An altar box

[LadyWillow]

For the past few days, I've been toying with the idea to make a more 'portable' altar that can serve me many purposes, mostly the fact that I can keep it sacred and keep it hidden if I need to. And I'm getting really tired, especially at home of not having any altar space right now, and I'm tired of things always getting placed there that should not be there (I'm not out of the broom closet yet, so me telling them not to put things there just because I asked doesn't do me any good).

I recently stumbled upon a site with what a woman calls 'prayer boxes'. I'm planning to take her idea, but instead of a prayer box, I'm going to turn it into my own little sacred space. This will really come in handy when I head off to a bigger university this coming fall. The prayer boxes can be found here (http://www.littlebirdcrafts.com/BBprayerboxes.html).

So, my question is, what do you think I should put in it? I'm going to paint a goddess type figure on the outside, maybe the spiral goddess holding the triple moons. That's what is appealing to me most right now anyway. Inside, I'm really at a lost as to what to do. I'm thinking about taking some felt and using one side to post prayers, quotes, etc one. The other side would be more spiritual with a goddess figure (if I can get mine to fit or can find one small enough) and maybe some items to represent the elements. I'm just not sure what.

So what I'm looking for is some ideas. Help me decide what to do with this new project of mine. Maybe I can spark some ideas and others will decide to do their own. Wishful thinking :awilly:

Anyway, thanks for reading my long winded post.

[Glory]

You could leave room for seasonal decorations, if you're into that. Those prayer boxes are pretty nifty, and versatile!

[Darbla]

Well, how big are you talking? I'd want one large enough to use the top of it as the altar. And the size is going to determine what all you have in it, but the bare minimum would be 4 objects to represent the elements & directions, and something to represent spirit or a goddess or god symbol).

Ideas:
Altar cloth
Incense (Air & East)
Candle + matches (Fire & South)
Seashell + bottle of water (Water and West)
Pentacle or gemstone (Earth & North)

Darbla

[WillowsMuse]

I think it's a lovely idea. My altar is a little less conventional. I have a large ceramic tea light holder that is an autumn "angel", but she looks like a goddess to me so that's what I call her. :hahugh: I have dead insects I've found in a crystal bowl _inabox_ , lots of pinecones, incense, dried weeds that I think are pretty, a green candle and a red candle...I think that's about it. You could add some natural elements, but I think just add what you feel is sacred to you.

[Windsmith]

Oh, these are great! And the possibilities are endless!

Do you work with particular deities? Are there symbols, animals, places, colors associated with them? Perhaps a figurine or a photo or even a fabric swatch to represent them.

Do you have spirit allies? Perhaps something to represent them.

Do you resonate with particular symbols? The pentacle, the wheel of the year, the labyrinth, the tree of life? Any rune or Tarot card or I Ching hexagram that has special meaning to you? Paint them on, or perhaps find pendants or other representations of them.

I think a good first step will be to determine what you want your box to reflect for you. When you have that, determining what you want to use to reflect those things may be much easier.

[LadyWillow]

Thanks for the ideas everyone. It's making this just a bit easier because now I have ideas as to what direction I can now look in for objects and what not to add. It's just hard determing exactly what I want it to represent.

I am thinking about leaving some space for seasonal decorations. I know they won't be able to be large decorations but I want to leave room for some things.


Oh, these are great! And the possibilities are endless!

Do you work with particular deities? Are there symbols, animals, places, colors associated with them? Perhaps a figurine or a photo or even a fabric swatch to represent them.

Do you have spirit allies? Perhaps something to represent them.

Do you resonate with particular symbols? The pentacle, the wheel of the year, the labyrinth, the tree of life? Any rune or Tarot card or I Ching hexagram that has special meaning to you? Paint them on, or perhaps find pendants or other representations of them.

I think a good first step will be to determine what you want your box to reflect for you. When you have that, determining what you want to use to reflect those things may be much easier.


1. I really don't work with specific deities. I refer to them as the God and Goddess but I seem to lean more toward the goddess. If my box is big enough, I'm going to use a statue my gf sculpted me which was modled a bit after Kuan Yin.

2. Spirit allies? Hm, no I really don't think so. I have this thing for tigers though. I think they're goregous, yet powerful animals. I like cats in general.

3. I was thinking about taking the spiral and designing a really pretty one and placing that on the right said where I'd have my Goddess representation and the elements and what not. Other than that, I'm not sure what else I could use.

