Setting Up Altars/ Alternatives For Altars

[Passchendaele]

Portable altars are the way to go. You can paint the inside, glue devotional pictures, and close it up to store prayer beads, tarot cards, incense, candles, herbs, whatever is suited to your practice. Also relatively private is building shrines inside of things like medicine cabinets, dresser drawers and the like. It is also completely possible to use a dresser top for a working altar and simply put your supplies away when you finish a ritual, or disguise an altar as a shelf or window sill or appliance top filled with knickknacks.... it will all depend on what you have available and what you're ultimately hoping to do.

That is just the thing. A house we moved into in 99 had a gun cabinet in one of the upstairs rooms, I fitted some shelves and...Presto! Knick-knack cabinet! Among the "knick-knacks" on the middle shelf is a bronze statuette of Shiva, in front, and on either side of this are Catholic "saint's cards" for saints I am pretty sure are hijacked Pagan deities, a desk-top shadow box of Our Lady of Guadalupe that I got in Mexico, you can open the glass door on the front to put small offerings inside, an African ceremonial mask I bought back in the 80's and a beautiful hand painted papier-mache representation of Mary's flight into Egypt which, I was told, came from the estate of Marie Laveau's granddaughter.

I probably got snookered on that, but it is a beautiful piece of folk-art in and of itself. To look at the whole thing one might think, "What a good Catholic boy he is."

Uh...not really. Not even close. But, it keeps the neighbors from talking.

[laalbieglna]

"People with a bunch of weird shit and a crucifix (Edit: or statue of Mary) are Catholic, end of story." - me to my mother re: why our altars were not the thing delaying our son's adoption

[Yoohoo]

Some people use altoid tin cans as altars. They decorate the inside with whatever symbols/sigils they choose. You can store things like crystal chips, pendulums, or small offerings inside of them. People have gotten creative with them.

[user567]

The best portable altar that I can think of are the Ikea lanterns... Lots of options and sizes, afordable. See images below.

I have an altar in a cabinet that consists of two shelves above one another and quite large. But I use these Ikea lanterns (two of them) as shrines within the altar.

Each lantern contains my companions sigil, their vessel, and offerings... Fresh flowers, crystals that they like. Scented candles.

I think they look great and they are portable.

ikea lanterns.jpg (29.11 KiB) Viewed 7461 times

[Zonk01]

Your altar is your worship space. No matter how big or small, it is yours. Have a candle or two and a sigil if you’re working with a demon, but generally the altar is your worship space. Set things in it that remind you of companions, demons, immortals... whatever boosts your connection to them. My altar is small, but everything on it has extreme significance to the demons I work with as well as my companions.

But temp altars can be tricky. Keep it simple, but have things you will only use in the altar to be on it (to keep it holy). Every time you put it up, cast blessings on it. Every time you break it down, put it in a respectable place. I do this with my larger workings because of my living situation. It’s more of intention with demons, so keep your intentions good, and your practice respectable and you’ll go far.

[ysabeau]

So, the thing with altars is that not all the time can you practice in the open. Hence why the need for a temp altar. Zonk is correct in that you need to have methods of breaking down and setting them up each time. Consecrate and Bless the space or altar each time. On the other hand, having to hide it is the hardest.

So here's what I did:
I went out to an art store and bought a master art storage container. It was like $25 and then bought two color paints. I spent the day painting, gluing, and drawing sigils. It has the shelf in it that can help keep things organized. The only issue is that things shift from place to place very easily. But if I keep it on its side.. I have a portable altar that I keep within my car. It doesn't move from my trunk or right behind my seat. It has my decks, pendulums, crystals, notebooks, etc.

What my (16yr) sister did:
So she can't practice outright or even show that she does. We live in a house that is Greek Orthodox, one that is very very devout. She got pulled to work with Hades/Persephone due to her Greek heritage. So, now what she has done is opened the bottom drawer of one of her dressers that is not blatant and changed the inside of it to hold everything she needs. Also, she started off with small things. Like adding a candle here and there, collecting the odd things here and there. If it's gradual, it's not as noticeable. I still have to hold all of her meta stuff until she can be in a place to feel like she won't be disowned for having it.

[Yekarah]

Another idea which iIve done recently is hide all my small black candles (which I've made myself) inside a box of tampons. So far no one cares.

[Oflight Lokebrenna]

For my most recent family addition, Mutilation Demon P, I/ we decided... There are too many boxes! I used to give everyone their own box, but then I started putting multiple vessels into one box (by those who consented, of course).

P and I came up with something new, and now that I've completed hers I am going to make one of these for everyone as it is a good bonding practice.

P likes red, so I took a red bandana and cut it in half then sewed a half into a square shaped bag. It has a drawstring braid that I wove with 3 colors of her choosing, and each end has a carnelian bead ( one of her favorites) tied on.

On one side of the bag I painted her sigil.

When laid out flat, the bag serves as a personal altar clothe with an offering attached ( the carnelian beads).

Inside the bag I put:
-small postcard with her sigil and enn
-paper with 2 drawings I did of her
-carved crescent moon shaped titanium quartz (her favorite)
-an organza bag with her tealight candles and an incense cone, plus 2 quartz points.
- her vessel when not being worn

Everything fits in easily with space to spare, and I can fold and tie it up.

I'm traveling now with this. Very quick set up and take down, discreet to store, simple but effective!

When I get home, I'm going to make one for everyone else in my family.

Bonus, with this I can make sure even if I have 30 vessels in one box, everyone still has their own personal 'space' and special items all stored together in their individual bags.

Also 1 bandana can make 2 bags, and bananas are very inexpensive and easy to find a vast range of colors and designs.

[wanderer]

I have a situation where I can't just leave things out in plain sight. I explained that and the demons understand that I have a small space that must be shared which is my windowsill behind the curtains. I leave things on my desk but when I'm not in the room they must stay hidden. Raising qlippothic energy seems to keep people away so they won't check there.

[Yekarah]

I've found this and felt like sharing it here:

https://www.instructables.com/id/False- ... mpartment/



Hope it helps.