How to make an Orthodox altar at home. Setting up an altar at home: how to make a family temple

Anyone who has ever been interested in magic and the occult knows that every magician or witch must have a personal altar. However, often not everyone understands why it is actually needed and what functions it should perform. Therefore, from time to time, significant disagreements arise about what a “real” magical altar is and exactly what it should look like.

To understand this issue, you should first refer to ancient history. The word “altar” itself comes from the Latin “altarium” and literally means “the top of the altar” or simply “a high altar.” However, it would be wrong to reduce the purpose of altars solely to sacrifice. Even in ancient times, there were special places for sacrifice rituals - altars. The altar has slightly different functions.

First of all, the altar is a place where immaterial forces can come into contact with the material world. Within any religion, the altar is a kind of window through which the gods look into our world and communicate with their followers. In other words, this sacred place, symbolizing a certain deity and embodying his power, as well as a place for storing sacred instruments.

In modern occultism, a magical altar is seen as a place of personal power for a magician, his work platform. In other words, this is the main tool for influencing the surrounding reality, reflecting the personality of the magician himself and representing a kind of model of the world in miniature.

Perhaps this postulate was most clearly formulated by the famous Australian artist and Wiccan witch Lucy Cavendish: “By creating a magical altar, we create a whole world in the middle of the world, a very special place - in order to think, do magic, cast spells, meditate, laugh and communicate with the divine. The altar is a reflection of who we are energetically.”

A magical altar can be dedicated to a deity if the magician works within the framework of some religious tradition, and may not have any connection to a specific religious teaching. It may be equipped with an arsenal of magical tools or resemble a small collection of unusual trinkets of value only to its owner.

For example, Western European ceremonial magic is characterized by an extensive set of altar instruments made according to certain rules, strict design of the altar itself, prescribed by tradition, using a complex system of various magical symbols.

At the same time, the design of the altar of a witch or an adherent of one of the neo-pagan movements can be extremely minimalistic, in which symbols of forces and elements are indicated by the most ordinary objects: a bird feather as a symbol of the element of Air, a handful of salt as the element of Earth, a pair of candles as the embodiment of fire and a small bowl of water. On some altars it is also possible to find any images, figurines or objects that symbolize certain powers for a particular sorceress.

Therefore, there are no single universal requirements for appearance, the shape and design of the altar simply does not exist. Each witch and each magician creates her own altar individually in accordance with her own ideas and inclinations, and guided only by the most general rules.

What is a "typical" witch's altar?

And yet, what should a witchcraft altar look like if there are no clearly defined rules? To this question, only one thing can be said with certainty: in all cases it is very different.

As a witchcraft altar, either an altar table or bedside table specially created for this purpose, or an ordinary flat stone placed on a windowsill, a mantelpiece, or a picturesque tree stump in a forest clearing can be used. Although, of course, objects created by experienced craftsmen specifically for one or another magical work are much more convenient and effective to use than any others.

The altar can be a stationary altar, a home altar, or a portable mini-altar that resembles a small stand with one candle that can be carried anywhere. It can even be ephemeral, when all construction comes down to throwing an altar cover onto any relatively flat surface and placing the minimum necessary set of tools on it. Moreover, the altar may not in any way resemble a ritual object and at the same time be completely functional. Suffice it to recall the famous Nanta-bags, widespread in the Italian Stregeria - small bags filled with the most ordinary objects, symbolizing powerful forces.

And yet, for constant magical practice, the most convenient is a full-fledged stationary altar, installed in a certain place, to which there is always access. Such an altar helps the magician to effectively concentrate his power, accumulating it from ritual to ritual. Although special altar tables created by craftsmen from wood or metal are often used for rituals, it is most convenient to make a stationary altar from a bedside table or small chest of drawers. In this case, the upper surface of the furniture becomes a working platform on which all manipulations are directly carried out, and the lower tier with closed drawers and shelves can serve as an excellent storage facility, where all witchcraft items are kept until the right moment, securely hidden from prying prying eyes.

It is generally accepted that a typical witchcraft altar is equipped with a certain set of tools that embody the forces and elements that the magician uses in his practice. These can be figurines of patron deities, altar pentacles, bedspreads, cups and bowls as a reflection water element, stones and crystals embodying the element of Earth, various incense burners, incense sticks or bird feathers as a symbol of Air, and, of course, candles.

Altar candles not only embody the element of Fire, but also perform many other diverse functions. They are used in rituals and ceremonies to create a certain atmosphere, to concentrate and direct energy, to give a given form to the magician’s intention. Therefore, the choice of altar candles, their color, size and texture should always be approached very carefully. Perhaps, paying more attention to this issue than to the selection of all other tools. Because often the success and effectiveness of the entire ceremony depends on the quality and correct choice of altar candles.

