Give Your Altar A Boost With These 6 Simple Tips For Making More Magic

If creating your very own heaven on earth was a goal, altar-making would be one of its primary practices, yet it's often vastly underrated.

Altar-making is about creating a dedicated physical space for the things that are the most important to you. You’re not waiting for life to throw you a bone, nor are you waiting for life to happen to you—you're going out and happening to life. You’re meeting it halfway—and you’re creating a physical place (the alter itself) for that meeting point.

Consider altar-making your intimate, one-on-one, deeply personal connection to the universe. At the very least, it's a purposeful creative outlet.

Joy and curiosity are energies that amplify intention.

Consider placing an item on your altar that makes you smile or giggle. For example, my "giggle item" is a ceramic statue of a flying pig. It has this curly tail and funny snout that just makes me smile.

Imagine yourself being in the energy of the thing you want. Imagine yourself after the thing you want has occurred or finished it’s course. How are you feeling? Now go identify an object that matches that feeling, and place it on your altar table. 

For example, there’s another reason why the flying pig sits on my work altar table—because it represents the feeling of what it’s like for me and my client while we’re in session and after the session.

I love the feeling of the magic and joy that comes from the work I do with my clients. I see the energy of limitations, blocks, and old belief systems being busted open. I feel this energy of freedom, silliness, openness, and full-of-life feeling come through.

Consider placing living plants on your altar to keep the energy of your altar fresh and lively. You might particularly consider using a plant that is rooted in soil, which provides a grounded, earthy, and lush container for what you’re trying to honor or create.

It really helps to think of altars as their own being, and just like “nobody puts baby in the corner,” you wouldn't want to put your altar in a dark, forgotten place.

Place your altar anywhere you can see it often. Where attention goes, energy flows, and vice versa. If you don’t like the placement after a few days, you can always change it. For example, I’ve kept altars on coffee tables, in my car, and in my hotel rooms.

Not to mention, a lot of authentic spiritual work is about experimenting with what works for you. In my tradition, for instance, placing your altar facing east (facing the rising sun) is considered a beneficial spot.

However, I find that experimenting with your own space first—before you go down intellectual rabbit holes—helps you get a baseline of your own setup. Then, you can add outside teachings on top of the firm foundation of knowing what works for you.

Colors are powerfully symbolic. They convey information to you as soon as you lay eyes on them, which is why you want to include them on your altar. So decide on one or two main colors that represent your intention for your altar, then include them in some way on your altar.

You could always create and forget your altar—that's certainly one way to do it. However, an interactive altar keeps you coming back to it, thereby reminding, renewing, and refreshing your intentions.

To make your altar interactive, consider placing elements that encourage you to revisit the altar and even do something while you're in front of it.

Remember to have fun with your process! Play and be creative with it—spirituality isn’t about white-knuckled seriousness. Curiosity, play, openness, and magical connection will lead you to the purpose you seek. And it will be in a way that allows you to enjoy the journey to get there, as well.