Welcome to another installment of "Becca's Brain!"
Which is, and has been, fizzing since probably the third sentence of yours......
To get the initial pre-play thought out of the way, I read the track description and immediately wondered if the title "Altar" was supposed to instead be "Alter." Of course, I was going to listen anyway, but that really aroused my curiosity. And I was so pleased that your title was accurate, but the homonym "alter" was equally applicable that - yes, I sheepishly admit this but I was alone at the time and even if I wasn't, who cares? 😁 - I actually chuckled and briefly clapped my hands gently at the clever wordplay.
Then I did something I have never done before in my life. I grabbed the notepad by my bed and started jotting down things to mention here in my reply as I listened to your words. This is such an important area that people tend not to think much about. However, I like to think I have a rather unique perspective on it, one which will compliment yours and perhaps expand options for implementation for your listeners.
Some background for readers who may not have seen prior replies I have made, but which will - I hope - serve to illustrate that I know from real-world practice whereof I speak here. I was a military linguist, active duty. I was also, while serving, my Company's religious liaison for inbound soldiers of Wiccan and other Pagan faiths. I coordinated with the post chaplain's office and our command, ensuring that the newly assigned soldiers were able to have the items they needed for religious observances in ways which confirmed to the regulations in place. (Example: candles were permitted at decorative items only in the barracks, but could not show any evidence of having been ever lit. With the proper exemption letter from the company CO, lit or visibly burned candles were permitted as a waiver item if you kept them stored out of sight with the letter, unless out of storage for active use. I educated new arrivals on this and helped them obtain said letters, among other things.)
Beyond that, I was the Distinctive Faith Group Leader (DFGL) at a major Army installation once I got out, while my husband was still on active duty. I arranged meetings and observances fora wide diversity of non-traditional faiths, all in conjunction with the post chaplain's office, who provided location and logistical support since they had no dedicated chaplains to serve this particular population. I had in my little group, at one point, a mix of active practioners of faiths such as Native American shamanism, Wicca (many traditions), Asatru, a few "trance intuitives" (their term), two individuals who strictly followed a particular flavor of Egyptian reconstructed religious tenets (which as a former Arabic linguist, landed me in a dual role of consultant for them), general heathenry/Norse Paganism, there were some Buddhists who occasionally joined us, an a good number of people who identified as "generally spiritual," "neo-Pagan," or "New Age." I gave briefings to the command and visiting chaplaincies, you name it. (I heard recently they now have a sweat lodge nearby for the Native American cohort. I'm so proud of the work it took them to get that in place!)
All that said, I also wrote/photographed for a Pagan magazine for a few years during and after that time. One of the most memorable pieces I photographed was on household altars. I shot photos of altars on bookshelves, on top of spice racks, atop a cabinet television, countertops, one in an outgrown baby crib that had a drop-down side, so the person could leave the altar in place and out of reach of the home's dog, yet simply lower the side of the crib to sit before it on the floor in meditation. Ingenious! There were many altars in cabinets so the doors could be closed in case of less-tolerant neighbor or friend/family visits.
Beyond that though, in the military we developed "portable altars" that fit into a small can. (For those in the USA or able to find them, the tins that Altoids mints come in are perfect for this.) You can fit a single birthday candle and match in there, a small salt packet from restaurants or to-go silverware packets (or a small pebble), a tiny feather or mini folding fan for air, and carry one of those "pill anywhere" containers to hold some water, unless you simply wish to place a small shallow container (some used a cap from a soda bottle and spit into it in a pinch) inside the tin. You could also fit a small twig, a couple miniaturized photos of your deities or ancestors, or even small figurines if there's room. I know one soldier who used tin soldiers for representations - they were passed down to him from his grandfather, who had also served and made this doubly meaningful for him.
These "tin altars" fit easily into a rucksack and were not heavy at all. They were wonderful for maintaining ritual practices in the field. My own actually had a collage of deity images and symbols pasted into the top cover of the tin, so I would open the tin, prop the lid up, and I saved a lot of interior space that way. I put a piece of ritual-only jewelry, a small necklace, in there to help me set aside the time and space in my mind when I sat down, along with a tiny folded piece of paper that had a couple general prayers and meditations on them in case I needed inspiration. Other folks used these tins as family memorabilia while deployed. Whatever serves best!
So that is one way to have an altar with you at all times. And of course, an altar need not be religious. A tin like this can function as a vision board does, which is a similar idea, but perhaps more loaded with images, as what is described in this HoH. Some people will use their bodies as altars, having a temporary or permanent tattoo (or multiples) placed as perpetual self-checks, memorials, or celebrations. The wonderful semi-colon ( ; ) movement is an example of this. Jewelry too, can serve as an altar. I created a floating locket at the beginning of November for this purpose. I have had many family deaths in the last few years, and as an aspiring professional genealogist, my heratige is extremely important to me. My locket is a simple clear circle pendant with silver trim, and inside are heart shaped "gems." Each "gem" is the birthstone of a family member. I have hearts inside my locket that include all my direct lineage members through my great-grandparents, plus my brother, an aunt who recently passed, my husband, and my child. There are no charms, nothing else but this rainbow of birthstones, which I wear almost daily as a means of keeping my family close to my heart. (And the many colors means it pretty much coordinates with any outfit I might wear.)
