communing with spirit

Altars have always held a special fascination - it may be a childhood holdover from our tradition of visiting churches, especially when we are in a new place, genuflecting in front of a new altar and offering up some special intention.

Bacolod City Basilica, interior

Sacred sites and shrines can be so varied and different - serving an individual person, family or community. Both ancient and ageless - its purpose long lost through the eons. Whether a man made structure, a sacred space in nature, or a natural gathering place - they kindle our interest and can be quite awe inspiring.

Façade of Miagao Fortress Church, Iloilo

When and where it is possible - listening to the stories that go with the why of how a shrine was erected or a space set aside for a sacred purpose, quiet contemplation, a physical reminder to pause and take life in - maybe even make an offering in return to express gratitude and appreciation.

traditional Buddhist shrine, Chiang Mai

In a recent course I attended of Sandra Ingerman we learned how to create a personal altar that changes as we go through changes as well. In just nine weeks it has been an amazing revelation that has opened the way for new direction and fresh insight. 

My altar for the first week was laid out on an old hand embroidered Bedouin tribal cover with a lamp head of the goddess Quan Yin wearing my shamanic eye curtain as she oversees the other elements that surround her. A dorje bell, a carabao horn rattle, a buffalo drum, a conch shell horn, a clay bird whistle, a pair of Baoding chimes, and three crystals - a clear quartz wand, a moss agate egg and a piece of polished petrified redwood from Muir Woods when I lived nearby in Alameda. 

The altar I created the next week sat on a traditional woven cloth by the Cusco women of Peru. The rainbow quartz crystal bowl is a beloved sound healing tool. The itty bitty nest [already abandoned] has traveled with me from Sedona where I first landed when I relocated to the US in 2006. It has become my sweet symbol of home and sits on the mantel wherever I move to.

The week after I turned the same weaving over, switched to another favored quartz bowl. I included a glass paper weight with a cosmic swirl and a sculpted pair of hands, palms offered up in prayer. The angel chimes, three crystals and assortment of feathers remained. 

The next month, I added a photo of my daughter when we were both in Maui for year end holidays. This altar is a celebration of Mahala's birthday and my labor day on September 1. 

The week after, my sister flying out and we had Rosh Hashanah to celebrate. I put a postcard she sent me on the new altar. I also added a beautifully decorated bowl from Israel and a small shofar, with a Peter Haas metal bowl and peacock feather. The worry doll was was my wish for her safe and enjoyable journey. All these items were set on a new native hablon weave from our home islands in the Visayan seas of the Philippines.

More Guatemalan worry dolls followed the week after to include all my siblings and my prayers for their continued health and safety. I also added some noise makers to ring in joy and drive off bad juju - a pair of mixed alloy wands that produce sweet ringing tones and a bunch of seed pods that produce a gentle cascading rattle when shaken. I added little stones of wishful intention at each doll's feet. 

I returned to my mother daughter theme the week after - it helps me sleep soundly, care more, and worry less. The blue orchid platter is a reminder of our Hawaiian adventures and how much we miss our island life. The Tibetan bowl and dorje bell are for our shared meditation practice. The postcard was one Mahala sent me from the Ponte Vecchio in Venice and the little card I put in front of it says, expect a miracle. 

This week's altar was in honor of my artistic endeavors - the sketchbook I created and the silk cloth mandala I handmade in a batik making class we enjoyed on a family visit to a private resort in Thailand. I added a little pouch of sacred tobacco and the two thumb stones I carry on my walks. At the center of the mandala is an Inuit raven head carved in wood from the AGO museum in Canada. 

I created this altar at the end of the course as we step back into ordinary time once more. I find inspiration and nourishment from all we have shared in our circle - giving us doable ways to create a better future in our lives. I take with me my bubble of love and light that we seeded and grew in this course - to keep me fortified and intentional.

400-year-old balete tree of Barangay Campalanas, Lazi, Siquijor province

I give grateful thanks to all for a wonder-filled community - then, now and always. As I track the changes in my home made altars, I can trace my progress through the symbols I have placed there in honor and prayer. May our lives be blessed with love and light to guide and enlighten our spirit.