candles, and often pictures or statues of deities, saints,
or gurus. Sometimes, holy water is kept by the door, and
grape juice or wine is offered to the participants. Singing
or chanting and prayer are usually part of the service.
But what do we do at home, in our private places?
Statues of saints are common in Catholic households. A
cross is a familiar symbol in other Christian homes. Non-
Christian homes have statues or symbols of their deities,
often surrounded by flowers, candles, and other
symbolic offerings. These are consciously made altars,
places we make sacred for our spiritual growth and
comfort.
Those who do not attend any organized church or
temple or do not profess any belief in any deities are still
influenced by the collective unconscious mind to build
altars. Subconsciously, they are drawn to build little
informal altars of collections of items that appeal to
them. With some thought and attention, these altars can
add positive energy to our lives.
The Benefits of Building Altars
We need to realize that conscious intent in building an
altar can create a positive, spiritual atmosphere that will
improve our everyday lives. Altar building crosses all
cultural lines and is not necessarily connected to any
religion. Taking this action merely says that you wish to
connect with the unlimited pool of cosmic energy that
sustains the entire universe. This connection may be
made to manifest certain desires in your life or simply to
say "thank you" to a higher power for what you already
have. An altar can be permanent, changeable, or
temporary, according to your needs. The bottom line is
that you should be building your altars with conscious
intent and understanding of what you are doing.