll try to do better. )

comments

Anthesteria altar

Fri, 18 Feb 2011 04:24:17 GMT

Posted by: filhotedelua

During the hellenic festival of Anthesteria, I set a small altar on my veranda where all the rites are made and I try to spent most time possible near it. I've made a painting of Dionysus in a boat, a common theme of the festival. I hope you enjoy the pictures.

More photos under the cut (with the finished altar)
( More... )

comments