The Art of Creating Altars - Kim Turcotte, The Goddess Mentor

 The Art of Creating Altars:
A Powerful Step on Your Goddess Journey
When was the last time you took the time to sit quietly and intentionally focus on your own personal and spiritual growth? Most of the women I know, crave a connection to something bigger than themselves, and we all know how important it is to take time to be still and have sacred quiet time for ourselves, but so many of us rarely do it. Why? Well, one of the biggest reasons is that we live a very masculine oriented society, and the energy of the masculine is all about action and movement forward. We are so used to DOing instead of BEing that we simply put BEing last on the list and rarely, if ever, get to it. The act of stillness, receptivity and just BEing is essential to our overall wellbeing and is very feminine in nature. We absolutely need to allow the flow of the Divine feminine into our lives or we will experience burnout, frustration and a ton of overwhelm. Does any of this sound familiar?
If it does, you are not alone, I have struggled on and off with balancing the masculine go, go, go and feminine receptive, nurturing energies for many years. In fact, there are times when I still struggle with it. Those are the times when I knowingly put my own physical and spiritual self care on the back burner in order to try and complete my never ending to do list. 1
Taking care of yourself takes practice.
I know because I’ve worked on it for many years. All this work has help me to become more aware of when I am getting out of balance and I know what to do to take care of myself. It’s quite simple actually, I need to go sit at my altar and reconnect with the Divine Feminine and recommit to my Goddess Journey. What I’ve found is that the easiest way for me to consistently allow that divine flow and gentle, yet powerful energy of the divine feminine into my life is to create a sacred daily practice of self reflection and spiritual connection. Of course it isn’t always easy, and I’ve found that even though I know how important it is, sometimes just knowing that creating a daily practice is important isn’t always enough for me to actually do it. I am much better at it when I have a physical reminder to make me pay attention to my own sacred self care. What I need is something in my physical space that triggers me to stop, BE and connect. That’s when I discovered the amazing power of creating sacred altars.
Altars are a wonderful way to focus your energies on a specific goal or purpose and what better way to remind yourself that you need to take time for YOU then to have a physical reminder in your space that you can see and touch. I don’t think I realized the impact that creating sacred altars would have on my life, but what I’ve come to know is that altars are my way of staying connected to my Inner Goddess, honoring deity and supporting my hopes and dreams and I can’t imagine my life without them. 2
At any given time, I have several altars in and around my home and office. Altars don’t have to be elaborate or feel overwhelming to create; they simply need to be created with intention and focused on a specific outcome or goal. In fact, you probably already have altars set up, you just don’t call them altars or see them in a sacred light. I want you to take a look around your house right now.
What about that mantle or tabletop full of family pictures? These are Devotional Altars which help you focus on the love, joy and special moments you’ve created with the ones you love. I am sure if you take the time to look around, you have little altars that invoke a certain memory or energy within you each time you look at them. I invite you to start actively working with altars in and around your home to help you begin to bring you physically closer to the Goddess and all her many facets. Because altars have had such a profound effect on my own health, wellbeing and spiritual growth, I’ve decided to offer this course as a gift to my community. I want every woman, just like you to have the opportunity to experience the healing power of taking time for YOU! The Creating Altar Kit Contains:
• • • • A list of the various types of altars I work with on a regular basis The process I use to create each of my own altars A sample space clearing ritual A photo collage of some of the altars I’ve created over the years, from simple to elaborate. 3
• An audio where I share the importance of having a Personal Power Altar, and why this is the most powerful first step you can take on your Goddess Journey. • And an Elemental Correspondences handout to support you through the process of creating your very first altar. Four Primary Types of Altars
The Personal Power Altar
Devotional Altars
Seasonal Altars
Working Altars
The Personal Power Altar is a sacred space in your home where you do your spiritual and personal growth work. It is the place where you go to reset your energy and connect with your Inner Goddess on a regular basis. Over time, the energy in this space builds and your energy and the wisdom of your Inner Goddess is imprinted on the space, allowing you to shift your energy more quickly each time you sit in this sacred space. The Personal Power Altar is focused on spiritual connection, self-­‐love and personal growth and empowerment. I change the look and feel of my Personal Power Altar frequently, depending on the things I am ‘working’ on in my life at the time. I spend time at this altar for a few minutes each morning and night. I find that starting my day at my altar helps me to start the day on a positive, balanced note and ending my day at my altar helps me to reflect on my accomplishments, my challenges and how I can learn from them and to give gratitude for all that I have in my life. 4
