December 11, 2009 Intention and Intuition The Purpose of an Altar If you didn't grow up with an altar in your home, having an altar now may seem like an exotic and unattainable idea. Yet having an altar does not have to be complicated or difficult, nor does it need to be based on a religion or a set of ideas that don't seem to relate to you. An altar can be a simple, personal expression of what you want to focus on right now. You do not have to build anything or take up a lot of space. You do not have to buy anything new or follow a complex set of instructions to create your altar. All you have to do is have a general understanding of what an altar is and the willingness to allow yourself access to this wonderful, ancient tool of transformation. At its most essential, an altar is simply a raised structure that serves as a resting place for meaningful objects. It focuses the eye and provides a place for contemplation and, if so desired, ritual. All of these elements can be quite simple. One idea for a simple altar is a pot with a bulb planted in it, set on a box. This altar to growth can act as a reminder to you that all living things bloom in their time. A simple ritual might be to write down dreams you would like to see come to fruition on scraps of paper. You might place these scraps of paper in the box, or under the flowerpot, or in an envelope you prop against the pot. As the flower grows, so will your dreams. If you look around your home, you may find that you have already created altarlike arrangements without even really thinking about it; this is something we humans do quite naturally. A candle, a decorative box, and a vase of flowers are just a few of the common household objects that lend themselves naturally to the creation of an altar. Simply add intention and intuition, and you have created your first altar. Remember that it isn't necessarily about the objects you place at your altarit is the time you spend with it daily, taking the time to be with it for your sacred time. Top 10 DailyOM Courses: 1. Falling in Love with Yourself 2. Heal Your Money Karma 3. A Year of Rumi 4. Overcoming Self-Sabotage 5. Permanent Weight Loss with Self-Hypnosis 6. Overcoming Creative Anxiety 7. Create a Life you Love 8. Heal Yourself With Ayurveda 9. Heal Yourself with Medical Intuition 10. 21 Day Consciousness Cleanse New Courses | All Courses What do you think? Discuss this article and share your opinion Want more DailyOM? Register for your free email, or browse all articles | | Share the OM: Of interest for readers in Connecticut: From the Library: Being True to Life by David Richo More DailyOM: On-line Courses Soul Readings Today's Horoscopes Shop the Marketplace Join the Community |
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