Thoughts on altars before and after travel.
(Image description: A photo of some crystals on a wooden surface. Eight crystals are grouped together, each in different shapes, colors, and sizes. They are next to a couple of decorative glass items.) Credit: Photo by Sarah Brown on Unsplash
I returned recently from my extended trip, and one of the things I missed was being at my main altar. In an earlier post, I talked about what I brought with me to maintain my practice. However, now that I’m back, it hit me how much I missed the familiarity of these sacred spaces that I am at and continue to work on.
Additionally, I left during the middle of summer, and it’s now autumn. That means another fire festival is around the corner, and the altar needs to be tidied up and redecorated for Samhain. Thankfully, a recent flamekeeping shift was an appropriate time to do this.
Picture frames were dusted, and seasonal items were placed. A couple brown ceramic owls were put at each end of the altar. Owls don’t have any mention within Brigidine folklore or legends, but I still connect them with Brighid. Their nocturnal calls remind me of Brighid’s invention of a whistle to be used at night. There is also Brigantia’s connection with Minerva, and the owl is one of the Roman goddess’s symbols of wisdom.
I still have a couple items I want to add to the layout for those who have passed within the last year or so. I will likely include the pawprint cast from Mystic, and I haven’t figured out what I want to include for my late father. I still have a bit of time to think on this and put them on the altar.
Coming back increased my need to continue working on Nodens’s shrine as well. He still only has a large jar candle and the prayer beads I took along on the journey. I could be wrong, but I’ve gotten the feeling that He doesn’t want to be depicted in an anthropomorphized form. However, symbols I associate with Him seem to be fine.
With the contrast between my main and travel altars, I find myself wanting to include a couple more items the next time I travel. One item is a bell. I can’t really pack the bell branch I use, but next time I will be sure to include the small bell I have. I had been envisioning the sound my bell branch makes, but there’s still something to the physical act of ringing a bell that’s fulfilling in my practice. Other items might include crystals or some sort of tiny altar tile for each of the deities, in order for them to have Their respective spaces.
All in all, being away from home gave me some valuable insights of what provides elements of comfort in my religious path, as well as how I can add items that please Brighid and Nodens in the future.
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