Ever had an item that didn't *want* to be on your altar?

[asteampunkwitch]

In an attempt to bring more fire element into my life, I've been keeping eye out for "stuff", and yesterday found this cup soaking up the sun at a yard sale. I was happy to pay a dollar for it, took it home, cleansed it, then set it in the sun to charge it. (Sun seemed more appropriate than moon for this

Comments

[crystallinegirl]

Well, the hearth - or, in modern times, where people prepare food, so the stovetop - is a traditional place for a small altar to the hearth/fire gods. So it does make sense. Is there any place at all in your kitchen where you could set the cup? I wouldn't think it would need to be ON your stove. (And that IS a beautiful cup, btw, what a find!)

Alternately, what kind of heating system do you have in your home? I bet it would be equally happy near a fireplace of any sort. Or maybe a central heating vent, though that probably wouldn't be ideal.

[asteampunkwitch]

It was on the south side of the altar. There's an orange pullout candle there, but maybe it does want more "fire" company. That doesn't seem silly at all.

I may wind up with a mini fire altar on the south side of my existing altar setup when I'm done. I'll have to clear more space off the top of the dresser to do that.

[asteampunkwitch]

There's no fireplace; the heating system is hot water heat via those low covered radiators that run along the walls. My apartment is the top floor of a house that's divided into three apartments (one on each floor).

The kitchen countertop is 18" on either side of the sink. There's just not a lot of space. I could stuff it into the back corner behind the sink, but the cup wouldn't really serve it's purpose if it's not on display somehow.

I'm planning to fill it 1/2-3/4 with mulling type spices (broken cinnamon sticks, whole cloves, orange peel, etc.) I don't have everything on hand for that now. I'm hoping once I do that it'll be willing to settle elsewhere.

I'm laughing and shaking my head at it every time I walk into the kitchen and see it on the stove. :)

[moonwolf23]

Do you have a window in your kitchen? Maybe even put up a shelf behind the stove where it can sit?

[asteampunkwitch]

It doesn't want to be on the kitchen windowsill. (Just as well; it's crowded now with plants.) The kitchen is in the NE corner; the kitchen window faces north. The bedroom is in the southwest corner; the dresser my altar is on is against the wall to the east.

No room for a shelf behind the stove; the wall behind it is covered with ceramic tile, so it's not practical to add a shelf, (also, I rent); I could perch it on the top of the control panel if I pulled the stove out a bit, (just tried that and it seemed just as happy there as in the middle), but I'd worry about it coming off and breaking.

It doesn't seem to want to be in a window at all, but even if it did, the window in the kitchen is the only one with enough of a sill to hold anything.

[moonwolf23]

Meh leave it in the middle, and take it off when you use it. Or how about in the cubard on top of the stove, maybe take the cabinet doors off or something.

[leeneh]

Maybe you could "enlarge" the space on top of the control panel somehow?

I am imagining you could put L-shaped brackets onto a wooden board a bit wider than the current space, and then stick the brackets down behind the panel. Pushing the stove back in as much as the brackets allow should be enough to keep the shelf firmly in place.

And, you could fasten the cup with bluetac to keep it safe.

EDIT: Rewrote weird sentence...

[glitterberrys]

As a lifelong animist, I feel your pain in trying to consider the opinions of (supposedly) inanimate objects - especially when they don't cooperate with our ideas.

Could it sit on your stovetop while your stove is not in use, and moved to another location while you're using it?

[asteampunkwitch]

Having it sit on the stove when it's not in use is what I'm doing now...but it's not really what I want to do long term.

[tryst_inn]

Sure. Its a lovely cup, btw. I adore antiques.

That said, you can experiment a bit. How do you intend to use the cup for fire? Are you going to burn something in it? Keep a red candle or something to represent fire, etc.? The cup by itself generally represents either the Womb/Earth or Water. Other than the color, what fiery aspects can you impart to this?

I would suggest that by wanting to be on the stove, its asking to be charged with fire energy. Can you do something that would appropriate for your correspondences to charge it with fire?

[asteampunkwitch]

I pondered how to dovetail "fire" with "cup", because yes, usually to me cup=water. So then I contemplated it as a holder for offerings and then decided the mulling type mix would work well.

I agree it seems to want charging. The odd thing is that even though I feel like sunlight *should* help with that, I'm not sure it actually did or will. I'm also wondering what the implications are if I take it *off* the stove when I use it - would it not pick up anything?

I don't really want to burn stuff in it. I've considered how that might be done safely (without thermal stress/breakage risk to the glass). I thought of filling it with water and having a floating candle in it; or sand to absorb any heat from a candle. But I don't think it wants actual fire, just fire *energy*. :-p

[moonwolf23]

Burning stuff would likely break it. It can still be womb of earth. What is the center or the womb of earth made of, fiery hot melty rock.

[tryst_inn]

I'd recommend a few things:

Using sand to protect the glass, then a candle.
Fill it with decorative volcanic glass or stones forged in high heat in the Earth.
Fill it with small figurines of animals that represent Fire.

[asteampunkwitch]

I appreciate all the suggestions and feedback. I don't normally burn anything more than a candle inside the apartment (no incense or paper); so I do most of my ritual work outside on the (flat) roof outside my kitchen window. There's a slab of marble that was left on the edge (I suspect it was part of the kitchen countertop from before the kitchen was remodeled.) I set up on that and do whatever I need to.

I may do something outside to charge it later (like surrounding it with candles/incense). But I think I need to think about how to bring fire energy from such a working *into* the apartment. (Without upsetting neighbors or setting off smoke alarms.)

[moonwolf23]

But but but it aint a true ritual if hot firemen don't appear:)

[asteampunkwitch]

LOL! It's so funny you say that, when I just noticed the (SUV)truck of the fire chief from a few towns over parked across the street.

[nacho_cheese]

... I rather like the way you work ritual. ;)