Moving, Phase I: Sacred Space
In the morning, we returned the U-Haul truck. Then Darwin set to work cutting back overgrown parts of the lawn and flower beds while I rebuilt my altar.
Putting up the altar is like putting a jigsaw puzzle together without a picture to guide you. I decided the cut stones I found on the property would make a good base, since they were bigger and longer than most of the stones I'd brought with me. I also decided to build the altar higher than before, with a bigger set of roofing stones. See, the altar needs a sheltered area for the Goddess statues because they erode in the rain. My Mother Goddess statue has already lost her nose, in fact. I have three wide, flat stones. In the old altar, one was a roof and the other two were flagstones set on the ground. This time, I wanted to use all three to make a wider, higher roof. My old altar was barely tall enough to squeak the Goddess statues under it, and I wanted more room for them this time.
I built a crescent-shaped wall with care, making sure they leaned backward just a bit to counter the stones' natural inclination to lean forward. When the back section was high enough, I enlisted Darwin's help to get the roofing stones in place. I accomplished this by setting a section of roof on the wall so it jutted way into the crescent. It wouldn't stay, of course. It would tip forward, if left alone. So while I held the roof piece up, Darwin piled more stones on the back part as a counterweight. They held it perfectly! We did this twice more, creating a nice, wide sheltered area.
That done, I set up a pair of shepherd's crooks on either side and hung baskets of flowers from them, then placed the various objects among the stones--a statue of Kwan Yin, a brass stag, a stone with a triple spiral in it, a Celtic offering cup, a stone goblet, candles. And the Goddesses. The moss inside the shelter creates a soft green carpet, and the trees lean in to offer their shade.
When it was done, Darwin pronounced it beautiful. And it is.
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Putting up the altar is like putting a jigsaw puzzle together without a picture to guide you. I decided the cut stones I found on the property would make a good base, since they were bigger and longer than most of the stones I'd brought with me. I also decided to build the altar higher than before, with a bigger set of roofing stones. See, the altar needs a sheltered area for the Goddess statues because they erode in the rain. My Mother Goddess statue has already lost her nose, in fact. I have three wide, flat stones. In the old altar, one was a roof and the other two were flagstones set on the ground. This time, I wanted to use all three to make a wider, higher roof. My old altar was barely tall enough to squeak the Goddess statues under it, and I wanted more room for them this time.
I built a crescent-shaped wall with care, making sure they leaned backward just a bit to counter the stones' natural inclination to lean forward. When the back section was high enough, I enlisted Darwin's help to get the roofing stones in place. I accomplished this by setting a section of roof on the wall so it jutted way into the crescent. It wouldn't stay, of course. It would tip forward, if left alone. So while I held the roof piece up, Darwin piled more stones on the back part as a counterweight. They held it perfectly! We did this twice more, creating a nice, wide sheltered area.
That done, I set up a pair of shepherd's crooks on either side and hung baskets of flowers from them, then placed the various objects among the stones--a statue of Kwan Yin, a brass stag, a stone with a triple spiral in it, a Celtic offering cup, a stone goblet, candles. And the Goddesses. The moss inside the shelter creates a soft green carpet, and the trees lean in to offer their shade.
When it was done, Darwin pronounced it beautiful. And it is.
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