In addition to traditional ritual objects and tools, on magical altars you can often find seemingly completely inappropriate things: unusual jewelry, rosaries made of natural stones and glass beads, copper and silver coins, multi-colored feathers or wool threads, flowers and dried herbs, bunches of rowan, ears of wheat, animal bones and much more. And this is by no means an accident.

Each item on the magical altar has its own meaning and is a symbol of some force or phenomenon with which the owner of the altar interacts. Each thing on the altar accumulates the memory of the magic released into the world and concentrates certain energies. Therefore, any item on the magical altar requires careful and respectful treatment.

At the same time, there is a very strict rule: there should be nothing superfluous or extraneous on the witchcraft altar. This means that, even for a short time, nothing should be placed or placed on the altar that is not related to magical work. No cups of tea that “have nowhere to put,” no comb placed “accidentally for a minute,” no cell phone, even if it rang at the wrong moment. You should not disturb the established energy structure - this can result in very unpleasant disruptions in further work.

In general, we can say that a magical altar always first of all reflects the character and inclinations of its owner and embodies his personal power. Therefore, when creating your own altar, you should not worry too much about the exact “following of tradition”; it is much more important to choose those objects that will serve as emotional triggers, creating the much-needed successful work"magical" mood.

To people who once practiced and are now practicing various magical practices, we know about the altar - a certain place where the energy necessary to solve a particular problem is concentrated. Without an altar, you cannot appoint a magician or sorcerer. It is impossible to imagine a well-executed work without an altar. Work or communication with native gods. Very few people neglect making sacred place, which they soon regret.

Ideally, it would be great if a whole room was allocated for practicing magic, where the altar itself could be organized. In such a place, no one will bother you, no one will stand over your soul and be interested in what these or other objects mean. Agree that sometimes answering these questions can be boring.

Alas, not everyone has the opportunity to separate from outside world own magical workshop. It is this reason that is the main reason for the refusal to make the altar. Like, I don’t want my family to poke their nose into my affairs, I don’t want my children to touch my things, and in general, anyone to interfere in magical matters.

But there still has to be a way out somewhere. One way or another, in the house or apartment where you live you still need to find a quiet place (at least a corner) where the altar can be organized.

How to make an altar?

A small table, for example, bought from IKEA, or the surface of your old chest of drawers, or maybe even a fireplace, can act as an altar. A flat surface must be covered with a cloth. For example, you can independently embroider protective symbols on fabric or any other signs that you somehow use in your practice.

On any altar there is always a place for candles, which must be made of pure wax. Ideally, you need to make these candles yourself. If you couldn’t make a candle yourself or you can’t buy a real wax candle, then try to find at least a white candle, it is the personification of the divine source of life.

You can also often find various herbs on the altar. Their names will depend on what kind of work is being performed. Stones – they are also on the altar. Moonstone and amethyst, morion and carnelian. You never know what kind of stones you can interact with! Here everyone chooses a stone to their liking or according to their horoscope. And yet, the very first and main stone located on the altar is a crystal in the shape of a ball.

Here you can also find various pendulums, churas of gods and goddesses, incense, a ritual knife, salt and living Water.

Altar for healing

When it comes to healing practices, the altar seems to be transformed. Its very surface is decorated with scarlet fabric. Candles are used in green or golden-orange color.

Rituals for getting rid of physical and spiritual ailments are usually carried out in women's days(Sat., Wed., Fri.), if they are treating a young lady, and on men’s days (Mon., Tue., Thu.), if a male representative. Required condition- waning moon. Only this way and no other way!!!

Of course, every healer will use his own well-tested ritual or rite. Everyone has their own prayers in their arsenal, but what unites the masters is the use of various healing herbs and incense in their work. Some people prefer to interact with incense, others with sage or yarrow, others with wormwood thistle.

The current level of medicine and its inaccessibility for many leads to the fact that an increasing number of people are turning to representatives of alternative medicine for help. Alas, but among them large number charlatans. This is true. But there are those who really help and do not do it for money.

And yet, saving drowning people is the work of the one who is drowning. Learn to solve at least minor problems on your own, such as removing the evil eye. Learn to cleanse your own energy and the energy of your loved ones. For this you have all the tools, the main thing is the desire and then everything will work out.