The first step is hard for me because I'm not sure exactly what I want it to represent. I want it to be versitile, I want to be able to change it if the mood strikes me, and I want to add and take away for workings, prayers, thoughts, etc.

[Greybird]

What do you look at that makes you think of your religion? Make the box symbolic of that. You wouldn't want too terribly much in there.

If it were mine, I'd probably take the inside bottom and draw a faint 'X' from corner to corner, then paint each quarter of it an appropriate elemental color. The top would be green if you prefer to pray facing north, or yellow if you face east, and so on. Perhaps, right in the center where the four points met I would place some sort of representative object - a spiral or a pentagram. Maybe get a spiral (http://mystic-caravan.com/spirals2.htm) pendant and carefull clip off the loop where the chain attaches, then mount it in the center.

Inside the top, I'd do something representative of the divine. I'd paint the inside, I'd find some small statues (or again, pendants and clip the fasteners off). When I opened it, the right side would be the elements and physical, the left side would be the divine.

Toss in a mini-candle with a holder and a small smudge stick, both of which could be replaced as needed. Perhaps a small clip of some sort for a changeable message - this could be worked into devotionals or spellwork.

[Windsmith]

1. I really don't work with specific deities. I refer to them as the God and Goddess but I seem to lean more toward the goddess. If my box is big enough, I'm going to use a statue my gf sculpted me which was modled a bit after Kuan Yin.Heh. I don't work with specific deities, either. Actually, I don't work with deity at all. But back in the day when I used to, I used a chess queen and king as my representations of the Divine. Your statue sounds great!

2. Spirit allies? Hm, no I really don't think so. I have this thing for tigers though. I think they're goregous, yet powerful animals. I like cats in general.Not everyone has them. I think it may vary a lot between traditions. If that's not important to you, you'll probably want to skip it.

3. I was thinking about taking the spiral and designing a really pretty one and placing that on the right said where I'd have my Goddess representation and the elements and what not. Other than that, I'm not sure what else I could use.That sounds lovely. And like Greybird says, you don't need a lot of stuff in the box. Part of the beauty of the ones you link to is their simplicity. You don't have to portray your entire spiritual system in one box - just something pretty to look at and help you focus.

If it were mine, I'd probably take the inside bottom and draw a faint 'X' from corner to corner, then paint each quarter of it an appropriate elemental color. The top would be green if you prefer to pray facing north, or yellow if you face east, and so on. Perhaps, right in the center where the four points met I would place some sort of representative object - a spiral or a pentagram. Maybe get a spiral (http://mystic-caravan.com/spirals2.htm) pendant and carefull clip off the loop where the chain attaches, then mount it in the center.

Inside the top, I'd do something representative of the divine. I'd paint the inside, I'd find some small statues (or again, pendants and clip the fasteners off). When I opened it, the right side would be the elements and physical, the left side would be the divine.

Toss in a mini-candle with a holder and a small smudge stick, both of which could be replaced as needed. Perhaps a small clip of some sort for a changeable message - this could be worked into devotionals or spellwork.Greybird, that sounds awesome! If you ever make it, I want to see pictures.

[LadyWillow]

What do you look at that makes you think of your religion? Make the box symbolic of that. You wouldn't want too terribly much in there.

If it were mine, I'd probably take the inside bottom and draw a faint 'X' from corner to corner, then paint each quarter of it an appropriate elemental color. The top would be green if you prefer to pray facing north, or yellow if you face east, and so on. Perhaps, right in the center where the four points met I would place some sort of representative object - a spiral or a pentagram. Maybe get a spiral (http://mystic-caravan.com/spirals2.htm) pendant and carefull clip off the loop where the chain attaches, then mount it in the center.

Inside the top, I'd do something representative of the divine. I'd paint the inside, I'd find some small statues (or again, pendants and clip the fasteners off). When I opened it, the right side would be the elements and physical, the left side would be the divine.

Toss in a mini-candle with a holder and a small smudge stick, both of which could be replaced as needed. Perhaps a small clip of some sort for a changeable message - this could be worked into devotionals or spellwork.

I was actually thinking about pendants and finding a way to clip them inside the box. I have my eye on a goddess one that I was going to make into a necklace but I could use it for this purpose.

