What's on your altar?

"Altar" is a term many of us associate with the church. The Oxford Dictionary definition of an altar is, "the table in a Christian church at which the bread and wine are consecrated in communion services." The Christian church is not the only religious sect to use altars in their worship.

Altars can be found at many places of worship such as temples and shrines and are commonly associated with paganism, Hinduism, Buddhism and Judaism.

An altar is meant to be a sacred space, be it in a house of worship or in your home. It is a space where your spirituality meets the physical world. The act of building an altar in your home is one of the first steps of incorporating your spiritual beliefs into your everyday life and practices, rather than only worshipping at the altar of a church or temple.

An altar will display and house the items that you find sacred. It could be a statue, a print-out of a favorite verse from a religious text, a poem, a crystal, a photo of loved ones, a candle. There are no hard and fast rules as to what should be on your altar, however, there is a suggestion that the elemental items of earth, fire, air and water be included.

Sarah Rose, owner of the Healthy Hippie Trading Co., located in the Old Town area of Tehachapi, shares that she has an altar in both her home and the store.

"My altar at my home consists of a beautiful, miniature carved table sitting on a table next to my couch, which is where I generally do my morning meditations. There is a photo of my mother who passed over 25 years ago, a candle and a vase that holds fresh flowers, as well as a couple of my favorite crystals. I also have a singing bowl that sits at the base of the table. At the store, we have another one of the carved tables that we sell here along with a fountain for water, a selenite lamp for fire, incense for air and a feather for earth. We've recently added a stack of Oracle cards that we invite customers to draw from. I think of Oracle cards like 'thoughts for the day,' plus they are a great writing prompt for those who journal."

The Healthy Hippie Trading Co. has altar tables, cloths, bells, incense and more to assist you in creating the perfect altar for your space. They are located at 20418 Brian Way, Tehachapi, and are open 6 days a week (closed Mondays).