Another option for having an on-the-go reminder for yourself is to set up your altar wherever and however you like, then take a photo of it and keep that in a cloud-based storage as well as on your phone. I did this with a cabinet altar I had at home, and during my lunch break at work, I would open the photo on my computer, make it full screen, and sit before it in meditation for a few minutes to ground myself before resuming work. I also had a floating text screensaver on my computer that contained a particularly pointed message for myself at that time ("If not now, when?) so I would be brought back repeatedly to my focus and intent, to the "why" I was doing what I was doing in what was at the time a soul-crushing job. (It got better, as I knew it would - policy changes never go as smoothly as one might dream.)
I currently have small altars for various purposes around my house and office and in various formats, including all of the above. I started trying to do a Pinterest vision board but got too confused by the platform and options that I stopped. There is something to be said for the tactile nature and practice of snipping photos and arranging them "just so" on a board, much like placing the squares of a quilt in a pleasing arrangement prior to pinning them. (Family hobby, though my husband has taken it over from my mom/grandmother/great-aunt more than I have - I just iron/press, arrange, and occasionally do the actual quilting and trimwork, but mostly ironing and arranging.)
Which, I might point out, is another way to stay grounded - a homemade quilt or blanket (super simple to make) of fabrics with patterns, designs, textures, etc that mean something to you are great ways to bring "you" along if you like to travel with a throw blanket or whatever. I have a blanket in my office (purchased, I'm afraid, but very dear to me) that I was given after my grandfather died. It is a warm, plush, lightweight light blue blanket with comforting sayings of love and support printed all over it. I wrap myself up in this blanket when I am feeling low or in need of support for any reason. I found another one like it that I keep on my bed, so nightly I am covered by warmth and love and support, no matter how my husband tosses and turns. 😉
I also have an ancestral memorial altar in my walk-in closet on one of my shelves. It contains my paternal grandmother's (empty) urn, since her ashes were moved to a joint ash-holding container once my grandfather died, and I helped him select this urn for her after she passed. The shelf also holds a small wooden Shiners statue that my grandfather received upon attaining a very high degree within the Order, and the shell casings from his military funeral (we are hand-building his burial flag's shadow box, so the layout will eventually change a bit once I move the shell casings to the shadow box).
There is a metal photo frame family tree with hanging heart-shaped frames forming the leaves, a military coin representing both my grandfathers and my own service in uniform, the bracelet I wore at my wedding, which my maternal grandfather gave to my grandmother while they were dating, a toy horse my maternal grandfather gave me, plus one of his military rank insignia my grandmother passed down to me, some family photos of myself with my parents and grandparents, a hanging necklace I occasionally wear (I don't want it to break, it's quite delicate) gifted by my mother, a brooch from a great-aunt who never had kids but shared a birthday with me and considered me her own, some select items from my aunt, and etc. I also have some clothing passed to me from relatives who have passed, and whenever I put on a sweater from my grandmother's collection, it feels like getting a big hug from her again, even though she is no longer physically here to do so.
The point of all of this, and there is one 😉 is to illustrate ways that an altar can be constructed in creative ways and for multiple purposes. You can take your inspiration with you. Even mindful selection of wall art for an office or home can drive as a focal point, or having a green, living plant that you can occasionally stop to view and soak in the evidence of pure growing LIFE there in front of you amidst the concrete, plastic, metal, and glass.
I need frequent reminders of what my purpose is, where I came from, what is important to me. I do not have any tattoos (I have a commitment issue regarding bodyart along with medical concerns) but have used temporary tattoos before or even as a kid, simply drawing on my hand/arm. (No, not to cheat or take notes in class. 😊) I find having multiple types of altars and changing them up to keep them fresh really helps me to adapt to my ever-changing environment and situation, while keeping me grounded and in touch with the core of who I am - the eye of the hurricane.
(Which I know quite well from years of living through them, most recently directly hit by Katrina last year and then less-directly by Dorian this year....and being trained at the moment as a SkyWarm weather spotter, continuing a long-standing family tradition.)
I need to listen to this HoH again, now that I have thrown my notes aside and can focus on your words rather than the neural firings of my own blob of grey and white matter. Thank you for continuing to post these. I look forward to each and every single one. I have missed a few, but I am slowly going back through and picking up the ones I've missed so as my husband and child say (avid Pokemon Go players that they are), I've "gotta get 'em all!" 😁 I see the light in you, Betsy. Thanks. 🤲🏻❤️🤲🏻
EDITED to second the suggestion given below of "Who Moved My Cheese?" I love that book, keep it in my office and often pull it out to discuss with my clients. 😊
