Chapter One Purpose and Preparation
Mindfully I offer cornmeal, tossing it to the wind. As it falls to the earth, I breathe my gratitude and sacred intention. Slowly...quietly...I cut and gather the sage.
This initiation ceremony opens and clears a path of purpose for what follows; it is the thoughtful, silent preparation that precedes and is, therefore, part of my soul practice.
A purifying and cleansing herb, sage has traditionally been used in ceremony by American Indians. Burning it, or smudging, is believed to rid the environment of negative energy. As it burns, it releases a sweet, lingering aroma.
I burn the dried leaves at my altar, directing the smoke over myself and throughout my home. It clears my personal energy field and clarifies my intention.
Altars are magical and magnetic. They make bold statements, and we are drawn to them and the power we sense that they hold. Creating a personal altar in your home embraces that power. It provides an intimate reminder of the life force that resides within us. With use, your personal altar becomes a reliable, empowering medium.
An altar is private space where you can place offerings, ask for blessings, offer prayers, remember, and forgive. An altar is reciprocal: It accepts blessings and returns them as well.
I engage in altar rites to invoke spiritual energy, to give thanks for divine intervention, to celebrate life, and to acknowledge from where I have come, what I have done, whom I have known. I affirm through ceremony that every moment I have experienced has brought me to who and where I am today. I trust the sacred Circle of Life.
My soul practice through the use of my personal altar reminds me of my essence, my wholeness, my wisdom, as well as what I have overcome and who I am becoming. I exercise my practice in order to clarify my aspirations and goals, remember my ancestors, and see and be custodian of my vision and direction. I practice to recognize the sacredness of the life I live and my power within to affect it.
A major component of my altar is the objects I've placed on it that are associated with mentors, teachers, friends, family, ancestors, the divine, and the great love into which we are all woven.
The amount of time I spend at this soulful space directly corresponds with the degree of strength and personal power I feel and the peace with which I live. My worship and meditation time varies. Allowing for fluctuating feelings, I may return to it several times a day.
I am grateful for the times I need only to look with soft eyes at the altar and its contents to feel realigned with my soul and renewed in spirit. In those tender moments, I instantly feel connected to the source of my soul's strength and remember my significance.
Placed at the vortex of my physical dwelling, my altar represents my center--my self-center. It is my refuge, my soul's outward extension. Especially in times of grave uncertainty and restlessness, it helps ground and center me and enables me to convert unwanted chaos into calm.
