Making a Portable Altar

 I spend a decent chunk of my week with my boyfriend of many years at his place. Now when I'm away from home I still like to keep up with small devotionals so I don't feel like my spiritual and religious life stops the minute I walk out the door. I have a little pouch in my purse where I carry a small string of prayer beads and two stones I am particularly fond of. (One is a piece of moonstone that is a natural worry stone, the way it feels between my fingers and slowly warms as I hold it is very soothing.) Now when I would say prayers at my boyfriend's (let's call him Wolfe) I always felt a little uncomfortable, sort of like I was intruding. He has his own altars and his own ways and I fully embrace and respect that. I asked Wolfe a few weeks ago if I could set up a small altar of my own so to speak on the little set of wire baskets that serve as my dresser for clothes and other small things I either keep there or bring with me. Today he said ok, I could set it up as long as it followed what I had promised and his own rules. So while putting it together I thought I would blog about the process.

This altar isn't one dedicated to any of my deities but one for mediation and contemplation, which also means it can be put away when I'm not there. Logically then it needs to fit in a singular container.

Challenge #1 - Find a Container.

For what ever reason I like boxes, and containers, and I have a decent variety laying around. The trickiest part is finding one about the right size that isn't already full of stuff. Little wooden cigar box was my first thought but it's full of skeins of embroidery floss. But then I remembered the vintage French cookie tin they used to be in. I found it still in the closet and unused since my thread stash outgrew it. (Looks like this but mine doesn't have a hinge lid.) It's the prefect size.

Challenge 1 - Complete.

Challenge #2 - Keeping Stuff Safe

The only issue with this box is that it is made of tin, and while I'm still choosing all I want to put in it, I don't want stuff crashing around an making noise or worse yet breaking or getting damaged. Seems simple enough, a bit of fabric to wrap things up in and to double as an altar cloth when it's out. Now to dig through my drawer of scarves and bandannas. Thankfully that wasn't too hard, the scarf I was looking for was right on top, it's a small silk one that Wolfe bought me two or three years ago.

Challenge 2 - Complete

Challenge #3 - What to put in it.

I know for sure that I want a little Book of Shadows, a mini version that compiles some of my favorite prayers and meditations from my larger Book of Shadows and also culled from the various books in my library, and the Internet. I don't need rituals or anything, just those things that I sometimes find myself inspired to contemplate or recite when I'm over there. (It takes me a while to memorize and sometimes I feel more comfortable reading if I'm going to with something other than spontaneity.) I don't know if I have a tiny journal that will fit, if not  I can always make a scroll or something. Another element that I must add are stones, I like nature and when I started sticking my toes into the paganism pool I started with stones. I've always had a rock collection and I thought it would be discrete. I have a bag I'll have to dig through and see if I have any meditative faves to bring with. Now some of those like to roll around, so I have a little silver plate, (silver plate electroplated on steel to be correct) it fits in the box and it's not doing anything useful here so in it goes. The last piece is a visual element, I construct things visually, I work better with maps and calenders rather than just being asked what days I'm available or where to get to somewhere. I like images but images of deities isn't what the focus is here, I'll have to think on this. Well I'm going to go dig around and see what I can put together.

So I ended up sleeping on it and I ended up with a few of my favorite pieces, a Labdorite orb a large piece of Kyanite, and the most precious piece a Lapis Lazuli stone that originally sat on my primary altar for many years. (Thank you Anpu and Nebt-Het for letting me borrow it for this). The visual element hasn't been determined so this is a work in progress.

Challenge #3 - Complete

It's not quite complete but I want to work with it a few times before I start making revisions so to speak. This is primarily an exercise in space, place, and belonging. It's nice to have the familiar close at hand to help facilitate finding peace and tranquility in a place that isn't inherently ones own, the stuff is just a physical expression of that. A repository for the feelings and energies that I like to surround myself with during prayer and mediation.


Blessings,

Satiah