Beltane Home Altar
This is a joyful altar, reflecting a lot of what matters to me at the moment.
Being young at heart ... releasing Crone to the turn of the Wheel ... feeling light and open and curious ... letting whimsy rule ... letting love be the law.
Resetting my altar at each turn of the Wheel is important to me. I don't think ahead of time what must go on it. I take everything off, with intent and thinking about the turn of the Wheel just passed. Polish the wood and clean the area around the altar. Placing the season's past symbols in the chest. Meditating on what the turn of the year feels like to me and wandering about the house to see what calls to go on the altar.
This time ... for Beltane 2008.
Ribbons ... a reminder of play and things that waft on the air.
Flowers ... of course.
A painting I love and which usually lives in the bedroom. So "Maiden" and sensual and free.
Candles for God and Goddess in colorful pots that belonged to my Granny.
Her images (my spiral Goddess from Luna and my always-present image of Mother Parvati).
A green Presence Candle for my daily meditations on the Greening (of the world ... and of me).
A Goose stone for me and a Lady Bug stone for W (which will both remain on the altar as I work with her).
Elemental candles (in neat little silver "snuff boxes" with the crescent moon stamped on them).
A Green Goddess incense holder which was a gift from D at Yule.
The athame that W and I share. I don't keep my blade on the altar unless I am using it. But do keep my student and I's shared blade there to keep that energy intact between our using it. I laughed at this one. We wanted something to share when we started working on the Elements together, so that we could each hold it and use it to Call. So I grabbed a silver letter opener that was in the house which had never served a magickal purpose. But which had meant-to-be crescent moon-like shapes on it. Why I found it funny was I remember when all the witchy books started coming out in the 70s and 80s that so often they would say if you can't find a blade to use a letter opener ... and I shivered ::laugh:: What goes around, comes around.
And the sweetest thing on the Beltane altar. The lovebird votive holder from my beloved Luna. Which I light whenever I visit my altar ... to celebrate our friendship and to allow myself a moment of Giddy thinking of her upcoming trip here.
For the moment there is a bit of spellwork sitting in the middle on top of my paten. Normally, through all the "light" times of year, my altar paten is the one that Moonwillow made for me ... which is very special to me. I'll bring Her back out once the magicks are done with my current prayer. That will be the center of my Midsummer altar for sure.
One last bit of importance to this altar ... the altar cloth is an old skirt. One I can no longer wear. There were a few bits of clothing that I hated to part with when all my clothes went to charity a couple of weeks back. Several skirts that were of materials and textures that I particularly adored have become altar cloths. Including this lovely satin one, with sage green and gold vines, with the slightest touch of small rose-colored flowers. It's a celebration of "lighter" in a different sense. Placing it on the altar was very moving. Releasing that set of 50 pounds from my body and honoring it by the presence of that cloth.
And in keeping with the lightness of the season ... here is Lord Bogie of the Min Pins ... who is actually a cat in small-dog's clothing (W made that declaration) ... known for creeping in and stealing whatever is mouthable from the altar. I love this picture, because you can see his eye looking ... trying to decide what he can grab and run with before his Priestess catches him. But too late ... she caught him in the act!! As he left he looked over his shoulder at me and muttered, "I will return!!!!"
