Exploring unique ways to make sacred nooks in your home that embellishes the memories of your ancestors, culture, and family; making everyday living beautiful, sacred, & creative!

Photo albums, digital pictures, video recordings, passed down Stories from one generation to the next, ancestral communication, a connection to the Most High, Love, Friendship family, heartaches, what do all of these things have in common? They are all sacred and important factors in each of our lives, but how often do we take the time to meditate upon them within our home, outside of temples of worship and fellowships, birthdays, and funerals? Creating your own sacred space within your home not only adds some pleasing whimsical charm for your inner senses, but can keep you emotionally, physically, and spiritually grounded on a day to day basis, even with just a glimpse of the creation, it will keep you in a constant reminder that your ancestors are with you and you will always have a physical, sacred, special, and creative space to give your respect for them, your creativity, and your current state in life.

Here are some of the basic objects and some unique things that you can incorporate into your alter and some creative ideas on how to use them:

Foundation Objects:

Meditation Table

Table cloth / cover

Meditation / Prayer mat / Pillows

Affirmation / Text holders

Comfortable Clothing

Earth, Wind, & Fire:

Live Flowers / Plants / Herbs: symbolizing earth

Incense / Diffuser / Sage: symbolizing wind / air, and can sensually cleanse the stale air in your space

Candles: symbolizing fire / spiritual longevity

Ancestral Memories:

Photographs: loved ones, close friends, inspirational people

Sculpture / Textiles: Gods & Goddess, spiritual figures / symbols, African, dolls, textiles, sacred quilts

Meditation / Prayer Box

Sacred Books

Health & Longevity:

Fruits

Water & Salt: representing cleansing

Crystals / Gemstones

Beauty & Self Love:

Essential Oils

Mirror: symbolizing self reflection & self love

Music / Instruments

Art: nature inspired, spiritual figures

Journal & Pen

Watercolors / Colored pencils & Paper

Stamps & Envelopes

Visualizing Resolution: keeping a meditation box on your alter is a great way to get out your prayers, dreams, and goals. Keep a few slips of paper next to it to write your prayers & messages on.

Magnetic Inspiration: Create magnet collages that give you inspiration and memories of your ancestors, and place them on your fridge.

A Picture Worth A Thousand Words: Create a collage altarmemory frame by using a single picture frame. Embellish it with healing stones, and colors, jewelry, and more...a great idea is to use a shadow box, to fill it with little trinkets and dimensional items that evoke the spirit of thankfulness.

Portable Altars: A great way to place your altar wherever a sacred, quiet space is available(especially in a busy home) is to create a portable mini altar using a shoe box as seen here or wooden T.V tray. To create this portable memory box, all you need is a string of christmas light(about 50 bulbs) and a small nail to poke your holes. You will want to make sure that your holes are not too big, as your bulbs will fall through. Simply poke a small hole with a nail and then poke the bulb in the rest of the way to create a snug fit! Once your lights are in, use modge podge to pase inspirational pictures and cut outs to cover your box. I used magazine clipings,old gemstones, and on the inside of the top of the shoe box, I pasted a cloth print of my sons baby fet, cowrie shells, a cliping of my great-grandmothers memory write up after she passed, and photos of inspirational women.

You can also take an unfinished T.V tray, that you can most likely find around your home or at your local Craft Store, and paint it a color that represents you and your creative spirit. Cut out a piece of fabric of your choice to fit the bottom of the inside of your tray. Fill a couple of mini picture frames with collages, artwork, and photos, an place a small bowl filled with sand to hold your incense. Place one or two candles, a small journal, and pen, a vile of essential oil, a small votive for flowers, and embellish the outside of your tray with healing gemstones, decorative beads, words/symbols of inspiration, and anything else that inspires your memories and spirit. Be as creative as possible when creating thee portable treasures.

ymib Creative Tip: Set up these little portable altars in different rooms around your home, and create different themes for each one. For example: in your bathroom, fill you altar with images, and things that represent clarity and cleanliness, in your kitchen adorn you altar with things that represent life/spice, health & well being, and longevity. In your bedroom fill it with things that remind you of love, rest & relaxation, and dreams, and of course in your family room, fill it with things that remind you of family, compassion, etc. You can also do this in a room used for creative endeavors, such a painting, knitting, crafting, etc. Fill your mini altar with things that represent creativity, love, inspiration, family,a nd anything else that feeds your spirit positively!!