HOW TO BUILD A ALTER🕯⚱️🌱

You want to first designate a space over some kind of flat surface. The altar supplies essentially composes of the 4 elements and other materials:

• Water

Cups of clear water on the altar. It’s the telephone line, keep it clean weekly. Water serves as the barrier between the living and the dead, when we refill with fresh and clear water we receive accurate messages from the other side.

I personally like to have two cups of water on my altar. One symbolizing my Feminine lineage, and one my Masculine side. Some folks have more than two cups of water on the altar space, and that’s fine too.

• Fire

The Candle. The heart of the altar, the passion. Fire has no solid body but it is still alive. Keeping a candle lit consistently, white is fine. Some people like to use a lamp, that’s okay as well.

When you are trying to train your gifts, it may be hard to use your clairvoyance (seeing) or your clairaudience (hearing). But everybody can see a flame, how it’s dancing, jumping, popping etc. Even how the wax may melt, can give you clues on what messages are trying to reach you.

• Air

Incense. Spirit is formless.

Just like the flame can carry messages, so can incense smoke. What do you see? Don’t try to over complicate it. Sometimes spirit can give us messages through certain kinds of smell. Randomly smelling tobacco? Maybe an ancestor wants a cigar. Whenever you’re around the altar, pick up on these slight messages.

• Earth

Fresh flowers and plants. Crystals. Life, growth, being taken care of, connected to the Earth below us. What grounds us.

We are born into the Earth, and in death we get buried deep into the soil. This is the cycle of life. When we take care of the plants on the altar we are also more diligent in taking care of our ancestors.

• Offerings

Food. Liquor. The energy exchange, keeping them venerated.

Foods that you eat, make, or even takeout on a nice plate. Fruits are also fine. This serves as energy for your people to be able to assist and help you. Ancestors are notorious of making you crave random foods that they may want to eat on the altar. When you give offerings you must pray and ask for your ancestors to assist in delivering your abundance, protection, all good things, etc. Get specific and get intentional.

Keep food offerings on the altar for a day, no mold should be on the altar. Ask your ancestors on how they would prefer to have their offerings be disposed.

• Pictures/trinkets

• Jewelry

Images of them. Things they loved. Remembering them, to feel connected to who you’re talking to, venerating them.

Having pictures on the altar of deceased family members is a foundation, but don’t be worried if you don’t have much or any pictures of loved ones. Work with what you have, ancestors will guide what you need into your hands.

Protection

Having protection on the altar space is needed.

• Machete/Knife

• guns

• blood

• bones

• bullets

• skulls

For your ancestors to utilize when fighting against any enemies or those who may wish you ill will.

• Mirror

For you ancestors to bounce back anything that may be thrown at you.

Communication

You must tap into the gifts you have and take notes of the feelings or messages you may receive at the altar space. Meditate at the altar, greet them each morning and speak a morning prayer of protection and prosperity on your life.

Utilize some simple divination tools like quarters, cowrie shells, pendulums, playing cards etc to validate the messages you are receiving.

Is privacy an issue?

Usually we say to have the altar in the living room, but your bedroom is fine if that’s more safe for you.

If it’s an issue to have the altar out in public because of nosy people: get like a trunk, box, or a suitcase and put all the above materials in the enclosed space. You can even put the shrine in the closet as well.

Be mindful that a candle in a box is a fire hazard, you may want to completely omit candles—or only burn them when you can keep an eye on it! Otherwise it’s always possible to extra ancestors where is the best place to put the altar for the highest frequency.