Here are photos of some of the
Power Altars I’ve created over the years:
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DEVOTIONAL ALTARS
Devotional Altars are altars built specifically for the purpose of honoring your guides, your ancestors and most often a specific deity. As with anything in your Goddess Practice, it can be as simple or elaborate as you make it. I always have a devotional altar set up in my home that is dedicated to the five Goddesses I work with on a regular basis in my spiritual practice (Morgan LeFay, Brigid, Diana, Mary Magdalene and The Morrigan). I built the altar as a way to honor and give thanks to these Goddesses as well as to remind myself that I am never alone on my journey and that I am fully supported in all that I do. My Goddess devotional altar is in my office near my desk and has a statue of each of the five Goddesses, as well as a beautiful stone formation that reminds me of an ancient Goddess lounging on her side. I also have a silver candle on the altar to represent the Divine Feminine energy of the Goddess and some gemstone spheres that are attuned to the energy of each of the five Goddesses. 7
At Samhain/Halloween, I usually create a devotional altar to honor my ancestors. This altar is a way that my family and I can remember our loved ones who have passed and give thanks for the love and the gifts that they brought into our lives. This year, my ancestral devotional altar contained a St. Anthony Candle (my mother’s favorite saint) draped with my mom’s charm bracelet in memory of my mom who passed in 2001. My altar also contained my grandfather’s harmonica, something that was very dear to him. And finally, my grandmother’s engagement ring to honor both my grandmother and grandfather. Once the Samhain season is over, the altar is taken down until next year. I’ve included a picture of the St. Anthony candle with my mom’s charm bracelet below for you. Creating a devotional altar is quite simple and if you regularly work with a specific Goddess, God, Spirit Guide or Angel, I encourage you to set up a devotional altar to honor the work you do together. 8
SEASONAL ALTARS
My Seasonal/Working altar reminds me to honor the sacred rhythm and cycles of nature. Nature has so much to teach us and is the greatest example of the masculine and feminine energies working together to create harmony, abundance and balance. This altar is decorated with gemstones, herbs, totems, colors and seasonal representations of the Eight Sacred Sabbats of the Ancient Wheel of the Year. I change up the altar decorations with each turn on the Wheel to immerse myself in the energy of the current season. The Eight Sacred Sabbats
Samhain/Halloween – October 31st Yule/Winter Solstice – December 21st* Imbolc/Candlemas – February 2nd Ostara/Spring Equinox – March 21st* Beltane/May Day – May 1st Litha/Summer Solstice – June 22nd* Lughnassadh/Lammas – August 1st Mabon/Fall Equinox – September 22nd* *The dates of the Solstices and Equinoxes float between the 21st and 23rd of the month depending on the cycle in any given year. 9
My Seasonal Altar is also in my home office and helps me to stay in alignment with the sacred rhythm of Mother Earth and her cycles. It helps me to remember that there is a sacred rhythm to everything and sometimes instead of pushing forward, I might just need to step back from the DOing and allow myself to receive the bounty of the harvest by BEing open and receptive. Here are photos of some of the
Seasonal Altars I’ve created over the years:
Yule Altar 2001 Ostara Altar 2002 10
Imbolc Altar 2008 Mabon Altar 2007 Samhain Altar 2007 Yule Atlar 2007 11
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WORKING ALTARS
A working altar is just what it sounds like. It is an altar dedicated to something that you are working to attract, heal or let go of in your life. Working altars are set up to hold an extremely focused space in your physical world. Here are some examples of working altars I’ve created over the years:
1. Business Blessing Altar – I created this altar when I was launching my first business back in 2007. As part of the work I did at the altar, I blessed and charged a charm bag for business success which I still have on my desk today. I’ve recharged the charm bag over the years, adding stones and charms to it that represent new ventures I am taking in my business. 13
2. Productivity Altar – This is an altar I set up frequently in my office whenever I have a particularly large project or am feeling out of focus in my business. Diana is the Goddess of the Hunt and always makes her mark, a statue of her is the central focus on this altar. I call in in her energy to help me stay focused and hit my target/goal and ground myself with representations and energy of the five elements. And in an instant, everything seems to flow more easily! 14
3. Abundance Altar – This is an altar I always have set up in my office. It contains several items that invoke creativity and keep me focused on the belief that the work I do supports me in all ways. It contains a statue of the Goddess Fortuna, an empty lightbulb to represent the bright ideas that will help me build my business and expand my prosperity and of course an Easy Button to remind me that I do not have to struggle in order to be abundant and prosperous, that it is all grace and ease. 15
