SolAnn´s World: My sacred altar

Today I would like to share pictures of my altar!

I have always had an altar in my home. A place to light a candle for my loved ones, both the deceased and the living ones. In my younger days, it was much smaller, but it have always been there - on a central place in my home.

Both my parents are sadly dead, and it comforts me a lot, to light a candle for them both on their birthdays. I also place little sacret objects on my altar. I don´t think that I am religious in the typical way, but I consider myself a spiritual person. Especially I feel connected to drudry and other earth based religions like shamanism, but I also feel home with daoism and buddhism.

Let me take you on a little tour around my sacred space!

This is a catholic icon. I love the Virgin Mary. There is so many aspects of her in many religions: Kwan Yin and the Avalokiteshvara. I feel very close to this energy.

This is a funny tube that makes the sounds of rain. A gift from my mother.

I photo of my beloved mother. She is on a vacation to Santorini. Before the cancer.

This is my father. He died 16 years ago. Still miss him.

This is one of two little angels my mother made for me many years ago.

These stones come from a sacret spring in my favorite forest "Rold Skov" here in Denmark. In the old days, people used to worship those holy springs, thinking they had magical powers and could heal. The rock reminds me to stay focused and keep my feet close to the earth.

A gift from my mother. She called this Shakti and the following Shiva. They keep the balance on my altar.

A little peak of my favorite books.

Julia Butterfly Hill is my warror heroine!

An very old chinese jade amulet. I think it has a magical mantra carved in it. Should keep my wallet full of money!

Sage is good for cleansing and purifying.

This is an evergoing book I made for my husband. I write him little poems and love letters. He glues them in this book, and keep them on the altar.

My druid prayer.

This is a medicine pouch made from a turtle shell. I keep it as decoratin only.

A big beautiful dreamcatcher made by the same shaman as the medicine pouch. Very extravagant! Keeps all the bad spirits away!

This is a special thing. My mother-in-law was traveling in Japan, and met a zen-munk that wrote poems. He also had taught himself danish, for no reason! He wrote mu husbands name onto the poem too!

My mother-in-law bought a large calligraphy, and it translates to this:

"Every day in life is training,

Training my self,

Even if failure is possible,

Live every moment,

Equal to the total,

Ready for anything,

I am alive - I am this moment,

My future is here and now,

If I can´t stand the present,

When and where will I?

(Words for the day)

-Soen Ozeki

You can see a little of the calligraphy on the next photo. My great Buddha is sitting in serene calmness meditation on this right underneath.

This is my new altar cloth crocheted by my mother-in-law. I love it! 30 hours of work she said.

Every altar must have some flowers or something green.

This is a Maya figure blessing the marriage. It was a wedding gift from my ex husband. He is divorced again ;-) He should have baught one for him self too ;-)

This was my mother´s magical amulet. She filled it with Herkimer Diamonds. She tried to become enlightened before dying of cancer. I think she made it.