I'm going to use a tealite candle and a small candle holder, maybe a small bell for air, a stone for earth and probably a seashell for water. And I'm planning to use some sort of clip so I can change messages and what not when I need too. I might use more than one.



Heh. I don't work with specific deities, either. Actually, I don't work with deity at all. But back in the day when I used to, I used a chess queen and king as my representations of the Divine. Your statue sounds great!


That sounds lovely. And like Greybird says, you don't need a lot of stuff in the box. Part of the beauty of the ones you link to is their simplicity. You don't have to portray your entire spiritual system in one box - just something pretty to look at and help you focus.


Wow chess pawns? That's awesome. I never would have thought about using those. Very creative.

You're right. I'm trying to make it simple and beautiful which is hard cause I want to use it for so many things you know? Lol So I'm trying to work on what'll look the best and go from where.

[ladyraven]

I use to have a portable altar. When I lived at home I shared a room with my sister who's a little zealous when it comes to christianity. She use to purposely do things, like remove items from my alter or just demolish it when she was upset with me or because she thought I was doing something evil. My mother is the one who gave me the idea of having something that I would use to store everything in, take with me, hide and possibly lock so that my sister couldn't do such things. We basically got an old wooden suitcase at a flea market that was about 2 feet by 1 1/2. It had a little puch on the inside that held certain things like candles and incense and had room for me to put what ever else I thought I might need in it. It worked very well. I later gave the suitcase to my mother as a good luck itme when she travels since I no longer need it.

I have also hade freinds who have used those small wooden game boxes that are for checkers and chess, tins that things like cookies and stationary come in and once used a caboodle/hard plastic makeup case. I still use a metal travel case when I'm going to do something off in the woods or over at friends place.

Just make it yours and be creative :)

[LadyWillow]

Wow, that's a good idea. Sorry your sister was such a jerk about everything.

[ladyraven]

Well, she was 12 and 13 at te time, so I could kinda understand.

[Cerulean_damselfly]

An idea or three...

Actually, small stationery boxes might also be an alternative for you and then you could make seasonal ones yourself with stiff paper outside of cardboard boxes...

http://home.ica.net/~sfleming/stationbox.htm

World of boxes for ideas:

http://www.worldofboxes.com/celestial/sun-moon-stars.htm

While those alter boxes are lovely, a nice stationery set that might come in a leather covered, silky material or wooden box might also work for you as a 'shadow-box' alter...maybe a box with a small dish or mat that can also function as a tray...lots of mini-items might be found as you first thought, as pendents or jewelry.

I create my own portable alters out of zip-up bookbags with zipper pockets--I mean I might have a divination deck with images or have created my own divination/alter image set with drawings/postcards/small pendents or 'found objects'--seashell, seeds, pebbles...you can make your own alter cards with tiny stamped images (small stamp sets have calligraphy or impressions of seasonal images such as a leaf, flower, cloud, animals, etc...)

Kwan Yin in small pendents or a box set (I thought I saw one somewhere) might also help...will come back with ideas for your lovely thread and inspiration...

Thanks for the thread...

Cerulean_Damselfly

[LadyWillow]

Thanks for your reply and link with all the boxes. They have some really pretty stuff.

[Cindlady2]

I have a square picnic basket I use. I made pockets on the inside for my things and can use the top for an altar. I can pack quite a bit in it and the pockets keep it all organized. It doesn't draw much attention either.

[bbnflpn]

occasionaly we get boxes like this donated for our big public rites (beltane in the park, pagan pride day, and witches night out) they come with every thing you need to set up an altar, they are given away in the raffles for these events.

recently we had a lovely box put up for raffle for witches night out (our samhain event)

here are a few pics that i took of it, you can see a bit of whats in side but not everything.

http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d135/bbnflpn/halloween%202006/100_0499.jpg
http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d135/bbnflpn/halloween%202006/100_0477.jpg
http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d135/bbnflpn/halloween%202006/100_0476.jpg
http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d135/bbnflpn/halloween%202006/100_0475.jpg
http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d135/bbnflpn/halloween%202006/100_0474.jpg

[Lauren Michele]

Oh they're beautiful boxes! :) Thank you for sharing.