4. Relationship Altar – This is an altar that my husband and I keep in our bedroom. We have a statue of the Goddess Venus to help remind me of my own beauty and the Goddess I am, and a statue of the God Hermes to help remind my husband to communicate and share his feelings and that he is a God. And we have a giant hunk of Rose Quartz to lend the soft energies of love and compassion. The altar is filled with different otters, which represent playfulness and commitment to each other. Seeing the altar each night before bed and in the morning when we wake reminds us to take time out of our busy and stressful lives to focus on the thing that is most important to both of us. 16
Five Simple Steps for Creating Altars
STEP 1: Choose a Suitable Location in Your Home
When deciding where to build your Altar there are a few things you want to keep in mind. The space should be:
• someplace that feels energetically good to you • a space free and clear of clutter • for your Personal Power Altar, an area of your home where you can expect some level of privacy and a place where you will want to spend time on a regular basis • For a Working Altar, place it in the place in your home where it will have the most impact. Ex. Abundance Altar in a home office, Relationship Altar in a bedroom. STEP 2: Find a Surface to Build Your Altar On
Your altar will contain physical items to help you stay balanced and to connect with your Inner Goddess. For this, you will need a steady surface to build your altar upon. Where you choose to build your altar can be as elaborate or as simple as you want or need it to be. I personally have several different places I build altars around my home; an old desk, an antique sewing machine, on top of my printer cabinet, places that feel good to me, allow me enough space to build the altar I envision in my heart and mind. For my Personal Power Altar, I have a low round table in my spare room which I’ve paired with a chair that is low to the floor so I can sit comfortably when spending time in this space. 17
If space is limited, you can choose an area like the corner of your bureau or a shelf in your bedroom. I once had a client who had several children and felt like the only place she ever really had private, ‘alone’ time was when she took a bath at night. She put up a shelf in her bathroom that she could focus on while in her bathtub and used it as her Personal Power Altar. Be Creative! This process should be fun and rewarding, not stressful. STEP 3: Create a Balanced Energetic Foundation for
Your Altar
I recommend that you add a physical object that represents each of the Elements which are inherent in all things. These are the elements of Earth, Air, Fire, Water and Spirit. If you are not familiar with working with the elements, I’ve provided an Elemental Correspondences handout which I’ve created as a reference tool for those women just beginning their Goddess Journey. STEP 4: Make it Yours
When creating any of the different kinds of altars I talk about in this eBook, it is important that you follow your intuition and add personal touches that truly make it yours. Add small sentimental objects that make you feel inspired about who you are, what you are working on or what you are celebrating. Whatever you choose to include on your altar, settle for nothing less than what makes you feel amazingly special, empowered and beautiful! STEP 5: Dedicate Your Altar
When first building your altar, it is a wonderful practice to dedicate your altar in some sort of sacred ceremony or ritual. It doesn’t have to be an elaborate 18
ritual, just a simple practice to show your intention behind creating this sacred space. I’ve created a Space Clearing Ritual guide to help you with this process. It will guide you through cleansing and blessing your new altar space. By performing a small ceremony or ritual to dedicate your altar, you clear the space of any residual negative energies and infuse the space with your own personal energy and create an area in your home where you will work on your own spiritual and personal growth journey. In Conclusion…
You don’t have to create all or any of these altars I talk about above, but I do hope you will! I encourage you to set aside some time in the next week to create an altar that reminds you to slow down and make time for your own growth, connection and wellbeing. Remember, it can be as simple or elaborate as you want to make it. The key is to create it with the sacred intention of honoring YOU and I promise, the energy in your space will shift and it will help you to remember to take time to just BE. 19
Kim Turcotte, The Goddess Mentor™ began what she considers her “true spiritual journey” almost two decades ago when she first discovered her own True Goddess Nature. She has been walking an earth centered path and honoring the Goddess and God ever since. She believes there are many pathways to the Divine, and she honors each individual as they walk their own path. Kim describes herself as an “eclectic spiritualist”, looking to nature and various spiritual traditions to form her own connection with the Divine. Her mission is to help women who are feeling overwhelmed and disconnected from their own lives find that missing ‘something’, discover their true desires and live a life that is joyous, fulfilling and inspires other women to do the same. Kim’s signature program Seasons of the Goddess™ leads women through a year long journey of self discovery and empowerment, honoring the cycles of nature by celebrating the Ancient Wheel of the Year and teaching women to look tap into the power of the Goddess in her many forms to bring about positive change in life and business. To Learn More About The Seasons of the
Goddess™Program and how you can join this sacred
circle of women, visit: http://www.seasonsofthegoddess.com/
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