Your Altar: Creating a Sacred Space for Prayer & Meditation

by Sandra Kynes

In this fast-paced world of over-stimulation and distraction, keeping a private space for meditative retreat and spirituality is essential. Creating an altar using the power of numbers allows you to achieve spiritual stillness in a personal and meaningful way. The numbers one through nine each carry a profound symbolic history and significance. Harness this energy and apply it to your life by selecting the number that best resonates with your intention and using it as a guide to your altar design. Deepen Your Spiritual Practice With meditation techniques and many examples of prayers, practices, and rituals from all major faiths, popular author and Celtic scholar Sandra Kynes offers a new approach to altar-building. Using representations of elements from myth and nature as focal points, you can create an altar that best suits your spiritual needs. Straightforward and practical, with easy-to-follow instructions and clear illustrations, this unique book allows you to experience the restorative benefits of altars―and ultimately reconnect with that sacred space within yourself.

Genres: Spirituality, Religion, Nonfiction, New Age, Paganism, Prayer

240 pages, Paperback

First published December 1, 2007

About the author

I describe myself as an explorer of myth and magic. My inquisitiveness has led me to investigate the roots of my beliefs and to integrate my spiritual path with everyday life. I like to develop creative ways to explore the world, which serves as the basis for my books. I have written nine books; numbers ten and eleven are in progress. In addition to writing, I am a yoga instructor and Reiki practitioner.

Reviews

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a book of suggestions not only on how to set up an altar, but also on how to use one. It's an interfaith book and not tied to any one religion. Kynes begins with a general introduction to working with altars. In the main part of the book, she has chapters for altars divided from one to nine parts, with suggested themes and meditations for each. For instance, you could use a four-part altar to meditate on the four elements, the four archangels, or the Four Noble Truths. A five-part altar could be used to meditate on the five senses, the five Confucian virtues, or the five principles of Reiki. Kynes concludes with a brief history of altars and instructions for preparing crystals and gemstones for use on altars. This is a good source of inspiration for how to use altars in meditation and prayer (a visual tool), but may not be detailed enough for people who want concrete instructions on how to set up an altar in a specific tradition.

[Deena · Rating 4 out of 5]

Many people who want to dedicate a shrine to Isis or another goddess are not sure how to go about it. They worry there may be standards or injunctions pertaining to correctness of organization and contents, and they want to get it right.

This lovely book anticipates and answers most of those questions. It discusses the purpose and concept of altars from an interfaith perspective. Its goal is to inspire the imagination, and to encourage creativity and personal adaptations. The author explores the topic so sensitively, and presents such a variety of altar designs and concepts, that the devotee will feel encouraged to confidently design an altar perfect for them.

Both new and more experienced devotees will be intrigued by the results of the author’s survey of home altars.

The altar layouts in this book are based on numerical associations that evoke different energy dynamics and qualities, adding another dimension to our experience of the altar. The designs are based on number of parts or components, from 1 to 9, making up the altar.

The first chapter, “Altar Work,” provides general background and introduces the author’s experiences with altars. It includes a fascinating discussion of the dimensions of meaning and energy awakened by associations with numbers, sacred space, and form. The purposes of altars are also discussed, as well as a variety of ways to set them up. Meditating at the altar is also covered.

The next 9 chapters are each devoted to altars consisting of that number of parts. Each chapter includes an exploration of the traditional and mystical significance of that number. Included are examples of how an altar of that number of parts expresses itself, and how to balance its energy, make use of alternative matrices, etc. There are abundant diagrams, information tables, and lists of attributes and correspondences for each number.

There are 2 useful appendixes. The first contains a history of altars. The second contains information on how to prepare crystals for use. There is a good-sized bibliography for continued study, and an index. The work is well referenced and documented.

[Kathy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was under the impression that Your Altar would be about creating and setting up an altar. In reality this book should be called Prayers and Meditations for your Altar. The author also gave a 101 class on several religions instead of focusing on intent or the use of the altar. All the interesting information is located in the Index. I'm pretty disappointed.

[Corrie Beebe · Rating 3 out of 5]

A great deal of interesting information about numerology, how to set up various altars, differing meditations to use with these alter set ups and then a history of altars through time and various religions.

[Willow · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great book. But I'm into doing a Wiccan altar, so not too much help. But good book on the altar.