[bbnflpn]

its one box,

i like to take pics of the stuff that people donate, it takes alot of time and effort for them to make them such as this box, and let me tell you the pics do not do it justice. i know the guy who made it, and his work is awsome. each side was carved by hand, with a different pictorial, other ones he has made have wheels so you can take it with you for public rites or move it around the house, eventually i would like him to make me a box. the wonderful thing about it, is that it is big enough on top that you can set up an altar easily, and then store everything, with enough room for extra stuff for seasonal items,

here is a link to the store that donated the box.
http://www.treeoflifestore.com/
i didnt see any of the boxes listed on the site, but as far as the quality of their oils and incence they are very good, i had the privlage of winning a basket of theirs at beltane in the park last year, and i got a few oils, including some wonderful message oil, i love the stuff. i havent had the chance to actually visit the store, although i will soon im sure.

[Lauren Michele]

bbnflpn, thank you so much. How generous they are to have it donated and it being handcarved too! Oh, and thank you for the link!:wave:



~Belladonna~

[bbnflpn]

your welcome.

tree of life is very genorous when it comes to donateing items like this, they will usually put up about 7-8 baskets for raffles, all of them are very nice and have loads of cool stuff in them, the one i won had a lavender plant (which btw is the first plant that has survived that i have taken care of), 2 bottles of message oil (lavender and dragons blood) 2 magical oils (beltane and healing) and ohm plaque, a huge amythist and rose quarts, an adorable copper fairy with stained glass wings, a goddess candle, a love candle, a book (wiccan mysteries by raven grimassi who actually lives near here and some times attends our events)

a lot of people are very genorous when it comes to the baskets,

here is a link to my photo bucket for witches night out and you can see all of the neat stuff they put up for raffle.

http://s34.photobucket.com/albums/d135/bbnflpn/halloween%202006/

back on topic, a box like the one i posted is a great idea, on the out side it can be what ever you want (if you are not out of the broom closet) inside another world in which you can store all of your altar items, you can use it as the actual altar, and beable to keep your stuff safe and dust free.

although i would suggest the top not be carved so you can set things on it with out worrying if they might tip, or if you do get one that is carved get a sheet of glass that you can set on top to protect it from wax drippings and other hazards, the glass can easily go behind your couch, entertainment center or other out of the way place near the box.

[talamh]

I used to have what I called my "porta-alt" which made things a lot easier when I'd be part of a Circle not in my own home space. It had a central pillar candle and holder, four directional candles and holders, a sea shell and some white sage for smudging, a chalice and an althame plus whatever extra was needed for seasonal representations. It made things a lot simpler as well, because there was a specific space for each item, I could know when I packed up at the end of the evening whether I had retrieved everything I had brought.

I'm still working on a way to dis-assemble a Maypole. There's a lot of good technology in tent poles but i haven't yet figured out a way to adapt it. I guess you could call it a "porta-pole".

[LadyWillow]

I love how everyone has different adaptions to the altar box and different ways they've used one.

[Hipster07]

I love this idea! Its something really simple that I never would have thought of.

I would put things it that reminded me of nature and the Divine, polished stones or crystals, feathers, etc. You could really put anything in it.

What about buying some beads and making a kind of prayer necklace or chain to hang inside. You could find a little Goddess pendant to put on it.

[TaysatWesir]

I like the idea of prayer boxes. I'm limited in space and privacy so prayer boxes or portable altars are good for me.

[TaysatWesir]

That's a beautiful altar box bbnflpn I love all the stuff inside.

[LadyWillow]

What about buying some beads and making a kind of prayer necklace or chain to hang inside. You could find a little Goddess pendant to put on it.

I'm toying with the idea of making a necklace and putting beads inside with a goddess pendant. I'm not sure if I want to do that or use a statue. I can't decide.

[Willow Rosette]

Oh my I can tell you about this one. :yayah: About 5 1/2 years ago I was big into cows. A friend of mine said I needed a cow alter and we kinda laughed about it. She made me one for my Birthday in August. Cows are ummm very fertile and ummmm motherly. I was pregnant 3 months later. I firmly believe this worked. Any way, although I wont open it, I will tell you what I have inside and hopefully it will help. She used a regular box with a lid and covered it in cloth (cow) inside is an alter cloth (cow) a clay Goddess made in black and white colors ~ok you get the theme~ a note book, pencil, candel, candel holder, I think they are the mini ones like chakra candles, and I think that is about it. If you cover it in something pretty someone will never know it is something other than a pretty box. Just be carefull about those furtility Goddess.

