Tarot Shadow Work--Whats on your altar?

autumnsdaughter

Funny how things change so quickly.

My altar has now changed completely, after doing a small amount of the work. I did the Dark Goddess meditation on page 34. The way I visualized her was as the Faerie Godmother from Froud's Faerie Oracle. I have a notecard of her image, so that went on my altar. Then, she said that the red had to go... so I found some purple/blue fabric that I am using as a table cloth. I feel much more aligned with this now... the purple is dark and shadowy, but it is also very nurturing feeling. I've still got all of my crystals on my altar too.
 

blackairplane

Cool thread.
I put different stuff on mine every few weeks. Right now:

A dark green and gold vintage cloth with gold fringe.
A small vase of porcupine quills.
My phrenology skull ( 1882)
A lump of copper ore from a mine where my gg Grandfater once worked
A hawking hood
Candle
Crow feather.
 

aceofhearts

I have decided on placing this on a table upstairs. I havent decided on definate colour as yet. I need to spend time meditating on each colour and seeing how they make me feel. I want to be sure before venturing too far with one colour that isnt right for the process.
 

thorhammer

Okay - thoughts, anyone? I've started the Shadow Work, but I really didn't get the sense from reading the book that the altar is a necessity. I have never worked well with altars - I find them to be a distraction, burden, unnecessary obligation and more than anything, a source of dust and guilt :D. The Faeries have loaned me a buckeye seed they claimed when morticia monroe sent it to me :heart:; they said I could use it for strength, and to ground myself during this. But other than that, I don't feel the need for an altar.

Has anyone else had a similar feeling?

\m/ Kat
 

huredriel

I think the main thing is how you feel Kat, if you are not comfortable with an altar, don't use one. I think they are advocated more for increasing intent and helping with focus :)

If your seed helps you, then that's good enough! I don't have an altar for shadow work, I just dip in and out at present and try to be mindful as I go about daily life.
 

thorhammer

I ended up deciding not to go with an altar. Like you said, huredriel, if I'm uncomfortable with it, it's hardly going to help me, is it? Basically, it is one more thing for me to maintain, and like everything else it suffers from my stupidly hectic life :rolleyes:. So it was a no-no, in the end ;)

After promising me the buckeye seed months ago, the Faeries are holding onto it :) They're being funny, I think ;).

Anyway, if the altar becomes more of a thing for me, I'll post further :)

\m/ Kat
 

hopena

I can't think of much that I could add to an altar ~ I might choose a few cards from my Druid Animal Oracle, to stand there (the Wolf, the Snake, the Fox, etc).

I need to tidy up my bedroom, since I'll likely lay the cards out on my drawing table in there.

I may also wear my Tiger's Eye ring, and see if I can find my larger Tiger's Eye stone, that I've had for years, but somehow misplaced.
 

joryrask

It's kind of hard to maintain an alter. I've had a few over the years but they always get dusty. My favorite one had a wine glass, with a pewter woman standing in front of the glass portion, as well as acting as part of the stem of the glass. It was my center piece used as a goddess figure as well as for devotional libations and intentions. Around that were various stones, obsidian, quartz, onyx, hemitite, (a lot of grounding stones, cause I really need it lol). My scrying mirror and my tarot cards. I use to have a jar of lavender flowers too.

But now, I have all my important books and tools in one spot, though it's not really an alter, in the sense that I do anything there. I think I might make a portable one though, the thread gave me some good ideas. ^_^
 

shiresun

I've had many different altars over the years. Some were as small as a single shelf hung in the corner of my room and others were quite large. The one I will miss the most is a three shelf built in bookcase, shared by my partner and and I. The top shelf held all of our books and was lined with crystals of all kinds, sitting in front of the books. The top shelf also represented the North, and the middle shelf contained all things of the East and West, while the bottom shelf, held symbols of the South. Each side was given over to our personal items (mine containing my Celtic Tree Oracle and Power Deck, and personal crystals, and medicine bundles. The other side belonged to my partner.

During rituals we cast our circle around the entire room.

It would be a great place to include my new Tarot cards and books. Now I will have to find the perfect place in our new home to create our altar.
My journey is just beginning and I look forward to being able to create a new space for myself.
 

coyoteblack

I am not sure what I will place on my alter because I will change it through out the shadow work. But I have two statues of Quan Yin rose quartz, Amethyst , a bunch of other stones that i do not know the name of. also animal figures, and a variety incense . I will goto the hobby store in a little while to grab some candles