Your Body, Your Altar

My grandmother used to say, “My skirt is my altar.” This saying carries through my work around helping women awaken to their intuitive feminine wisdom. It’s a way of living I continue to share and integrate. 

You see, the body is a sacred space. It carries our spirit, our energies (which can translate into emotions), our life force. Dressing with intention is a ritual that honors the body as a living altar, much like how we honor a physical altar space with offerings. 

For women in particular, dressing in a skirt is a simple way to honor the divinity within us and around us. Skirts represent the sacred circle or “hoop of life” that all humans are born through. It’s a protective and sacred tapestry, an ode to the miracle of life.  

Skirts effortlessly enhance our feminine aspects and values – our creative power, our nurturing spirit, and connection to life’s cycles. Often, women find the healing qualities of wearing a skirt. It lifts your spirit, and brings more purpose and meaning to your everyday rituals. 

Why Build a Home Altar?

Though our primary altar is the body, we always recommend both men and women to keep a physical altar in their home. It’s an anchoring place in the home that we can see and touch, where we can balance energies, and communicate with that which is greater than us, which guides and support us. 

Physical altars act as an external reflection of our internal sacred space and it’s important to keep both tidy, active, and balanced.

In doing altar work, we pay respect to the four directions, Father Sky, Mother Earth, the masculine and feminine. We balance all of these energies through the four elements: fire, water, earth and air. We bring them all together on the altar, to connect with what we call the space that contains all, the universe, or what fills it, Spirit.  

The Wisdom of Each Element

Fire: You can get in the car, but if you don’t start it, it’s not going anywhere. When we bring the element of fire to the altar, it’s starts up the engine. Light a candle to bring inertia to your altar, to invite joy and light to your life. The element of fire is a drop of the sun, which shines light on our inner necessities, and helps us see the map of what needs to happen in our lives. Fire is a tool to activate your prayers. 

Water: The essence of life, representing fluidity, clarity, and cleanliness. By placing a glass or bowl of water on your altar, you’re inviting the purifying and soothing qualities of water into your space. Water cleanses us physically and spiritually, helping us wash away stale energies and emotions, making room for fresh energy and growth. It also represents emotional flow and intuition, helping us embrace our inner voice and move through changes with greater ease.

Earth: Grounds and stabilizes your altar, anchoring your spiritual work in the physical realm. Various forms such as crystals, flowers, and seashells can be added to your altar, helping you connect with the abundance of Mother Earth. Translucent stones in particular are great tools for channeling. Flowers, with their sweet smell and delicate beauty, remind us to stay open and soft while we do the altar work. Shells are treasures from the ocean, and symbolize feminine aspects such as fertility, protection, and the mysteries of the deep. 

Air: The breath of life which carries thoughts, prayers and intentions upwards. Smudging the altar invokes the element of air, creating sacred smoke that neutralizes the space and helps keep us positive in the process. Sage, cedar and palo santo are the basics, though any tree resin that is bitter can help cut the old. Air is life force, communication, and the exchange of ideas, inviting clarity of thought and expression into your spiritual practice.  

How to Approach Your Altar

When we go to the lake or river to look at our reflection, we want the surface to be calm so we can see clearly. It’s the same when we go to our altar space. If there are people running around your space, you’re stressed out or in a hurry, and there’s a mix of frequencies, it’s better to pause and find another time or place.  

It’s great to visit the altar in the morning after you bath, after a mindful walk, or around your bed time as you wind down and tune into your home. Prioritize bringing your mind to a place of positivity and calm. Remember, the altar is an external reflection of your higher self and your spiritual well-being.

Steps to Building Your Home Altar

 (1) Choose a mantel that you love and honor, and place it down on a table. Though it’s not a necessity, a mantel can help you outline the designated sacred space. A mantel that’s handmade of natural materials is best – avoid synthetic fabrics and chemical dyes. The more organic, the more pure. Made by hand means that someone put their thoughts and prayers into it, elevating the vibration. The design or weaving of the mantel reminds us of the harmony and interconnectedness of life, and the intricate balance of cause and effect in the natural world.

(2) Smudge the space with incense to neutralize any old energies, clean ourselves, and keep our thoughts positive in the process.  

(3) Add the element of fire by placing a candle on the altar.

(4) Add the element of water, by placing a glass or bowl on the altar.

(5) Add the element of earth, by placing translucent crystals, seashells, and/or flowers on the altar. 

(6) Add the element of air by lighting incense and placing it on the altar.

(7) Bring your mind to a positive place, and activate your altar by lighting the candle. 

(8) Use an instrument such as a rattle to greet the sacred in your life. If you’re new to chanting, simply try to connect to your inner voice. Whether that’s humming, singing a childhood song, sustaining an “om”, or recalling a melody related to nature. Whatever feels true and natural to you is best. 

As you embark on your day, remember that you are sacred, and the altar is an extension of your higher self. Whatever thoughts or words pass through your mind or emotions or mouth, be gentle with yourself and be conscious of how you share your sacred vibration. Your altar is your refuge, where you can find simplicity and tranquility, and where you can connect to Spirit and the Earth.

How often should you visit your home altar?

If you strive to keep your sacred space clean, maintain it as a daily ritual just like the rest of your habits. Just as you wake up and greet the sun, drop in and say hello to your altar. Greet it by sending signals, by refreshing the water, lighting the candle, fixing the flowers, touching the minerals once a day. Activate it, then you can choose to go deeper.

Intuitive Feminine Wisdom

Building and maintaining a sacred altar at home is a beautiful first step to connect with Spirit and your intuitive feminine wisdom. With daily altar work, you might find yourself wanting a deeper exploration of ancient feminine traditions and earth-based wisdom.

If you feel called to activate your psyche, align with the earth's rhythms, and connect with like-minded women, we invite you to join our Intuitive Feminine Wisdom course, beginning August 25th. This course expands on altar work, and dives into more rituals, self-care practices, and essential themes for the modern spiritual woman.

Learn more about the Intuitive Feminine Wisdom course and how it can help you uncover your innate feminine intuition. Join us in honoring our bodies as living altars and exploring feminine wisdom together.