[LadyWillow]

lol you make a good point! I'll try and watch what I do.

[LadyWillow]

I've started work on my own little shrine box. It's not as big as I had planned, but I'm hoping it will suit my needs anyway. I only paid a dollar for the box, and I'm using paint and other supplies that my girlfriend has so I haven't had to spend but only a few dollars on making it. It's cute however and I think it's turned out quite well. I only have one more thing to add to it and I'm hoping that I can make a trip home on Friday and spend a few hours socializing and maybe pick up the item that I need.

Here are two pictures of it. You'll see the outside and the inside.

[Cerulean_damselfly]

I love how the idea thread became not only beautiful thoughts and sharing, but a treasure-house and an actual gift to yourself...perhaps a print-out of this thread might at one point go into the box or your journal...so you remember how such a lovely thing you worked on came to be!

***very inspired now***

Cerulean_Damselfly

[Beckyfacerod]

The idea of portable altars or prayer boxes is a great thing to think about to have. I needed one this past weekend for a class I'm taking where she wanted us to bring in our spell items and the spell we want to do. I had all my stuff ready to go because i've read about this before, it's a get idea! I'll try to post my pix for ideas if it could help anyone. Thanks for the orig. post.

[Beckyfacerod]

I think the box that Ladywillow did is great, this is the way it should be personal and what means something to you for the prayer boxes. The altars like the altars at home should not only be personal but what you need.

[LadyWillow]

I'm glad that I've inspired people.

[Lady Soulscribe]

I have a small box that I found at a craft store. I painted it white with a irridecent sheen over it. Inside on the lid, I put cork board. That way I can pin things up along the lid. Pictures, goddess images, findings what ever. Inside are candles, incense, sage. I love it...

[RubyRose]

I'd include whatever you feel necessary to have on an altar, candles, salt, incense etc.

[RavenStars]

I have what I call my traveling altar. It's totally prosaic being that it's a zippered pencil bag. In it is...
- a 3" plastic bottle of sea water (cleansing altar space)
- a key ring mag light (fire)
- a 4" glittery water wand key ring (popular in the '80s) (water)
- a 2" holy stone on key ring (earth)
- a 2" sample perfume bottle and whistle (air)
- a fine worked lace doily (altar cloth)
- a small crocheted bag with a garnet necklace (garb)
- a small bag with tiny crystals (for offerings)
- two tea lights with lighter and 1" hot pads (Goddess and God)

It had never occurred to me to put a tiny goddess figure in it. And now that I'm thinking about it I could pickup an acorn for the God. Although as it stands, it is an odd mix but one that would pass the muster of the most nosey customs inspectors. Maybe a water clear quartz pebble for the Goddess? Hmm.

[bbnflpn]

i use a shell, a univalve type,

there is some debate as to weather or not shells represent the goddess or the god, i see them as a combination of earth and water and with the univalve type (ie not a clam) it looks like a vulva to me. some can look very feminine

taken from http://www.grcblog.com/fullview.php?blog_id=52
http://www.grcblog.com/bloggers/23/blog_images/seashell%20copy.jpg

as you can see this particular shell looks very vulva like.

shells can also represent phi, just as the pentagram does, i dont know much about math but i know from what i read that its pretty much the way every thing is built. you can read more about that here
http://goldennumber.net/

i have always had a closeness with them, as my mom collected several when we lived in the phillipeans, the one that i use on my altar, is one that my grandma found when she came to visit right before i was born, she gave it to me before she died. unfortunatly she bleached it so the colors are not that great any more, but it means something more to me than the colors.

[Serenity's LostSoul]

You mentioned somewhere in the thread about not knowing what you wanted to represent in the box; possibly you shouldn't worry so much about that as just go with what feels right at the moment. There's no rule that says what you put in there has to be there for good, right? You could, as the moment calls, take a bit of this and a bit of that and put them in there, but then take them out the next time because they don't fit or call to you at that time. Does that make sense?

[LadyWillow]

The only thing that I'll be able to remove is the candle I'm using. I'm using a representation of all the elements and a representation of the goddess, a goddess pendant. I'm planning on using that as the focal point of my altar at college, while I can place things in front of it and around it later. I've hot glued a lot of things down so they won't shuffle around and break later. At school I really can't do much anyway. I can always bring other things if I wish, I just wanted a more sacred, focal point.