In our native tradition today it is really difficult to find a Vedic temple or temple or sacred grove, since it is missing today and has been missing for over 1000 years. Therefore, for those who have woken up and turn to the Almighty Progenitor and the governing gods, this can be done with the help of the Ancestral home altar or simply by going out into nature.

Since the word Nature speaks for itself, it is a dowry of the Progenitor’s Family, given to us as a gift to accelerate our spiritual development and so that we could address her as a mother, so that she would ask her father to fulfill our aspirations and dreams.

It should be noted right away that it is not customary for us to ask for anything. In this way: “We never ask the Native Gods for anything, but only glorify them and therefore we are Slavs”. Therefore, in our tradition, they do not make requests to the Gods; this is tantamount to the fact that you, as a child, turned to your parents so that they would not accidentally forget to buy you notebooks, pens, a school uniform and a briefcase by September 1st. This is so obvious that parents have already prepared this for a long time and there is no point in doubting their sanity, and even more so if we are talking about Gods who are not commensurately higher than us in terms of evolution. Therefore, we glorify them and with our praises we try to express our gratitude, respect and joy from the fact that we recognize ourselves as grandchildren and children of God.

You can go out into nature and speak in your own words, or you can use ancient Russian sounds or mantras (the most effective combination of sounds that are created through singing and have been tested for many thousands of years). In this way, they most effectively assist us in interacting with the Native Gods and the Almighty Progenitor.

You can also use your home Ancestral Altar and in this case you do not need to go to church. Therefore, you can have a temple right at home and call it the home Ancestral Altar on which the faces will be present Slavic Gods. In this case, you may well establish a personal connection and personal interaction with the Gods.

Nowadays, many people use phones and carry them with them to stay in touch with friends and relatives. Moreover, it would be logical to establish a connection with the Native Gods with the help of the home Ancestral Altar, and in this case, it would be most sane to live and interact with the Upper World in order to develop spiritually most quickly and effectively. That is why the home Ancestral Altar is an urgent need for those who have awakened, matured and are ready, like a decent son or daughter, to ask the Gods: “What should I do better, and what should I not do.” In this case you will receive good advice and good advice. The most important thing is that you will know exactly whether this or that activity will benefit your evolution or whether you will need to change it to something more useful for you.

There are rules for creating a home Ancestral Altar

If the rules are followed, then it is quite possible for everyone to establish personal interaction with the Gods in order to live correctly and sensibly. A home Ancestral Altar is created as follows:

- Select any wall in the home in which you live. The northern wall is mainly used, but if for some reason this is difficult, then the eastern one can be used. On the wall itself you can place the faces of the Slavic Gods or the radiance of Light, which will personify the original light of the Most High Ancestor. In any case, our Gods are always with us, they influence our lives no matter how much we want them to. You can place on the Ancestral Altar the faces of those gods that are closest to you due to your thoughts and spiritual evolution.

You can place the male faces on the left side of the altar, and the female faces on the right side of the altar (the altar is in front of you). It turns out that the Gods are looking at you... male faces on the right, and female faces on the left.

- Under the faces of the Gods, it is necessary to create a shelf to place (KUM - the one who adds his own to our mind. PEACE - the whole society, community, immediate environment, a state without war). It has always been customary to call an idol a three-dimensional image of the Native Gods; they were mainly carved from wood, although other materials were also used.

— In addition to the idols, on the shelf of the Ancestral Altar you can place all the elements of nature. IN in this case the element of earth can be anything: a clay plate for rituals or clay candlesticks, etc. (you can use your creative imagination). The element of water in the form of natural water, you can use a rapan shell; it stands on its own spikes and will not spill water (a creative solution, easy to use). The element of air in the form of incense of various forms and options, the main thing is that it refreshes and improves the smells of the room. The element of fire in the form of a candle or lamp. Thus, all four elements of nature will help you interact with the ancestral altar since they are also inside you. Well, don’t forget about the spiritual mood.

— When all the elements of the home Ancestral Altar are configured and collected together, you can begin to use it. In this case, we are talking about bringing bloodless gifts and demands in the form of food, as well as gifts prepared with one’s own hands.

Everything we have is the property of the Gods, however, just as a child did not eat a previously given candy, but saved it and then gives it to his parents, although they understand that this is their candy :) nevertheless, they are happy that he did not eat it, but saved it and ready to give as a gift. These relationships are built on love affairs between us and the Native Gods. Naturally, they bring into our lives the benefits that we need to accelerate our spiritual evolution.

How and when it is better for you to offer demands and praises at your home Ancestral Altar at dawn with the rising of Yarila or during the day is up to you to decide. Listen to your inner voice, turn to your intuition.