Altars

[jarandhel]

Thinking on various things from Tresholds and the aftermath. Likely to come out disjointed, and I've decided not to fight that... organization can come after I get my thoughts out.

Ri did a great workshop on Faery Cairns/Altars at Thresholds this year, and if I learned one thing at it, this is it: altars are places for setting up relationships. The relationships you are asking for are symbolized by the offerings/symbols you leave on it.

To that, from recent experience, I would add this: One should be as careful of the symbolic relationships they omit from an altar, as they are of the ones they include.

(Edit: Dear gods, my mind just made a re-connection between this and fae-work through the sleeping beauty fairy-tale and the fairy that wasn't invited at the beginning.)

I think I may add more elements of altar-work to my practice. Though my ritual-bag has become something of a personal "altar" as it is... I wonder if anyone else works with nonstandard tools which function according to the natural functions and dynamics commonly associated with the formal altar?

Comments

[draerendi.livejournal.com]

Anything can be a tool. Anything can be used in ritual after all is it not intent rather than the tool that makes a difference? I can use bits of nature rather than standard tools yet have just as much power in ritual. the tools are focus items so I think what ever works is the best to use.

[jarandhel.livejournal.com]

Aye, I agree, I was just curious to see what other tools people have used to fit the traditional function of an altar. My own bag of ritual tools has become something of an "altar" over time, the tools in it as much symbols of the things I wish to invite into my life and nature as they are tools to be used in outwardly directed workings. As such, it resembles in a way both the altar and the native american medicine pouch. Hearing of other tools with parallel uses might give me more ideas for ways to divorce the function of an altar from its traditional form, replacing the specific tool with the dynamic function it represents.

[draerendi.livejournal.com]

I have friends that use tarot cards...runes...rocks. Pictures have been used also colors. Basically since a tool is a thing of focus it does not really matter what is used so anything in the area is good. I have found that magic dewells inside so what you use is not important. I used an ink pen once. I use my hands more often than not rather than a tool at all. Some people do not use a working altar. It is used to symbolise the powers but not to invoke them. In other words decoration. Symbols that are drawn in the air or on ground work too. I try not to rely too much on the use of tools at all because I don't always need them.