Ritual: Altar Plate

What is on your altar plate?

Atop a journaling notebook and a rune board, next to a pendulum, flower essence du jour, a tuning fork... precariously placed - per my usual, sits my altar plate. She holds all of my current loves, as they don new forms - percolating forth in their shapeshifted presentation. The rocks I found, ...that found me - along the beach walks when in deep contemplation or joy. The shells, once sea creature homes - still holding their resonance and offering this frequency to me. The moon shaped crystals, the hag stones. The polished tumbled opal stones that hold such mystery within. Sand from a beloved beach. A sprig of sage from a bundle created with love. Black copal to burn in ceremony- for my clearing and my becoming. A beeswax candle. At times a feather or 3.

^ A view from within my medicine hut.

This little plate is an altar to me. It answers the questions of what are all of these sacred little items for that I collect in my otter pocket on seemingly every sojourn. They soothe my soul and I honor them by giving them purpose and prominence.

I feel safety and peace. I feel sacredness and mysticism. I feel cleansed and transmuted. I feel held and seen. I feel known by this little plate. As I light it each day before I begin my work, and perhaps create some smoke. As I even gaze upon it in these moments - it is a sacred space for me and my becoming. It alchemizes my becoming.

Sometimes, very often in fact - it is the very simple things that, when expanded, have the most profound gifts.

I adore creating elaborate altars too - and I do create them each month for gatherings I host. But I always have my altar plate too.

To make an altar plate for yourself, simply...

1) Choose a plate, whether it is an old one with a chip, like mine, that gets repurposed or it is a new one you seek out for this purpose. Material, color, shape - you get to choose, or let it choose you.

2) Gather some soil or sand from a beloved place to you. Maybe you collected it on a vacation? Maybe it is from beneath your favorite tree. Maybe it is a little of both. Scatter a bit on the plate to cradle your treasures and help with fire containment.

3) Adorn your sacred altar plate with your treasures. Anything you find sacred. Invite them to come and be this sacred space.

4) Choose a candle. whether it is in a little holder, a tea light, a beeswax nectar drop... choose one that will fit on your plate comfortably and will provide you fire, lighting for what you might burn, and that is manageable on a portable altar.

5) What do you wish to burn? There are so many options... sage, palo santo, copal, cedar, mugwort - to name just a few. You may not always feel like burning it, but there are times when it is so nice to clear with it, and to call in. Whatever it is, be sure you have enough soil or dirt to extinguish it when you might step away for longer periods. It helps if it is smaller, or an easily seated cone, as I have on mine.

Then you add and subtract at will, enjoy the versatility of your portable altar plate.

May this magic find you and bless you! I would LOVE to see pictures or hear about how this goes for you! Happy creating, my otter friends.

~Melissa